Fe-C Phase Diagram

Pure Iron

Upon heating pure Iron experiences two

changes in crystal structure.
At room temperature it exists as ferrite,
or iron.

When we heat it to 912C it experiences a

polymorphic transformation to austenite,
or iron

BCC crystal structure

mostly iron with a little carbon
relatively soft

FCC crystal structure

Unstable at room temp.
Can accommodate more carbon than
ferrite

At 1394C austenite reverts back to a BCC

phase called ferrite.

1538C
Melts

1394C
Ferrite
BCC

912C
iron
Austenite
FCC

25C
Ferrite
BCC
2

Fe-Fe3C Phase Diagram

Only part of the phase

diagram is shown.
The left axis is pure
iron.

On the right the phase

diagram only extends
to 6.70 wt%C

At this concentration
the intermediate
compound iron
carbide, or cementite
(Fe3C) is formed
This is sufficient to
describe all of the
steels and cast irons
used today.

Fe3C
cementite
6.70 wt%
C
3

Pure Fe

Development of Microstructures in Iron-Carbon

Alloys

Various microstructures can be

produced in steel alloys
depending on

carbon content
heat treatment

Austenite

Equilibrium (slow) cooling from

the region through the eutectoid
composition of 0.76 wt% C

+ Fe3C (Pearlite)

% and Fe3C in eutectoid pearlite

W =
WFe 3C =

6.7 0.76
100 = 89%
6.7 0.022
0.76 0.022
100 = 11%
6.7 0.022

+ Fe3C

Formation of Pearlite
0.022 wt%C
6.7 wt%C

0.76 wt% C

Schematic representation of
the formation of pearlite
from austenite

direction of arrows
indicates carbon diffusion

Micrograph of eutectoid
steel, showing pearlite
microstructure.

ferrite (light)
Fe3C (dark)

Hypo-eutectoid Composition (wt% C <0.76)

Composition 0.002 and 0.76 wt% C

Upon cooling enter a two-phase

region
+

Below 727C the remaining austenite

transforms to pearlite

+ Fe3C

Final structure is a mixture of

Pro-eutectoid ferrite
Pearlite

Hypo-eutectoid Composition (0.38 wt% C)

Dark regions:
Pearlite

White regions:
Proeutectoid
Ferrite

Close-spaced
layers
Unresolved at this
magnification

Pearlite
wider-spaced
layers
91 m

Computing the relative amounts of

proeutectoid and pearlite

Similar to previous lecture.

Use the Lever Rule in
conjunction with a tie line
For hypoeutectic composition
C'0, fractions of pro-eutectic ,
and pearlite are:

U
T +U
T
Wp =
T +U
W ' =

(total) and Fe3C

U +V + X
T +U +V + X
T
WFe 3C =
T +U +V + X
W =

C0
hypoeutectic
8

Computing the relative amounts of

proeutectoid and pearlite

For hypereutectic composition

C'1
V
WFe 3C ' =
V+X

Wp =

X
V+X

(total) and Fe3C

W =

X
T +U +V + X

WFe 3C =

T +U +V
T +U +V + X

C1
hypereutectic
9

Hyper-eutectoid Composition (wt% C >0.76)

Composition between 0.76 and 2.14

wt% C
Upon cooling enter a two-phase
region
+ Fe3C
The pro-eutectoid cementite phase has
begun to form along the grain
boundaries
Final structure is a mixture of

Pro-eutectoid cementite
Pearlite

10

Hyper-eutectoid Composition (1.40 wt% C)

White Proeutectoid cementite
network

Pearlite colonies

30 m

11

Mechanical Properties of Steels

The mechanical properties of steel are largely

dictated by the phase transformations they undergo
upon cooling
If we heat steel to the single phase austenite
region and vary the cooling rate we can control the
microstructure.
Understanding phase transformations of metallic
alloys

allows us to design a heat treatment for a specific alloy

that will yield the desired room temperature mechanical
properties
12

Example: Railway Rails

Eutectoid composition of 0.76 wt%C

100% Pearlite structure
Pearlite is a natural composite
Hard and Brittle Fe3C plates
Soft and Ductile ferrite plates

The strength of Pearlite is dictated by its

interlaminar spacing, S (m)

y = 140 + 46.4S 1
Increased cooling rates

13

Pearlite

Coarse Pearlite

Fine Pearlite

14

Isothermal Transformation Diagrams

The rate of transformation

of the austenite to pearlite
is dependent on
temperature
This temperature
dependence can be plotted
as % transformation vs.
log. time
Data was collected for
each curve, after rapid
cooling of 100% austenite
to the temperature
indicated

temperature was then

keep constant
throughout the course of
the reaction

Eutectoid composition (0.76 wt% C)

Cool rapidly from 100% austenite
through eutectoid isotherm (727 C) to
15
600, 650, 675C

Isothermal Transformation Diagrams

More convenient to
represent timetemperature dependence

isothermal
transformation diagram
generated from the %
transformation-versuslog. times measurements
Note the eutectoid
temperature (727C)

Many tests conducted to

these construct curves.

16

Isothermal Transformation Diagrams

17

Spheroidite

Hold steel at high temperature

Below 727 oC
for a sufficiently long time
the Fe3C (cementite) plates
spheroidize

the continuous phase is ferrite

Large drop in strength occurs

But ductility is greatly
increased

30 m
18

Formation of Martensite

Non-Equilibrium Cooling
Carbon must diffuse (move)
in order to form pearlite
low C in -Fe
high C in Fe3C

Diffusion takes time +

temperature
If the sample is quenched
(plunged into water)

no time for diffusion

pearlite cannot form

A supersaturated and
unstable structure is formed.

Lattice gets stuck

between FCC and BCC
i.e. we get Body Centred
Tetragonal (BCT)
structure or in terms of
lattice parameters, ac

19

Characteristics of Martensite Transformation

Occurs by a non-diffusional process

Transformation occurs extremely fast, i.e. at the
speed of sound
Transformation occurs at temperatures well below
eutectoid temperature
Martensite is very hard (i.e. high y) but is
completely brittle
Not useful as an engineering material
Must be tempered
20

10

Martensite

24.6 m

Quench

Needle shaped
White areas austenite

quenched too fast

2 m

Tempered

564C
small particles cementite
21
matrix is ferrite

Effect of Carbon Content on Hardness

Brinell Hardness 0 - 320

Brinell Hardness 0 - 750

11

Effect of Carbon Content on Yield and

Tensile Strength

23

12