TRANSFORMATION OF

AUSTENITE TO
MARTENSITE
(EUTECTOID STEEL)
 The eutectoid composition of austenite is approximately 0.8% carbon; steel
with less carbon content will contain a corresponding proportion of
relatively pure ferrite crystallites that do not participate in the eutectoid
reaction and cannot transform into pearlite.
Likewise steels with higher carbon contents will form cementite before
reaching the eutectoid point.
Martensite Formation
Isothermal Transformation Diagram
800 Austenite (stable)
T(C) A TE
P
600

400 A B 10
5 0%
0% 0%
0%
200 M+A 50%
M+A 90%
M+A
10-1 10 103 105 time (s) Martensite needles
Austenite
single phase
body centered tetragonal (BCT) crystal structure
BCT if C0 > 0.15 wt% C
Diffusionless transformation
BCT few slip planes hard, brittle
% transformation depends only on T of rapid cooling
 If the eutectoid steel (Fe-0.8% C) is cooled rapidly from the austenite phase to the
cooling rate does not cut the 'nose' (nose) of the curve T-T-T it will form martensite
at temperatures below 220 C. Martensite is a supersaturated solid solution of C in
ferrite-a and are metasable.

Isothermal transformation diagram for eutectoid steel with a rapid cooling rate that
produces martensite
 The properties of the transformation:

1. The structure of martensite depends on the content of C in the steel. If the C content of
about 0.2% is formed blades (lath) while for steels with high levels of C will be formed
plate (plate).
2. y- + martensite transformation does not take place by diffusion (diffusionless) due to
the transformation takes place quickly so that the atoms do not have time to move
3. Diving ongoing transformation phase change does not occur between the parent phase
(austenite) with a new phase (martensite).

4. The crystal structure formed by the martensitic transformation will change the structure
of body center cubic (BCC) into a center body tetragonal (BCT) jilca C content increases.

5. Transformation martensite steels at temperatures ranging MS and if the percentage of

austenite transformed to martensite transformation increases to expire at the temperature
Mf
6. In high carbon steel, martensite plate (plate martensite) formed through the
transformation of shear (displacive transformation)