THE IRON-IRON CARBIDE EQUILIBRIUM Course Conducted By:

DIAGRAM Fatema Tuz Zahra

Azmery Akter
LECTURE 02
Introduction
 The metal iron is a primary constituent of some of the most important engineering alloys.
 In an almost pure form, known as ingot iron, it is used for drainage culverts, roofing, and
ducts.
 A typical analysis for ingot iron is:

 Iron is an allotropic metal, which means that it can exist in more than one type of lattice
structure depending upon temperature.
Introduction
 Wrought Iron
 Wrought iron is essentially a two-component metal consisting of high-purity iron and slag. The
slag is basically composed of iron silicate.
 There is no fusion or chemical relationship between the slag and the iron. The slag particles are
physically separated in the iron matrix.
 Advantages of wrought iron
 One of the principal virtues of wrought iron is its
ability to resist corrosion.
 When exposed to corrosive media, it is quickly coated
with an oxide film. As corrosion continues, the slag
fibers begin to function as rust resistors.
 The initial oxide film is securely fastened to the surface of the metal by the pinning effect of the
slag fibers and protects the surfaces from further oxidation.
 Applications
 It has many applications in the railroad, ship building, and oil industries, as well as for architectural
purposes and for farm implements.
The Iron-Iron Carbide Diagram
The Iron-Iron Carbide Diagram

7.7 Slow cooling of Steel
Hypoeutectoid Steel Hypereutectoid Steel
 Eutectoid Reaction:
Effect of Carbon on Mechanical properties of plain carbon steel
Effect of Small quantities of other elements
Commercial plain carbon steels contain small quantities of other elements besides iron and
carbon as part of the normal composition.
 Sulfur (S):
 Sulfur in commercial steels is generally kept below 0.05% wt.
 Sulfur combines with iron to form iron sulfide (FeS). Iron sulfide which has low-melting-
point (around 1000ºC ) and tends to concentrate at the grain boundaries.
 When the steel is forged or rolled at elevated temperatures, the steel becomes brittle,
or hot-short, due to the melting of the iron sulfide.
 Presence of manganese reduces the severity of the problem by forming MnS which has
relatively high melting point than Iron Sulfide.
 Therefore, it is recommended to have Mn amount 2 to 8 times the amount of S.
 Advantages of having S: Increases the machinability due to the presence of numerous
sulfide inclusions which break up the chips, thus reducing tool wear.
Non-equilibrium Cooling of Steel
8.8 The Isothermal transformation diagram
 The iron-iron carbide equilibrium diagram is of little value in the study of steels
cooled under non-equilibrium conditions.
 It had been realized that the transformation product from Austenite had a profound
influence on the transformation time and temperature.
 Since austenite is unstable below the lower critical temperature A1, therefore, it is
necessary to know a subcritical temperature range where the transformation time of
austenite is started and when to finish.
 The best way to understand this non-equilibrium transformation process is Isothermal-
transformation diagram.
 I-T (isothermal-transformation) diagram: At constant temperature and for a fixed
composition of steel, the austenite transformation start and finish time. Other names
for the same curves are TTT (transformation, temperature, time) curves or S curves.
 Determination of I-T diagram
Step 1: Prepare a large number of samples (of fixed composition) cut
from the sample bar.
Step 2: Place the sample in a molten salt bath at a temperature above
upper critical temperature (A3 line) to become completely austenite.
Step 3: Then place the samples at a temperature(T) below lower critical
temperature, A1 line.
Step 4: Quench or cool the sample in cold water or iced brine.
Step 5: After cooling prepare each sample for micrograph.
Step 6: The above steps 3,4 and 5 are repeated at different
temperatures until sufficient points have been are determined to plot the
curves on the diagram.
I-T diagram for Eutectoid steel
Construction of MS and Mf
I-T diagram for Hypo-eutectoid steel
I-T diagram for Hyper-eutectoid steel
8.9 Transformation to Pearlite
8.9 Transformation to Bainite
Difference between the transformation of Pearlite and Bainite
It is possible to form 100% pearlite or 100% Martensite by
continuous cooling. But it is not possible to get 100% Bainite.

Why?
 However, for
alloy steel, it is
possible to obtain
Bainite during
continuous
cooling.
 Effect of increasing Carbon:
0.35% C + 0.37% Mn 0.5% C + 0.91% Mn
Quenched a
sample of
0.35% C

Quenched a
sample of
0.5% C
0.35% C + 0.37% Mn 0.35% C + 1.85% Mn
 Effect of alloying elements: Vanadium
Addition of 2% Cr
Tungsten

Molybdenum

Chromium

Manganese

Silicon

Nickel
 Effect of Austenite grain size on I-T curve:
 To Summarize:
 There are only two factors that will decrease the critical cooling rate or move the I-
T diagram to the right.
 Example: A plain carbon steel may have to be water quenched to obtain full
hardness, while the same steel when alloyed may attain the same hardness and
may be hardened to a greater depth even when cooled more slowly by oil
quenching.
 While coarsening the austenitic grain size has an effect similar to that of adding
alloying elements: the coarser grain will tend to reduce the toughness of the steel.
 Moreover, the transformation from coarse grained austenite may increase the risk
of crack formation at grain boundary during fast cooling process.

To alter the critical cooling rate, it is preferred to change the chemical

composition rather than by coarsening the austenitic grain-Why?