Cast iron is used for machine bodies due to its following property:

Explanation:

Cast iron:

• Cast iron is a high-carbon alloy of iron with carbon. It usually contains alloy additives such as silicon, manganese, phosphorus, or sulfur also.
• Cast iron contains from 2.06 to 6.67% carbon in the form of cementite or graphite.
• The occurrence of a particular phase of carbon depends on the cooling rate and chemical composition of the alloy.
• One of the types of cast iron is gray cast iron wherein the carbon is present as graphite.
• It is regarded as cast iron of higher quality and is more ductile, easily treatable, has good fluidity, and has a smaller shrinkage casting (around 1.0%) than white cast iron.
• It is used to make bodies, housings, blocks of pumps, compressors, and motors although it is more brittle and susceptible to cracking than steel.
• Grey cast iron is used because of having exceptional damping Capacity (the relative ability of a material to absorb shock or vibration).
• Grey cast iron possesses this property due to the presence of carbon in the form of graphite flakes in the pearlite/ferrite matrix.
• The morphology of graphite as a flake in grey cast iron enables it to absorb both compressive and vibrational loads without initiating a crack.
• In general, vibration can be critical in machinery and can cause an unsatisfactory operation or even failure.