KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF MECHANICAL AND AGRICULTURAL
ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LAB I REPORT
TITLE: Microstructure of steel

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING MATERIALS

MICROSTRUCTURE OF STEEL

1.1 ABSTRACT
The physical properties and mechanical behaviour of a material depends on the
microstructure. Microstructure is subject to direct microscopic observation, using
optical or electron microscopes.
In metal alloys, microstructure is characterized by the number of phases present,
their proportions, and the manner in which they are distributed or arranged. The
microstructure of an alloy depends on such variables as the alloying elements
present, their concentrations, and the heat treatment of the alloy.
The procedure of specimen preparation for microscopic inspection of three types
of steel is outlined in this report.
1.2

AIM:

To analyse the microstructure of three types of steel namely:

Eutectoid steel
Hypoeutectoid steel
Hypereutectoid steel

1.3 APARATUS

Bench vice
Hacksaw
File
Water
Silicon Carbide paper
Rotating wheel
Alumina powder solution
Punch
Metallurgical microscope
Etchant

1.4 PROCEDURE
1. Each steel type was clamped in a bench vice and 25mm of sample
material was cut from each using a hacksaw.

2. The surface of each of the samples was filed to remove coarseness using
a File. This was done for about thirty minutes to ensure a more or less
smooth surface.
3. After filing, the samples of steel were grinded. This was done on Silicon
carbide papers of different degrees of smoothness with running water as
lubricant. Grinding was started with the roughest Silicon carbide paper
(No. 220) and finished with the smoothest (No. 600). Grinding was kept
to one direction.
When all scratches were parallel the samples were washed thoroughly
under running water before they were transferred to a different paper.
Before grinding on a different paper, the samples were turned through
90o.
Grinding with each paper was continued until the Scratches from the
previous grade paper were completely removed.
4. The samples of steel were then polished. Polishing was done to get the
samples optically flat.
The polishing was done by placing the samples on a rotating wheel
lubricated by a suspension of alumina powder.
5. The polished surfaces of each of the samples were then etched. Etching
is done in order to see the microstructure of the samples.
Etching is a chemical reaction in which an appropriate solution
selectively attacks certain phases more than others. The phases which
are attacked more appear darker while the phases which are less
attacked will appear darker.
6. Indentations were made on the samples for identification. A punch was
used for this operation. Each sample was given one, two and three
indentations.
7. The polished surfaces of the sample steels were then viewed under the
metallurgical microscope.
8. Sketches were made of the view of each sample.
1.5 ILLUSTRATIONS

1.6 CONCLUSION

Of all binary alloy systems, the one that is possibly the most important is that for
iron and carbon. The relationship between microstructure and heat treatment is
explored vaguely.
An alloy of eutectoid composition has 0.76wt% C. The microstructure of
eutectoid steel that is slowly cooled through the eutectoid temperature consists
of alternating layers or lamellae of the two phases that form simultaneously
during transformation. The relative layer thickness is 8 to 1.
This microstructure is represented in Sample 3.
An alloy having between 0.022 and 0.76 wt% C is termed a hypoeutectoid alloy.
During cooling, as the temperature is lowered below the eutectoid temperature,
all the Austenite that was present at temperature T will transform to pearlite. The
microstructure will then appear as in Sample 1.
Hypereutectoid alloys contain between 0.76 and 2.14 wt% C. Hypereutectoid
alloys are formed as the temperature is lowered through the eutectoid
temperature. Here all remaining austenite is converted to pearlite. The resulting
microstructure is shown in Sample 2.