Muhammad Umair Bukhari

Engr.umair.bukhari@gmail.com
www.bzuiam.webs.com
03136050151
Precipitation hardening is the process
of strengthening by precipitation of fine
particles of a second phase from a
supersaturated solid solution.
The precipitation hardening is only possible for
a certain alloys which posses the following
two features:

 An appreciable level of solid solubility of the

alloying element in the host metal.

 A solid solubility limit that decreases rapidly

with decreasing temperature
Consider a system at 923K (650C) in which
a crystal of ferrite is in contact with a crystal
of cementite. As shown in Fig.
It is possible for carbon atom to leave the
solid solution (ferrite) and enter into the
cementite .
 To maintain the stoichiometric ratio
characteristic of Iron carbide ,three iron
atoms must leave the ferrite and join the
cementite with transfer of one carbon
atom.
 Similarly when a carbon atom leave the
Fe3C to enter the solution three iron atoms
must leave the compound.
 At 923K (650C) temperature the solution
contains 0.01% carbon so the removal of
iron simultaneously with carbon will not
affect the concentration of solution.

 If there is only the transformation of

carbon atoms then the concentration of
the solution will change.
 When carbon enters in iron carbide the
volume will increase and composition
remains same but when the carbon
enters the ferrite its composition
change.
A suitable alloy is heated to a temperature at
which a second phase (Usually present in
small quantities) dissolves in the more
abundant phase. The metal is left at this
temperature until a homogeneous solid
solution is attained, and then it is quenched
to a lower temperature to create a super
saturated condition. This heat treating cycle
is known as solution treatment.
 Consider a specific iron carbon alloy
containing 0.008% carbon.
 Due to low solubility (8.2x10^-12) of
carbon in ferrite at room temperature
(300K) all the carbon is present in the
form of cementite.

 At the temperature 923K the equilibrium

concentration is 0.010% carbon which
was 0.008% at room temperature.
 At 923K the cementite phase is not
longer stable so it dissolves by yielding
its carbon atoms to the solid solution
because the equilibrium concentration is
change.
 By holding the alloy (
Cementite+Ferrite) at 923K for long
period of time then all the cementite
dissolves into the ferrite and alloy
changes into a homogeneous solution
(Ferrite).
 At this high temperature the solid
solution is not saturated because there is
no carbon available to get equilibrium
concentration.

 If we rapidly cool (Quench) this solution

in some cooling medium (Water) there
will be no time available for carbon
atoms to move and form cementite.
 So the solution which was existed at
923K is brought down to the room
temperature essentially unchanged and
the solution will be extremely super
saturated.

 Its 0.008% carbon in solution is roughly

10^9 times greater than the equilibrium
value (8.2x10^-12) so this alloy is
accordingly in very unstable condition.
 Precipitation of cementite from a super
saturated solid solution (Ferrite) occur by
nucleation and growth process.
 It is necessary that stable nuclei of
cementite are located followed by there
growth in size as a result of diffusion of
carbon from surrounding ferrite towards
the nucleus.
 It is however possible that solid solution
may lose its carbon in two ways, either
due to growth of cementite particles
already formed or due to formation of
more nuclei.

 In other words nucleation may continue

simultaneously with the growth of
particles already formed.
 The amount of precipitation of time shown
in figure. The curve shows that precipitation
does not start spontaneously it requires
some time "To".
 "To" time is termed as nucleation period.
 Rate at which precipitation occurs in
function of temperature.
 At very low temperature long times are
required to complete the precipitation.
 Rate of precipitation is also very slow at
room temperature just below the solvus
line (Point e in figure).
 In this case the solution is only slightly over
saturated and the free energy decrease
resulting from precipitation is very small.
Therefore, the precipitation rate is very
slow.
 At an intermediate temperature between
two precipitation rate increases to a
maximum so that the time to complete the
precipitation is very small.
 Such hardening curves obtained a
number of specimen are given solution
treatment to convert there structure into
supersaturated solid solution.

 Immediately following by quenching the

sample is placed at an intermediate
temperature below the solvus for
different period of time.