10.1.

The Iron - Carbide Phase Diagram (STEELS)

  - solid solution Fe - allotropy

BCC, 0.09%C

  - solid solution - AUSTENITE

Interstitial solid solution
FCC, max solubility 2.14% C

  - solid solution - FERRITE

Interstitial solid solution
BCC, max solubility 0.022% C

The iron-carbide phase diagram



L


 +Fe3C




Fe Fe3C
Steel Cast Iron
Fe3C - iron carbide (CEMENTITE)
Interstitial compound, 6.7% C
Orthorhombic, Hard & brittle
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 1. Peritectic reaction at 14930C: Liquid +  austenite (g)
2. Eutectic reaction at 1147oC: Liquid  austenite () + cementite (Fe3C)

3. Eutectoid reaction at 727oC:

+ Fe3C
Austenite Ferrite Cementite

PEARLITE (eutectoid mixture)


Fe3 C

7270C
0.76
P
 P
PFe3C

Ferrite
Austenite
PEARLITE
 0.76% C, 727oC
 PEARLITE microstructure: white matrix (ferrite) + plates (cementite)
 Fine lamellar mixture

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 Transformation of hypoeutectoid steel on slow cooling

 



+P

Co  0.76 – hypoeutectoid

P

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 •Steel with 0.52%C
 •T= 600 C
+ P P P
R S Lever rule
wt%  = S/(R+S)
0.52
wt% P = (R/R+S)


P

Transformation of hypereutectoid steel on slow cooling

Fe3C

Fe3 C

P
P
P+Fe3C

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Lever rule:
steel 1.2%C: 92.7% Fe3C




P P
P+Fe3C

Micrograph of medium-
1010 steel 1095 steel
carbon 1040 steel

Alloying elements change the Iron-Carbide phase diagram!

The eutectoid temperature can be affected! The eutectoid composition can be affected!

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 10.2. The Heat Treatment of Steel

TIME-TEMPERATURE-TRANSFORMATION - (T-T-T) CURVES

Eutectoid reaction is fundamental to the microstructure and properties of steels.

+ Fe3C
Austenite  Ferrite + Cementite (pearlite)

Temperature and cooling conditions play an important role in the rate of this transformation.

a. IT - Isothermal Transformation Diagrams

b. CCT - Continuous Cooling Transformation diagrams

10.2a Isothermal Transformation (IT) Diagrams

• Transformation of austenite to pearlite occurs

isothermally (at the constant temperature)!



1. Prepare a large number of thin samples cut of the same bar.

2. Place the samples in a furnace (T > 727OC) long enough to
produce austenite.
P 3. Place the sample in a molten salt bath which is held at a
constant T (< 727OC).
4. After varying time intervals in the salt bath, quench each
sample in cold water.


Transfomation of austenite to pearlite occurs isothermally – the T is held constant throughout

the duration of the reaction.

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The I–T diagrams are convenient way of representing both time and T dependence of this
transformation.
IT diagrams – S shaped curves showing percent of transformation as a function of T (vertical
axis) and time (horizontal axis).

IT diagram - eutectoid steel

- isothermal heat treatment curve
(ABCD).

Note:

 Beginning of transformation line (continuous)

 Ending of transformation line (continuous)
 50% of transformation (dashed line)
 The area left of the beginning line  unstable 
 C – Eutectoid T

At temperatures just below the eutectoid, COARSE PEARLITE is

formed - diffusion rates are relatively high .

With decreasing T, the FINE PEARLITE is formed (diffusion rate decreases).

COARSE
PEARLITE FINE
PEARLITE

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At lower temperatures other microstructures are formed:
 BAINITE (very small ferrite and cementite , diffusional process)
- Upper bainite (~ 300-5000C)
- Lower bainite (~200-3000C)

PEARLITE

BAINITE

MARTENSITE

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MARTENSITE
is formed when steel is rapidly cooled
(QUENCHED) to a relatively low T.
 Ms – martensite begins to form

IT diagrams are not very practical

The shape of the I-T diagram is a function of the steel composition.

IT Digram Involving hypoeutectoid composition


 P



P

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IT Digram for the steel with hypereutectoid composition

P
Fe3C
2.14

 P+Fe3C
Austenite

Fe3C
 A1 727

0.76

 P
+ P P+Fe3C

Hypereutectoid

10.2b Continuous Cooling Transformation Diagrams (CCT)

Most heat treatments for steels involve the continuous cooling of a part to the room
T. A plot showing such cooling reaction of a steel is termed the CCT diagrams.

 Very slow cooling – coarse pearlite

 Faster cooling – fine pearlite

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 CCR

 Critical cooling rate (CCR): minimum cooling rate that will produce a totally
martensite structure (tangent to the nose )
 Any cooling rate slower that critical will form some softer transformation
product.
 Rapid quench – rapid enough - to avoid transformation in the nose region
(it remains  until the Ms line is reached).

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 10.2c. MARTENSITE

 Diffusionless transformation (almost instantaneous)

 No change in chemical composition
 Body-centered tetragonal structure (BCT)
- Bain Distortion: FCC – BCT
- Carbon atoms are inherited form the austenite (transformation which would
normally proceed to BCC is not able to go to completion)
- Cooperative movement of all atoms
- Carbon atoms strain the lattice into the BCT
- Structure needlelike
- Nonequilibrium phase

Martensite microstructure:
Needle shaped grains, white
– retained (nontransformed)
austenite

BCT
martensite
Bain distortion: FCC austenite lattice transforming to a BCT martensite. The BCT cell is
martensite
outlined in the FCC in (a), and shown alone in (b). The Bain distortion converts (b) to (c)

BCT/FCC  c/a = 1.414

% change in volume = V / Vaustenite = 0.001/0.0233 ~ 4 %

 During the decomposition of austenite there is a net volume increase leading

to the creation of internal stresses that can grow to a magnitude to
nucleate cracks upon quenching.

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 Mechanical properties:

Effect of carbon content of steel on hardness of martensite

Properties
 The HARDNESS of martensite is a function of carbon content
 Martensitic steels are the hardest/ strongest but also the most brittle.

10.2e TEMPERING

Heat treatment of a martensitic steel at a temperature just below the

eutectoid temperature in the range of 250 – 650 ºC for a specified
amount of time.

Reheating of martensite promotes decomposition (diffusion processes

produce more stable and less brittle structure)
 Temperatures between 250 - 650°C . .
 The purpose:
- To relieve residual stresses
- To improve the ductility and toughness

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SPHERODITE
If a steel having either pearlitic or bainitic structures is heated to a
temperature below the eutectoid (7270C), and left at this T for a sufficiently
long time (~ 18-24 h) – the spherodite is formed.

 Microstructure: cementite as spherelike particles in a ferrite matrix

 Carbon diffusion
 Very SOFT.

The microstructure spherodized Fe3C

cementite consists of a very small,
uniform dispersion of cementite
phase in a matrix of  -ferrite.

SUMMARY

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 10.2d CARBURIZING (Case Hardening)

 For some applications, it is necessary to harden the surface of a steel above of

its interior.
 One way – by increasing the surface concentration of CARBON in a process
termed CARBONIZING.
 The steel peace is exposed to an atmosphere rich in hydrocarbon gas (CH4), at
an elevated T.
 Approximately 0.5 - 1 mm thick layer

The GEAR – carburizing

Fe + 2CO → Fe(C) + CO2 example

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 Carburizing of a low carbon steel - to produce a high-carbon, wear
resistant surface

A properly carburized, hardened, and tempered gear.

(Etched in 2% nital.)

10. 3 Shape Memory Alloys

An interesting use of martensite transformations

Relatively new group of metals that exhibit and interesting and practical phenomenon. After
having been deformed, they have ability to return to its pre-deformed size and shape
upon being subjected to an appropriate heat treatment.

 Material “remembers” its previous size/shape.

 Ni-Ti alloys, Cu-Zn-Al, Cu-Al-Ni.
 Polymorphic, shape memory effect involves phase transformation

 Martensite forms by a shear process - changes shape of crystal

 Even if martensite is deformed it “remembers” what it looked like in the parent phase
 Use this to create interesting applications

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