Ductile iron has high plasticity and good toughness, the tensile strength of ductile iron is 60k psi and the yield strength of ductile iron is 40k psi, it can be comparable to carbon steel in strength. So it is often used to produce iron parts which require high strength, toughness and complex shapes.

Its cast performance is better than steel, mainly used to manufacture machine parts with mechanical complexity and a larger load, such as crankshaft, connecting rod, gear, camshaft. Iron foundry can also make recirculating ball type, worm fan steering parts in trucks, buses, construction vehicles. Sometimes it is made into the base and large ductile iron castings.

The scope of ductile iron application can be divided into four fields: pressure pipes and fittings. the automobile industry. agriculture, road and construction applications, general engineering.

Ductile iron has been used in cars in the three main areas: first, the car engine parts, second, gears and bushings, third, suspension, brakes and steering. Almost all crankshafts of the Ford Motor Company have been manufactured by ductile iron. Most of the worldwide cars are fitted with ductile iron crankshaft, instead of forged steel crankshaft.

Modern agriculture requires a reliable and long service life of agricultural machinery. The entire agricultural industry are widely using ductile iron castings including tractor parts, plows, brackets, clamps and pulleys. For other types of agricultural machinery including bulldozers, moved into machines, cranes and compressors, ductile iron castings in these areas have a very wide range of applications.

Paper manufacturing industry is using the high strength and high elastic modulus of ductile iron. These properties can reduce the weight of the pressure drum and drying drum.