MME 292

Metallic Materials Sessional

1.50 Credits 3 Hours/Week

July 2016 Term

Course Tutor
A K M Bazlur Rashid
Professor, Department of MME

MME292, Presentation #W7

Microstudy of Steels

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 Allotropic Transformation of Pure Iron

Liquid
1535°
Temperature, °C
d (delta) iron (BCC)
1401°
g (gamma) iron (FCC)
nonmagnetic

910°
a (alpha) iron (BCC)
nonmagnetic
768°
a (alpha) iron (BCC)
magnetic

Time
cooling curve of pure iron

The Iron – Carbon Phase Diagram

Iron Carbide, Fe3C

 An interstitial compound, containing 6.67
wt.% carbon.
Temperature, °C

 The compound dissociates into iron and

carbon, if given the opportunity:
Fe3C = Fe + 3C
 Fe3C is a metastable compound, because
such decomposition takes a very long time
at room temperature.
 Because of the presence of Fe3C, this
diagran is not a true equilibrium diagram.
6.67

Iron Fe3C
Carbon
wt. % carbon

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 The Iron – Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

1535°
1492°
Temperature, °C

1401°

910° 1130°

723°

Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C

the iron – iron carbide phase diagram

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 0.10
0.50
  
Temperature, °C

0.18
 
2.0 4.3

 
0.025 0.80

0.008 6.67
 
Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C

the iron – iron carbide phase diagram

Delta (d) iron

Liquid
Temperature, °C

Austenite (g )

Ferrite (a) Cemenite

Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C

the iron – iron carbide phase diagram

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 L
austenite + L L + cementite
Temperature, °C

austenite
austenite
+ ferrite austenite + cementite

ferrite cemenite
ferrite + cementite

Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C

the iron – iron carbide phase diagram

The invariant (isothermal) reactions

d -iron + L
Peritectic
 Point
Temperature, °C

austenite

The Peritectic Reaction @ 1492 °C

cooling
Delta-iron 0.10%C + Liquid 0.50%C Austenite 0.18%C
Fe wt. % carbon heating Fe3C

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 Eutectic
Temperature, °C

liquid
Point

austenite + cementite

The Eutectic Reaction @ 1130 °C

cooling
Liquid 4.3%C ( Austenite 2.0%C + Cementite 6.67%C )
heating Ledeburite (an eutectic mixture)
Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C
Temperature, °C

austenite Eutectoid
Point

ferrite + cementite

The Eutectoid Reaction @ 723 °C

Austenite
Fe 0.8%C
cooling wt. % carbon
( Ferrite 0.025%C + Cementite
Fe36.67%C
C )
heating Pearlite (an eutectoid mixture)

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 The major phases

delta iron
liquid
Temperature, °C

austenite

burite
lede-

cemenite
pearlite

ferrite

Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C

the iron – iron carbide phase diagram

liquid
austenite + liquid
liquid +
cementite
Temperature, °C

austenite
austenite
+ ferrite austenite + cementite
pearlite

cemenite

ferrite

ferrite +
pearlite pearlite + cementite

Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C

the iron – iron carbide phase diagram

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Temperature, °C

Ferrite (a)

burite
lede-
 An interstitial solid solution of carbon dissolved in BCC a-iron.
 Carbon solubility – 0.025 wt.% max. at 723 C, 0.008 wt.% min. at 0 C.
 The softest structure that appears on the iron – iron carbide diagram.
ferrite  Average properties: 40,000 psi TS, 40 % elong. in 2 inch,
< RC 0 or < RB 90 hardness.

Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C

© Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011 MME 291, Lec 07: Iron – Iron Carbide Phase Diagram P 14

Austenite (g)
 An interstitial solid solution of carbon
dissolved in FCC g-iron.
 Carbon solubility – 2.00 wt.% max. at 1130 C,
Temperature, °C

0.80 wt.% min. at 723 C.

austenite  Not stable at room temperature;
can be made stable under certain conditions.
 Average properties: 150,000 psi TS,
10 % elong. in 2 inch, RC 40 hardness,
high toughness.

Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C

the iron – iron carbide phase diagram

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Temperature, °C

Cementite (Fe3C)
 An interstitial intermetallic compound of iron carbide with an
orthorhombic structure.
 Its chemical formula is Fe3C and contains 6.67 wt.% carbon.
 The hardest and the most brittle structure that appear on the

cemenite
iron – iron carbide diagram.
 Average properties: 5,000 psi TS, high compressive strength.

Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C

the iron – iron carbide phase diagram

Pearlite
 The eutectoid mixture of fine plate-like lamellar mixture of ferrite and cementite.
 Formed from austenite that contains 0.80 wt.% carbon during slow cooling at 723 C.
Temperature, °C

 Average properties: 120,000 psi TS, 20 % elong. in 2 inch, RC 20 hardness.

pearlite

Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C

the iron – iron carbide phase diagram

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Temperature, °C

burite
lede-
Ledeburite
 The eutectic mixture of austenite and cementite.
 Formed from liquid that contains 4.30 wt.% carbon during slow cooling at 1130 C.
Fe wt. % carbon Fe3C
 Not stable below 723 C, where austenite of ladeburite transformed into pearlite.
The structure is the
theniron
called– “transformed
iron carbideladeburite.”
phase diagram

Classification of Steels
Classification by carbon content

Dead soft (0.05 – 0.15)

Wires, rivets, chain, sheet, strip, welded pipe

Mild (0.10 – 0.30)

Rolled plate, structural shapes, gears, forgings

Medium Carbon (0.30 – 0.60)

Connecting rods, crane hooks, shafts, axles, gears, rotors, rails

High Carbon (0.6 – 1.0)

Screw drivers, saws, drills, dies, hammers, wrenches, punches, chisels

Ultrahigh Carbon (1.0 – 1.4)

Special applications

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 Classification by microstructure

Hypoeutectoid steels (C < 0.80)

Structure contains ferrite and pearlite; pearlite content increases as percent C increases

Eutectoid steels (C = 0.80)

Structure contains pearlite only

Hypereutectoid steels (C > 0.80)

Structure contains pearlite and cementite; cementite content increases as percent C increases

Steels are Fe-C alloys liquid

that pass through austenite
Temperature, °C

zone during cooling

austenite eutectic

eutectoid
ferrite
ferrite + pearlite + cementite
pearlite
0.8 2.0 4.3
STEELS CAST IRONS
hypo - hyper - hypo - hyper -
eutectoid eutectoid eutectic eutectic

the iron – iron carbide phase diagram

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 Steel Microstructures

Ferrite Pearlite Cementite

(almost pure iron; very soft) (a mixture of Ferrite (an intermetallic compound,
and Cementite) Fe3C, very brittle)

Hypoeutectoid steel Eutectoid steel Hypereutectoid steel

C <0.80% C = 0.80% C >0.80%
contains mostly ferrite grains contains 100% pearlite contains mostly pearlite with
with small pearlite grains small cementite network

Variation in steel structures with carbon content

Dead soft steel (C0.01%) Low carbon steel (C0.1%) Medium carbon steel (C0.4%)
Ferrite grains only Mostly ferrite with a few pearlite Almost equal ferrite and pearlite

Eutectoid steel (C0.8%) Hypereutectoid steel (C0.9%)

Pearlite grains only Pearlite grains surrounded by cementite network

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 Properties of Steels
As influenced by carbon content

150 100
TS & YS (ksi)
75

%EL & %RA

100

50

50
25

0.0 0.4 0.8 1.2

wt.% Carbon

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 A careful estimation of the proportions of pearlite and/or
ferrite present in an annealed steel can be used to determine
the approximate carbon content of steel:
Wt.% C = (0.80) (%Pearlite area) + (0.008) (%Ferrite area)
Wt.% C = (0.80) (%Pearlite area) + (6.67) (%Cementite area)

 An approximate tensile strength of a hypoeutectoid steel

can also be determined in a similar manner:
Approx. Tensile Strength, psi = (120,000) (%Pearlite area)
+ (40,000) (%Ferrite area)

Tensile strength of hypereutectoid steels can not be estimated similarly,

since their strengths are determined by the cementite network only.

Any Question?

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