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Phase Diagram
PIYUSH VERMA
3rd year undergraduate,
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
are compared.
Moving standard: exciting discoveries being made in the context of
Some facts
Presence of carbon in iron has such a great effect that even
bcc
fcc
bcc
hcp
Iron-Iron Carbide
Phase Diagram
What is a phase?
A homogeneous portion of the system that has a
uniform chemical and physical characteristics.
Example
Liquid steel
Austenite + Liquid
nt
i
o
ic p
t
c
e
Eut
Austenite
Eu
t
ec
t
Ferrite
Pro-eutectoid
Ferrite+Pearlite
oi
d
Liquid+Cementite
Pro-eutectic Austenite
Cementite + Ledeburite
+ Ledeburite
po
in
t
Pearlite+
Octahedral sites in FC
Ma
um
xim
l
so
y
lit
i
ub
te
i
r
er
f
f
so
lu
bi
lit
of
Au
st
e
Hypoeutectoid Steel
Eutectoid Steel
Hypereutectoid Steel
MECHANISM OF PHASE
TRANSFORMATION
DISPLACIVE OR SHEAR
TRANSFORMATION
1.No diffusion
2. Results in combination of
elastic and plastic strain in
the matrix(microstructure)
8: 1 .
Pearlite forms through diffusion of C atoms out
References
Steels-Microstructure and Properties
Callister
(Fe-Fe3C Phase diagram part)
Pictures-Google
Thank You
Common Doubts
Yes, the Fe-Fe3C is just a part of the Fe-C phase diagram, the entire
Fe-C phase diagram extends to the right hand side upto 100 wt% C, which is
pure Carbon phase called Graphite. (Fe-C phase diagram has got not so
significant use in steel industry, thats why its generally not shown).
Ferrite is a phase, Austenite is a phase, Cementite is a phase but pearlite is
not a phase, pearlite is just a colony of 2 phases-ferrite & Cementite in a
grain.
We discussed the solution of Fe & C and definitely not a mixture.
Solution is homogenous in its composition and properties everywhere
whereas a mixture is not. (Sugar-Syrup is a solution and clay in water is a
mixture).
The width of the precipitate at the grain boundary varies as a grain
boundary can be a high-angle grain boundary or a low-angle grain boundary,
High angle grain boundaries are highly preferential sites for nucleation of
precipitates due to their high incoherency.(Different orientation of grains)
Different Heat-Treatment processes changes the microstructure
differently for the same alloy composition. We discussed the phase
diagram and microstructures for a Slow cooling process. Quenching (Oil
and water) is a fast cooling process and it produces martensite (another
phase of iron) along with other phases depending on the processing
parameters.