A slide ring includes a main body composed of grey cast iron, wherein at least a partial region of a functional surface has a ledeburitic microstructure at the surface. A method for producing such a slide ring includes heating a functional surface of the slide ring by irradiating with high-energy radiation, wherein the irradiation is carried out so that at least a partial region of the irradiated surface is remelted, wherein the parameters of the irradiation are selected so that at least a partial region of the functional surface has a ledeburitic microstructure after cooling.

An inoculant for manufacturing cast iron with lamellar, compacted or spheroidal graphite is disclosed. The inoculant has a particulate ferrosilicon alloy 40 and 80% by weight of silicon, 0.5 and 5% by weight of calcium and/or strontium and/or barium, 0 and 10% by weight of rare earths, 0 and 5% by weight of magnesium, less than 5% by weight of aluminium, 0 and 10% by weight of manganese and/or zirconium, and the balance being iron, wherein the inoculant additionally contains 0.1 to 10% by weight of particulate bismuth oxide particles and optionally 0.1 and 10% by weight of one or more particulate metal sulphides and/or one or more particulate iron oxides, where the particulate bismuth oxide is mixed or blended with the ferrosilicon particles, or is simultaneously added to cast iron together with the particulate ferrosilicon particles.

A self-lubricating rolling bearing is provided. The chemical compositions in the inner rings and the outer rings of bearing are 3.4-3.7% C, 2.7-2.9% Si, 0.3-0.5% Mn, 0.3-0.5% Cr, ?0.05% S, ?0.05% P, 0.03-0.045% Residual Mg, and the remainder Fe. The total percent of the chemical compositions is 100%. The material for the inner and outer rings of the rolling bearing introduced in the invention is austempered ductile iron (ADI). In the microstructure of ADI, the diameter of the graphite nodules is less than 0.02 mm, the number of graphite spheres per square millimeter is more than 400, and the microstructure of the metal matrix in the ADI can be showed clearly only when it is observed on the microscope with a magnification more than 500. Eventually, the self-lubricating rolling bearings are made from the ADI.

A self-lubricating rolling bearing is provided. The chemical compositions in the inner rings and the outer rings of bearing are 3.4-3.7% C, 2.7-2.9% Si, 0.3-0.5% Mn, 0.3-0.5% Cr, ?0.05% S, ?0.05% P, 0.03-0.045% Residual Mg, and the remainder Fe. The total percent of the chemical compositions is 100%. The material for the inner and outer rings of the rolling bearing introduced in the invention is austempered ductile iron (ADI). In the microstructure of ADI, the diameter of the graphite nodules is less than 0.02 mm, the number of graphite spheres per square millimeter is more than 400, and the microstructure of the metal matrix in the ADI can be showed clearly only when it is observed on the microscope with a magnification more than 500. Eventually, the self-lubricating rolling bearings are made from the ADI.

A casting of a hypereutectic white iron that, in an as-cast form of the casting, has a microstructure that includes a ferrous matrix that contains 12-20 wt. % chromium in solution in the matrix, eutectic chromium carbides dispersed in the matrix, primary chromium carbides dispersed in the matrix, and optionally secondary carbides dispersed in the matrix. The eutectic carbides are 15-25 vol. % of the casting and the primary carbides are 25-35 vol. % of the casting. When present, the secondary carbides are up to 6 vol. % of the casting.

A casting of a hypereutectic white iron that, in an as-cast form of the casting, has a microstructure that includes a ferrous matrix that contains 12-20 wt. % chromium in solution in the matrix, eutectic chromium carbides dispersed in the matrix, primary chromium carbides dispersed in the matrix, and optionally secondary carbides dispersed in the matrix. The eutectic carbides are 15-25 vol. % of the casting and the primary carbides are 25-35 vol. % of the casting. When present, the secondary carbides are up to 6 vol. % of the casting.

Disclosed herein is a gray cast iron having high strength and reduced casting defects. The high-strength gray cast iron may include: an amount of about 3.10 to 3.50 wt % of carbon (C), an amount of about 2.10 to 2.40 wt % of silicon (Si), an amount of about 0.50 to 0.80 wt % of manganese (Mn), an amount less than or equal to about 0.10 wt % (not including 0%) of phosphorus (P), an amount less than or equal to about 0.10 wt % (not including 0%) of sulfur (S), an amount of about 0.25 to 0.45 wt % of chromium (Cr), an amount of about 1.00 to 1.40 wt % of copper (Cu), an amount less than or equal to about 0.20 wt % (not including 0%) of nickel (Ni), and a balance of iron (Fe), all the wt % are based on the total weight of the gray cast iron. In particular, the gray cast iron may include a carbon equivalent (CEQ) of about 3.95 to 4.1% calculated by the Equation 1.

An inoculant for the manufacture of cast iron with lamellar, compacted or spheroidal graphite is disclosed. The inoculant has a particulate ferrosilicon alloy having about 40 to 80 wt % silicon, about 0.1 to 10 wt % calcium, 0 and 10% by weight of rare earths, for example cerium and/or lanthanum, and up to 5 wt % aluminium the balance being iron and incidental impurities in the ordinary amount, wherein the inoculant additionally has 0.1 to 10 wt %, based on the total weight of inoculant, antimony oxide where said antimony oxide is in particulate form and is mixed or blended with the ferrosilicon alloy particles, or is simultaneously added to cast iron together with the particulate ferrosilicon alloy particles.

An inoculant for the manufacture of cast iron with lamellar, compacted or spheroidal graphite is disclosed. The inoculant has a particulate ferrosilicon alloy having about 40 to 80 wt % silicon, about 0.1 to 10 wt % calcium, 0 and 10% by weight of rare earths, for example cerium and/or lanthanum, and up to 5 wt % aluminium the balance being iron and incidental impurities in the ordinary amount, wherein the inoculant additionally has 0.1 to 10 wt %, based on the total weight of inoculant, antimony oxide where said antimony oxide is in particulate form and is mixed or blended with the ferrosilicon alloy particles, or is simultaneously added to cast iron together with the particulate ferrosilicon alloy particles.

Provided is a cast iron material from which excellent friction characteristics can be obtained. Provided is the cast iron material containing C and Fe as a composition, and further containing Cr as the composition in 1.0 to 3.5% in terms of mass %. The cast iron material is used in a sliding component sliding under an environment of lubricating oil to which an additive containing Mo as a constituent element, such as MoDTC, is added. Cr contained in the cast iron material promotes a decomposition reaction of the additive containing Mo added to the lubricating oil to form a film of molybdenum disulfide, the film having low friction. Thus, the fiction can be reduced.