Definition
A hard, brittle iron alloy containing roughly 2% to 4% carbon, formed by pouring molten iron into a mold and allowing it to solidify. It is strong in compression, resistant to wear, and absorbs vibration well, but it is brittle and cannot be easily shaped by hammering or bending.
Plain English
A type of iron with a high carbon content that is melted and poured into molds to form parts. It is hard and wear-resistant but breaks rather than bends if overstressed.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance texts, engine component descriptions, and material discussions.
Derivation
From 'cast,' meaning poured into a shape, and 'iron,' the base metal. The name simply describes how the part is made: molten iron cast into a mold, rather than forged or machined from a solid block.
Why Pilots Care
The material choice affects cylinder durability, heat transfer, and required maintenance intervals on legacy aircraft engines.
Intuition Check
Do not read “cast” here as “thrown.” In this term, “cast” means the metal was melted, poured into a mold, and allowed to harden into shape.
Example Sentence 1
The cylinder barrels in many aircraft engines are made of cast iron because it wears slowly against the moving piston rings.
Example Sentence 2
The radial engine's cast iron barrels provided reliable wear resistance under continuous high-power operation.