Engineering Materials

ME - 213

Fe-Fe3C Phase diagram

01/11/2022
Fe-Fe3C phase
diagram
 Fe- different structure
 Ferrite (α) is an iron solid solution in which small amounts of carbon atoms can dissolved. The
maximum solubility at 727 °C is ∼ 0.022wt%C. The crystal structure is BCC with lattice parameter
of 2.87 A°for pure Fe.
 Austenite (γ) is an iron solid solution in which small amounts of carbon atoms can dissolved. The
maximum solubility at 1147°C is ∼ 2.14 wt%C. The crystal structure is FCC with lattice parameter
of 3.57 A°for pure iron.
 Delta ( δ) is an iron solid solution in which small amounts of carbon atoms can dissolved. The
maximum solubility at 1495°C is ∼0.09 wt%C. The crystal structure is also BCC but the lattice
parameter is 2.93 A°for pure Fe
 Cementite (Fe3C) is an intermetallic compound. Its crystal structure is orthorhombic having 12 Fe-
atoms and 4 C-atoms., 6.67 wt.%C
 Martensite (α′) is a supersaturated solid solution of iron in which high amounts of C-atoms (or N-
atoms) are trapped. It is metastable phase and its crystal structure is BCT having lattice parameter
depending on the C content.
Fe in different form

Martensite - BCT Ferrite - BCC

Austenite - FCC

Fe3C (cementite)- orthorhombic

Orthorhombic crystal structure of cementite. The purple atoms represent carbon. Each carbon
atom is surrounded by eight iron atoms. Each iron atom is connected to three carbon atoms
 The limited solubility is explained by the shape and
size of the BCC interstitial positions, which make it
difficult to accommodate the carbon atoms

 Carbon solubility is approximately 100 times greater

than the maximum for BCC ferrite, since the FCC
interstitial positions are larger , and, therefore, the
strains imposed on the surrounding iron atoms are
much lower.
Relative layer thickness is approximately 8 to 1. Eutectoid steel
thick light layers are the ferrite phase, thin lamellae is cementite and dark
Hypo-Eutectoid steel
Hyper-Eutectoid steel
 Cast iron
Microstructures obtained by varying
thermal treatments in cast irons
(Gf = graphite flakes; Gr = graphite
rosettes; Gn = graphite nodules; P =
pearlite
 Phase diagram of
cast iron

Microstructures obtained by varying

thermal treatments in cast irons
(Gf = graphite flakes; Gr = graphite
rosettes; Gn = graphite nodules; P =
pearlite
Engineering Materials
ME - 213

TTT diagram

02/11/2022
TTT –
CC diagram
 Schematic diagrams of
thermomechanical treatments

a) ausforming-low temperature mechanical treatment (LTMT);

b) high temperature mechanical treatment (HTMT);
c) isoforming transformation.

 With appropriate steels, dramatic increases in strength are

achieved without adverse effect on ductility and toughness.
 Typically, a 4,7% Cr, 1.5%Mo, 0.4%V, 0.34%C steel has a
tensile strength of about 2000 MPa after conventional
quenching and tempering, whereas after ausforming the
strength can be over 3000 MPa.
Isothermal transformation diagram for a eutectoid
iron–carbon alloy
coarse pearlite fine pearlite
Bainite structure

Upper (550-350°C) Lower (350-250°C)

BCT
Martensite microstructure

The needle-like structure of martensite, the

white areas are retained austenite.
d)
Heat Treatment of Steels : Evolution
of Microstructure and dilatation
complete isothermal transformation
diagram for an iron–carbon alloy of
eutectoid composition
Isothermal transformation diagram for an
alloy steel (type 4340)
C 0.37-0.44%, Si 01-0.35%, Mn 0.55-0.9%,
Ni 1.55-2%, Cr 0.65-0.9%, Mo 0.2-0.35%,
P 0.04%, S 0.04%
Continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams
Eutectoid iron–carbon alloy
Summary of Microstructures and Mechanical Properties for
Iron–Carbon Alloys
Martempering
Austempering

quenching it into a suitable medium maintained at a temperature in

the bainite transformation range, and cooling it in air
Engineering Materials
ME - 213

Heat treatment of steels

03/11/2022
Recrystallization annealing
Heat treating thermal cycles

 Heat Treating –controlled heating and cooling of metals for the

primary purpose of altering their properties (strength, ductility,
hardness, toughness, machinability, etc)
• Strengthening Purposes (converting structure to martensite)
• Softening and Conditioning Purposes (annealing, tempering, etc.)
 Application of heat treatment processes
 to increase strength, hardness and wear resistance (bulk hardening, surface hardening)

 to increase ductility, toughness and softness (tempering, re-crystallization, annealing)

 to obtain fine grain size (re-crystallization annealing, full annealing, normalizing)

 to remove internal stresses (stress relief annealing)

 to improve machineability (full annealing and normalizing)

 to improve cutting properties of tool steels (hardening and tempering)

 to improve surface properties (surface hardening, precipitation hardening)

 to improve electrical properties (recrystallization, tempering, age hardening)

 to improve magnetic properties (hardening, phase transformation)