UDC 628.144:669.131.7
DOI 10.35776/VST.2025.07.03

Babanov Aleksandr, Khoroshilova Margarita

From grey cast iron to ductile iron: the evolution of the most sought-after material for water supply networks

Summary

For centuries cast iron has been a key material for water supply systems owing to its strength and long service life. In 1932, ductile iron was produced: modifying gray cast iron with magnesium transformed the lamellar graphite of gray cast iron into spheroidal graphite, significantly improving the mechanical properties of the material. Today, the story continues: in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities throughout Russia, utility networks are being upgraded by replacing gray cast iron pipes with ductile iron pipes.

Key words

ductile iron , water distribution and sewer networks , cast iron pipes , gray cast iron , zinc-aluminum coating

For citation: Babanov A. A., Khoroshilova M. V. From grey cast iron to ductile iron: the evolution of the most sought-after material for water supply networks. Vodosnabzhenie i Sanitarnaia Tekhnika, 2025, no. 7, pp. 22–25. DOI: 10.35776/VST.2025.07.03. (In Russian).

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