Classification of Metals

Plain carbon steel: only residual concentration of impurities other

than carbon.
Alloy steels: More alloying elements are intentionally added.

* Low carbon steel: %C < 0.25wt%

Relatively soft and weak but excellent ductility and toughness.
•Usually strengthened by cold working and not heat treatment to
form martensite.
• Used as structural shapes (I-beams channels,..) automobile
body components.
• Another group of low carbon steel is the high strength low
alloy steel (HSLA). They contain alloying elements such as
copper, vanadium, nickel, molybdenum in combined
concentration as high bas 10 wt%.
* Medium carbon steel: 0.25wt% < %C> 0.6 wt%
• These alloys are strengthened by austenitizing, quenching, and
then temepring. (Æ temepered martensite)
•Addition of chromium , nickel, molybdenum improves the
capacity of these alloys to be heat treated.
•Relatively good strength and ductility
•Used in rail way wheels and tracks, gears, crank shaft.

* High carbon steel: 0.6wt%< %C< 1.4 wt%

•Strongest and hardest and least ductile of all steels.
•Used as cutting tools, dies and wires.
•Usually alloying elements such as Chromium, vanadium,
tungestun, Molybdenum are added. These alloying elements
form very hard wear resistant carbides (WC, V4C3,..)
 General form Designation:
AISI: x x xx
Carbon content
Specefic alloy in the group

Alloy group: indicates

major alloying AISI 4 3 40 0.40% Carbon
elements.
Nickel and chromium added
Molybdenum alloy steel
AISI 1 0 20 0.20% carbon
No other major alloying element beside carbon
Carbon
steel
 CAST IRON

Carbon may exist in two forms :

1. Combined form as cementite Fe3C Æ White cast iron
If carbon is combined as Fe3C , the iron will be hard and brittle
and un machinable and give white fracture when broken.

2. Free form as graphite Æ Gray or nodular or malleable cast iron

If carbon is free in the form of graphite, depending on the shape
of graphite the iron can be soft and machinable and sometimes
give grayish fracture.
 •Most cast iron contain between 3.0 and 4.5 wt% C and other
alloying elements.
•Cementite is a metastable compound, which means that it can be
decomposed to ferrite α and free form carbon (graphite).
Fe3c Æ 3 Fe (α) + C (graphite)
Decomposition Unstable

∆H : Activation energy
Meta stable
Stable
The tendency to form graphite is regulated by:
1. Rate of cooling ( slow cooling rate promotes decomposition of
Fe3C to form graphite)
2. The presence of silicon in concentration greater than 1 wt%
promotes decomposition to form graphite.
 Types of cast iron
1. White cast iron: Carbon exist as a combined cementite. Silicon
concentration is less than 1 wt%.White cast iron is achieved by
rapid cooling rates so decomposition of cementite is avoided
(NO DECOMPOSITION).
• Extremely hard and brittle (unmachinable) used as rollers and
mills

Pearlite
α + Fe3C

Cementite
Fe3C
2. Malleable cast iron: Heating white cast iron at 700C for long
time (30 hours) can cause the cementite (Fe3C) to decompose
into ferrite (α) and free carbon graphite in the form of rosettes.
If the cooling rate, after the heating process, is very slow, then
ALL cementite will decompose and we will end up with Ferritic
malleable cast iron ( the matrix is ferrite α). If the cooling rate is
moderate, NOT ALL cementite will decompose and the pearlite
will remain the same and thus we will get pearlitic malleable cast
iron.
* Relatively high strength
and ductility. Used in
Ferrite α
transmission gears, pipe
fittings valves)

Graphite
rosettes Ferritic malleable cast iron
Slow cooling rate
3. Grey cast iron: 1<Si%<3
Graphite form as flakes. If cooling rate is very slow then total
decomposition of cementite will happen and we will end up with
ferretic grey cast iron. With moderate cooling, slight (NOT ALL
CEMENTITE WILL DECOMPOSE) decomposition will happen
and we will end up with pearlitic grey cast iron.

Ferrite (α)

Graphite flakes

Ferritic gray cast iron

Slow cooling rate
 Distinctive properties for gray cast iron:
1. High vibration damping capacity.
2. Good wear resistance
3. Good sliding quality
4. Good machinability (broken chips)
5. Strong in compression but weak in tension (σc ~3 σut)
6. Least expensive among metallic materials.
7. Can be casted into complicated shapes because of its high fluidity
at casting temperatures.

N.B. For reasons 1 and 5 , Gray cast iron is used as base structures for
machines and heavy equipments.
4. Nodular cast iron (Ductile cast iron)
Achieved by addition of magnesium and/or cerium.
•Closest of all cast iron to steels.
•Graphite form as nodules (sphere like particles)
•Depending on the cooling rate we can either have a
ferritic ductile cast iron (slow cooling) or pearlitic
ductile cast iron (moderate cooling)
•Relatively high strength and ductility.
•Used in crank shaft, gears, valves, pump bodies.

Ferrite (α)

Graphite nodules
 Austenite + Fe3C

α+ Fe3C + Pearlite + Fe3C

Fe3C
 Fe3c Æ 3 Fe (α) + C (graphite)
Pearlitic gray cast iron Fe3c decomposes but the
α pearlite remain the same, that’s
why we get pearlitic structures

Graphite flakes

Graphite is surrounded by an area

Pearlite of ferrite (α) that comes from the
α decomposition.

Graphite
rosettes Pearlitic malleable cast iron

Pearlite