One of the most popular methods of manufacturing durable and high-quality components is through castings. Casting allows for a high level of detail, which results in no and additional fabrication or assembly. Although many different materials can be cast, steel and iron are two of the most popular due to their excellent mechanical properties for a wide range of applications. This article focuses on the difference between cast iron and cast steel.
Cast iron usually refers to gray iron, ductile iron and malleable iron. It is an iron casting with a carbon content higher than 2%.
Cast steel usually refers to ordinary carbon steel and alloy steel. It is a steel casting with a carbon content of less than 2%. Therefore, cast iron and cast steel are not much different in chemical composition and raw materials.

Corrosion resistance
In terms of corrosion, iron has better corrosion resistance than steel. But that doesn't mean both are immune to corrosion. If left unprotected, both metals will oxidize in the presence of moisture. Eventually, they will completely break down. To prevent this, it is recommended to coat steel and cast iron castings.

cost
Cast iron is generally cheaper than cast steel because of the lower cost of materials, energy and labor required to produce the final product. While crude steel is more expensive, steel is also available in prefabricated forms. These include plates, bars, bars, tubes and beams.

Castability
Cast iron is relatively easy to cast because it is easy to pour and does not shrink like steel. This fluidity makes cast iron an ideal metal for architecture or ornate ironwork structures such as fences and street furniture.

Advantages and disadvantages of cast iron
The good casting properties of grey cast iron are.. good vibration damping, good wear resistance, good machinability and low notch sensitivity. However, its tensile strength and elongation are low. Therefore, it can only produce some metal parts that are not physically demanding. Guards, Covers, Oil Pans, Handwheels, Frames, Floors, Hammers, Small Handles, Bases, Frames, Boxes, Knives, Beds, Bearing Blocks, Workbenches, Wheels, Covers, Pumps, Valves, Pipes, Flywheels, Motors seat etc. As for the higher grade gray cast iron, it can withstand larger loads and has a certain degree of sealing or corrosion resistance. This allows for some more important castings such as cylinders, gears, bases, flywheels, beds, cylinder blocks, cylinder liners, pistons, gearboxes, brake wheels, coupling plates, medium pressure valves, etc.
Ductile iron and malleable iron have high strength, ductility and heat resistance and toughness. So a wider range of applications, in some cases, can replace carbon steel. However, its production technology is high. The production process is more complicated. This makes the production cost higher than ordinary grey cast iron and cast steel. Therefore, ductile iron has many casting defects. There are many areas where ductile iron is used, such as pressure pipes and fittings, automotive applications, agricultural, road and construction applications, and general engineering applications.

Advantages and disadvantages of cast steel
The main advantage of cast steel is design flexibility. Casting designers have the greatest freedom of design choice. This allows complex shapes and hollow cross-section parts.
Cast steel has the flexibility and greatest variability of metallurgical fabrication. Different chemical compositions and controls can be selected to suit the various requirements of different projects. This provides different heat treatment options within a wider range of mechanical properties and properties. Also provides good weldability and machinability.
Cast steel is an isotropic material that can be made into integral structural strength steel castings. This increases the reliability of the project. Combined with design and weight, short lead times, price and economy give cast steel a competitive advantage.
Steel castings have a wider weight range. The very small weight can be only a few tens of grams of investment castings. Large steel castings can weigh several tons, tens or hundreds of tons.
Steel castings can be used in a variety of conditions. Its mechanical properties are superior to any other cast alloys, as well as high alloy steels for various special purposes. In order to withstand high tensile stresses or dynamic loads of components, it is important to consider pressure vessel castings. At low temperature or high temperature, the key parts of large and important parts should be mainly steel castings.
However, the shock absorption, wear resistance and fluidity of cast steel are relatively poor. Compared with cast iron, the casting properties are poor. In addition, the cost is higher than ordinary cast iron.
Therefore, for cast iron and cast steel, they have their own advantages and disadvantages. The choice should be based on the application and their physical properties.