ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof.

Alankar, 2022

Structural Materials
Phase Diagram - Metastable system due to fast cooling

ME 221
Lecture 12

Alankar Alankar
alankar.alankar@iitb.ac.in; Ph. 9356
Office: S02, ME Building
Lab: ICME Research Lab
www.me.iitb.ac.in/~alankar

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ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022
 ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022

Equilibrium Cooling of Isomorphic Alloy

Callister, Sec. 9.9, pg. 264
If cooling occurs very slowly, phase
equilibrium is continuously maintained.

At 1300oC point a, the alloy is

completely liquid (of composition
35 wt% Ni–65 wt% Cu).

At point b, the first solid begins to form,

which has a composition dictated by the
tie line drawn at this temperature; the
composition of liquid is still
approximately 35 wt% Ni–65 wt% Cu
[L(35 Ni)].

The fraction of the solid phase will

increase with continued cooling. Note
that the overall alloy composition (35
wt% Ni–65 wt% Cu) remains unchanged
during cooling even though there is a
redistribution of copper and nickel
between the phases.
Callister, Fig. 9.4, pg. 265

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ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022
 ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022

Non-equilibrium Cooling of Isomorphic Alloy

• In reality, liquid-to-solid, solid-to-liquid and
solid-to-solid transformation processes involve
diffusion process.
• Theses processes are time dependent.
• If the cooling rate is increased, the diffusion
process and thus, the transformation from
liquid to solid and solid to liquid may not be
complete. Such condition will give rise to non-
equilibrium. As a result of this amount of
liquid phase is more. Note how the tie line
is shifted to right side.
• Sufficient time must be given for reaching
equilibrium condition.
• The degree of displacement of the non-
equilibrium solidus curve from the equilibrium
one will depend on rate of cooling.
• If the diffusion rate in the solid phase is
increased, this displacement will diminish.
• The distribution of the two elements within the
grains is nonuniform, a phenomenon termed
segregation; that is, concentration gradients are
established across the grains.
Callister, Fig. 9.5, pg. 267 3
ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022
 ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022

Non-equilibrium Cooling - Segregation

The center of each grain, which is the first part to freeze, is rich in the high
melting element (e.g., nickel for this Cu–Ni system), whereas the concentration
of the low-melting element increases with position from this region to the grain
boundary. This is termed a cored structure, which gives rise to less than the
optimal properties. As a casting having a cored structure is reheated, grain
boundary regions will melt first in as much as they are richer in the low-melting
component. This produces a sudden loss in mechanical integrity due to the thin
liquid film that separates the grains. Furthermore, this melting may begin at a
temperature below the equilibrium solidus temperature of the alloy (see the e’
point on the phase diagram in the previous slide).

Coring may be eliminated by a homogenization heat treatment carried out at a

temperature below the solidus point for the particular alloy composition.
During this process, atomic diffusion occurs, which produces compositionally
homogeneous grains.

Callister, Fig. 9.5, pg. 268

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ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022
 ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022

Mechanical Properties of Isomorphous Alloys

For the Cu–Ni system, (a) tensile strength versus composition, and
(b) ductility (%El) versus composition at room temperature. A solid solution
exists over all compositions for this system.

Callister, Sec. 9.10, pg. 268

Callister, Fig. 9.6, pg. 268

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ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022
ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022

The End

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ICME and Materials Genome (IMaGen) Lab, Prof. Alankar, 2022