PHASE DIAGRAMS AND THEIR IMPORTANT FEATURES

Phase is a constituent that is completely homogenous both physically and chemically,

seperated from the rest of the alloy by definite bounding surfaces.
Alloys can be classified as binary (two component elements), ternary (three component
elements), quaternary alloys (four component elements), and so forth. This module will cover
the more easily understood binary alloys.
Equilibrium phase diagrams can be drawn by utilizing temperature data obtained from cooling
curves. Cooling curves are constructed by measuring metal temperature at equal time intervals
during the transformation of the metal or alloy from the liquid to the solid state.
Solid Solution Equilibrium Diagrams
A binary solid solution occurs when elements A and B are completely soluble (miscible) in one
another

Figure 1. Solid Solution

DEFINITION OF ALLOYING
An alloy is a metallic material that contains two or more elements where at least one of the
major elements is a metal. Materials produced by alloying can have improved corrosion
resistance, physical, and mechanical properties.

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards

Multiphase Materials - Eutectics

Two liquidus lines are apparent from the upper changes in the slopes of the cooling curves. The
intersection of these liquidus lines is called the Eutectic Point.
The point where the two liquidus lines intersect, point E, is called the eutectic point. This
point represents the lowest temperature at which the alloy remains completely liquid. The
eutectic temperature is represented by TE, and the eutectic composition is 40A and 60B. The
horizontal line FEG is the solidus line.
100
0

80 60
20 40

50 40 30
50 60 70

20 0
80 100

Percent A
Percent B

Melting
point of A

Liquid

Melting
point of
B

Liquidus

Temperature

Temperature

Liquid +
Solid A
TE

Liquid
+
Solid B

Eutectic
Solidus
point
Solid A
+
Eutectic Mix

100%A

G
Solid B
+
Eutectic

80%A60%A40%A20%A
0%B100%B

2(a)

0%A

2(b)

Figure 2. Eutectic System

equilibrium

A state of balance between opposing forces.

homogeneous

Uniform structure or composition throughout.

lamellar

Relating to thin flat plates.

liquidus line

The temperature at which each alloy composition starts to

solidify.

metallurgical

Relating to the science and technology of metallurgy.

microstructure

The structural and compositional features of a material as

revealed under a microscope (usually after the material has been
polished and suitably etched).

solidus line

The temperature at which each alloy composition has

completely solidified.

Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram

A simplified iron-carbon phase (equilibrium) diagram is shown in Figure 3.
3000

1600

2800
Liquid and
Cementite

Liquid and
Liquid
Austenite

2400 Austenite
Ferrite and
2000 Austenite
A3

1400
1200
1000

Austenite and Cementite

1600
800
1200
Ferrite

A1

600

Ferrite and Cementite

800

400

400

Carbon (Percent)

Figure 3. Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram (Iron-Carbon Equilibrium Diagram)

The important features and information that can be obtained from the diagram are:

The diagram is a binary phase diagram, as only iron and carbon are included.

At higher temperatures, the material exists as a liquid or a liquid in equilibrium with

a solid. At lower temperatures, the material exists as a solid or a mixture of two or
more solid components.

The identification of single-phase and two-phase regions including a guide to

the
microstructure present in each phase.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PHASES IN THE PHASE DIAGRAM

Mild Steel
Mild steel (approximately 0.30 percent carbon) is a multiphase solid at ambient
temperature. Its microstructure contains the following:

Ferrite (body-centered cubic), an alloy of carbon dissolved in iron.

Pearlite, a mixture of ferrite and cementite (Fe3C) that exhibits a lamellar

structure. Pearlite is formed when an alloy containing about 0.83 percent carbon
is cooled from slightly above 722 C (1333 F).

Austenite, a solid solution of carbon in iron, is formed above 722 C (1333 F), and has
a face-centered cubic crystal structure.
Other Alloying Elements and Their Effects
The steelmaker controls (lowers) the carbon content of the molten steel by lancing the
melt with oxygen. The oxygen reacts with the excess carbon to form carbon dioxide
(CO2), which bubbles out of the melt. Following the reduction in carbon content, the
excess oxygen and other gases must be removed. One way the steelmaker does this is by
adding silicon. The silicon reacts with the oxygen to form a slag that is skimmed off the
top of the molten metal. This is how steel is killed. Killed steels are normally specified
when fabricating pressure vessels or heat exchangers for petroleum or chemical service
because the use of these materials results in equipment of better quality, i.e., the base
materials and welds generally contain fewer defects.
Nonequilibrium Conditions (Rapid Cooling)
the martensite, are extremely hard and brittle. To obtain useful engineering properties, the
martensite and bainite must be tempered (reheated) or stress relieved to reduce hardness and
increase ductility. It is important to understand that both martensite and bainite are formed
under nonequilibrium cooling conditions, and consequently do not appear on the phase
diagram.