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Lab Week 12 - Report

1. This lab report summarizes an experiment on phase transformations in metals during heat treatment of steel samples. 2. Properties such as hardness, resistance, and thermal conductivity were measured for samples cooled through different processes. Water quenching resulted in the hardest sample with the smallest grain size due to rapid cooling preventing grain growth. 3. Microstructures were observed using optical microscopy and correlated to cooling rates and resulting material properties. Faster cooling processes like water quenching and air cooling produced smaller grain sizes compared to furnace cooling.

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Juan Christiansen
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129 views4 pages

Lab Week 12 - Report

1. This lab report summarizes an experiment on phase transformations in metals during heat treatment of steel samples. 2. Properties such as hardness, resistance, and thermal conductivity were measured for samples cooled through different processes. Water quenching resulted in the hardest sample with the smallest grain size due to rapid cooling preventing grain growth. 3. Microstructures were observed using optical microscopy and correlated to cooling rates and resulting material properties. Faster cooling processes like water quenching and air cooling produced smaller grain sizes compared to furnace cooling.

Uploaded by

Juan Christiansen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MTSE 3003

Fall 2017

Laboratory Work 12: Phase transformation in metals

Submitted by Juan Christiansen

Date Submitted: 11/27/17


Date Performed: 11/20/17
Lab Section: 001
Lab TA: Nathaliia
Course Instructor: Dr.Berman

1. Lab Objectives:
1. Study the mechanisms of phase transformations in metals
2. Explore effects of the temperature processing on the metal structure
3. Correlate changes in the structure with physical properties of metals

2. Materials and Equipment:


a) Iron-carbon samples (4140 steel)
b) High temperature Furnace
c) High temperature gloves and tongs
d) Bucket with water
e) Rockwell Hardness Tester
f) Optical microscope
g) Thermal conductivity analyzer
h) 4-probe electrical measurement station
i) Polishing paper

3. Experimental Results:

Activity 3: Properties of metal samples


Fill in the table:

sample hardness resistance Thermal Type of material?


Conductivit
y
A C61.5 27.5 mΩ/square 12.34 Water
W/mK quenched
B C33 35 mΩ/square .4502 Air cooled
W/mK
C C32 29.5 mΩ/square 14.50 Furnace cooled
W/mK
D C17.8 33.77 mΩ/square .1028 0% CW
W/mK

Activity 4: Optical microscopy


Fill in the table (Draw or import micrographs at 20X):

Initial sample Description


Very easily defined grain boundaries, moderately
sized

Water-quenched Description
Grains have almost completely disappeared. The
atoms do not have time to nucleate from the time it
is removed from the furnace before it is dunked in
the water.

Furnace cooled Description


The grains are the largest, bar initial sample. This
process is the slowest which allows the atoms to
nucleate, forming these larger grains.
Air cooled Description
These grains are smaller than the furnace cooled
which implies that it this is a faster process.

4. Questions:
4.1 Discuss how the cooling procedure affects the structure of steel. What microstructure
is expected to form for 4 procedures analyzed in the lab?
The faster the cooling process, the smaller the grain size of the resulting material.
 0% CW- FCC
 Water-quenched – Martensite
 Furnace cooled – Pearlite(fine)
 Air cooled - Pearlite

4.2 Discuss effect of the microstructure on materials properties (mechanical, electrical,


thermal).
The microstructure is the base of the material, where it gets all its properties. A
more symmetric microstructure, like FCC, is weaker because it is subject to more
dislocations whereas Martensite, which is BCT, is remarkable stronger due to its
asymmetry. How the atoms are bonded and how dense the microstructure is affect the
electrical and thermal conductivity as well.

4.3 Name heat treatment procedure used for samples A, B, C, and D.


A- Initial sample 0% CW
B- Water-quenched
C- Furnace cooled
D- Air cooled
5. Conclusion

This lab went through testing the different properties of the processed metal samples that
we have done so many times this semester. We were supposed to witness the act of water-
quenching but due to some difficulties that never got started. The results from the property
testers showed that the water-quenched is the hardest, which according to all the other info,
makes sense. The martensite microstructure is BCT which is not symmetrical, meaning that it is
stronger against dislocations. The grains of this sample were almost nonexistent when viewed
under optical microscope, which further implies its hardness since the surface is more uniform.
This is similar to the necking that occurs to a ceramic when it undergoes a sintering process,
except the temperature change is decreasing not increasing.
This not part of my conclusion but just wanted to thank you guys for a great semester. I
wish the three of you success, which I know you will get, and I’ll see you around DP.

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