MSE 260: Phase Transformations Second Semester 2021/2022

29 August 2022
Assignment Six

1. (a) Two samples of steel contain 93 % pearlite. Estimate the carbon content of each sample
if one is known to be hypoeutectoid and the other hypereutectoid
(b) A 1050 steel is austenitized at 820°C, quenched in oil to 25°C, and tempered at 400°C
for an appropriate time.
i) What yield strength, hardness, and % elongation would you expect to obtain from
this heat treatment?
ii) Suppose the actual yield strength of the steel is found to be 870 MPa. What might
have gone wrong in the heat treatment to cause this low strength?
iii) Suppose the Brinell hardness is found to be HB 525. What might have gone wrong
in the heat treatment to cause this high hardness?

2. (a) Determine the constants c and n in the Avrami relationship for the transformation of
austenite to pearlite for a 1050 steel. Assume that the material has been subjected to an
isothermal heat treatment at 600 °C and make a log – log plot of f versus t given the
following information:
f = 0.2 at t = 2 s;
f = 0.5 at t = 4 s; and
f = 0.8 at t = 7 s;
(b) Describe the microstructure present in a 10110 steel after each step in the following heat
treatments:
i) heat to 900 °C, quench to 400 °C and hold for 103 s, and quench to 25 °C;
ii) heat to 900 °C, quench to 600 °C and hold for 50 s, and quench to 25 °C;
iii) heat to 900 °C and quench to 25 °C;
iv) heat to 900 °C, quench to 300 °C and hold for 200 s, and quench to 25 °C;
v) heat to 900 °C, quench to 675 °C and hold for 1 s, and quench to 25 °C;
vi) heat to 900 °C, quench to 675 °C and hold for 1 s, quench to 300 °C and hold for
103 s, and air cool to 25 °C;
vii) heat to 900 °C, quench to 675 °C and hold for 1 s, quench to 400 °C and hold for
900 s, and slowly cool to 25 °C; and
viii) heat to 900 °C, quench to 300 °C and hold for 100 s, quench to 25 °C, heat to 450
C for 3600 s, and cool to 25 °C;

3. (a) Figure Q4 shows the continuous-cooling transformation diagram for a 0.35 wt% C iron–
carbon alloy. Make a copy of this figure, and then sketch and label continuous-cooling
curves to yield the following microstructures from the austenitic region:
i) Fine pearlite and proeutectoid ferrite
ii) Martensite
iii) Martensite and proeutectoid ferrite
iv) Coarse pearlite and proeutectoid ferrite
v) Martensite, fine pearlite, and proeutectoid ferrite
(b) Briefly describe the simplest continuous cooling heat treatment procedure that would be
used in converting a 4340 steel from one microstructure to another.
i) (Martensite ferrite bainite) to (martensite ferrite pearlite bainite)
ii) (Martensite ferrite bainite) to spheroidite
iii) (Martensite bainite ferrite) to tempered martensite

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MSE 260: Phase Transformations Second Semester 2021/2022
29 August 2022

Effect of carbon content on mechanical properties.

TTT diagrams of 1076 and 10110 steels

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MSE 260: Phase Transformations Second Semester 2021/2022
29 August 2022

CCT diagrams of 1035 and 4340 steel alloys respectively.

Fe – C phase diagram