Abstract
The production of austempered ductile iron (ADI) with uniform microstructure and properties is constrained by the
austempering process vis-à-vis the quenching medium. This is as a result of the stringent operating parameters with
costly facilities. This limitation has restricted the application of ADI, despite its inherent mechanical and chemical
properties. An emerging technology of overcoming this limitation is by austempering with force air cooling
equipment, which is accessible, available and cost-efficient. This work characterizes the behaviour of the forced air
cool ADI in simulated mine water due to the strategic importance of the mining industry in the global economy. The
study establishes the influence of sample section thickness on the corrosion performance. The sample’s thickness
were 5, 15, and 20 mm. Electrochemical experiments were performed on the forced air cool ADI at atmospheric
pressure and room temperature with method such as open circuit potential (OCP). The post-corrosion analyses were
performed using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The
research highlighted that small section thickness has a more favourable performance compared with larger section.
Consideration is also accorded to the capability of the ADI in the studied environment.