ISOTHERMAL TRANSFORMATION

DIAGRAMS
and
CONTINUOUS COOLING
TRANSFORMATION DIAGRAMS
Iron Carbon System
Eutectoid Reaction of Fe-C
Pearlite
Non-Equilibrium Transformations

• Time-Temperature-Transformation Curve
(TTT)
– aka Isothermal Transformation Curve (IT)
– allow prediction of the microstructure after
some period of constant temperature
Dependence of Rate on
Temperature
Dependence
of Rate on
Temp
 Isothermal
Transformation
Diagram
Isothermal Transformation Diagram
Phase Diagram vs TTT
Austenite

Pearlite
Pearlite ( + Fe3C - lamellar)

Coarse Pearlite
(High temp)

Which phase is harder?

Fine Pearlite
(Low Temp)
Austenite

Bainite
 Bainite ( + Fe3C - acicular)

Coarse Bainite Which phase Fine Bainite

(high temp) is harder? (low temp)
Bainite
Austenite

Martensite
BCT unit cell of Martensite

• Circles-iron atoms
• Crosses-sites that
may be occupied by
carbon atoms
Tempered Martensite and Spheroidite

Tempered Martensite Spheroidite

Isothermal Transformation Curves

1080 4340
Curve depends on Composition of Steel!
 0

1
@ 0: Steel
@Point 0:
initially held at
Austenite
1:CSteel
775 0
@
@ Point 1:
Cooled to 6300C
Austenite
@
@ 2:
Point 2:
Steel
w/in 0.5 sec
Cooled to 2200C
Austenite
@ 3:0.1
w/in
@Point 3:sec
Steel 2
90%
Cooled to 1250C
Martensite
w/in 0.1 sec 3
 0

1 2
0: Steel
@Point
@ 0: 3
initially held at
Austenite
0
@ 1:CSteel
775
@ Point 1:
0C
Austenite
cooled
@
@ 2:
Point
to 640
2: 50%
w/in 0.3 secheld at
Steel
6400C for 10 sec
Austenite +
@
@ 3: Steel
Point
50% 3: held at
Pearlite
640 0C for 104 sec
100% Pearlite
 0

@ 0: Steel
@Point 0:
initially held at
Austenite
1:CSteel
775 0
@
@ Point 1:
cooled to 400 0C
1 2
Austenite
2: 2: 50% 3
w/in 0.5 secheld at
@
@ Steel
Point
400 0C for 102 sec
Austenite +
2: Steel
50%
@Point
@ Bainite
3: held at
4000C for 104 sec
100% Bainite
 0

1
0: Steel
@Point
@ 0: 2
initially held at
Austenite
1:CSteel
0
775
@
@ Point 1:
3 4
cooled to 640 0C
Austenite
@
@ 2:0.3 2: 50%
Steel
Point
w/in sec 0
cooled to 600 +
Austenite C
@ 3:10
@Point
w/in Steel
3: 25%
sec
50% Pearlite
instantaneously
Austenite 0+
cooled to 500 C
25% Bainite +
@ 4: Steel
@Point 4: held at
50%
500 0C Pearlite
for 10 4 sec
50% Pearlite +
50% Bainite
 0

1
0: Steel
@Point
@ 0: 2
initially held at
Austenite
1:CSteel
775 0
@
@ Point 1:
cooled to 6400C
Austenite
@
@ 2:0.32: 50%
Steel
Point
w/in sec
cooled to 6000+
Austenite C
@ 3:10
@Point
w/in 3:
Steel
sec
50% Pearlite
50% Pearlite +
instantaneously
cooled to 125 0C
45% Martensite
3
 0

@ 0: Steel
@Point 0:
initially held at
Austenite
@
@ 1:CSteel
775 0
Point 1:
cooled to 400 0C
Austenite
2:0.72: 50% 2
@Point
@
w/in Steel
secheld at 1
4000C for 102 +
Austenite sec
@ 3: Steel
@Point 3:
50% Bainite
instantaneously
50% Bainite +
cooled to 1250C
45% Martensite
3
 0

@ Point 0:
Austenite
@ Point 1:
Austenite 4
@ Point 2: 1
50% Austenite
@ Point 3:
+
50% Martensite
50% Austenite +
@ Point 4:
50% Martensite
50% Martensite 2 3
+ 50% Bainite
 T Profile Difference

Isothermal Treatment

TEMP

Continuous Cooling Treatment

TIME
 TTT vs. CCT

TTT CCT
 Continuous Cooling
Transformation Diagrams
Cooling Curves
Critical Cooling Rate
 Exercise on IT Diagrams
• Describe the nature of the final microstructure (in terms
of microconstituents present and approximate
percentages) of a eutectoid alloy subjected to the
following time-temperature treatments. Assume the
specimen begins at 760oC and the specimen has a
homogeneous austenitic structure.
a. Rapidly cool to 350oC, hold for 104 sec, and quench to
room temp.
b. Rapidly cool to 250oC, hold for 100 sec, and quench to
room temp.
c. Rapidly cool to 650oC, hold for 20 sec, rapidly cool to
400oC, hold for 103 sec, and quench to room temp.
Exercise on IT Diagrams
 Exercise on IT Diagrams

a. At 350oC : austenite completely (it

exceeds the curve for the end of
transformation) transforms isothermally
to bainite at 104 sec. Thus, we should
expect 100% bainite.
 Exercise on IT Diagrams

b. At 250oC : It takes around 150 sec for

austenite to change to bainite. After only
100 sec, the austenite has not yet started
to transform to bainite, thus, quenching
results to 100% martensite.
 Exercise on IT Diagrams

c. At 650oC : After 20 sec, only 50% of the

austenite has transformed to pearlite.
Upon rapid cool to 400oC, we essentially
start to zero time. The phases present
are 50% pearlite and 50% austenite.
After 103 sec of holding in this temp, the
austenite will transform to bainite. Thus,
the structure is 50% pearlite and 50%
bainite.