The Iron-Iron Carbide Phase

Diagram
Heat Treatment of Steel

Features
Phasespresent
L

Reactions
PeritecticL+=
EutecticL=+Fe3C
Eutectoid=+Fe3C

Bccstructure
Paramagnetic

ferrite
Bccstructure
Ferromagnetic
Fairlyductile

austenite
Fccstructure
Nonmagnetic
ductile

Fe3Ccementite
Orthorhombic
Hard
brittle

Max.solubilityofCinferrite=0.022%
Max.solubilityofCinaustenite=2.11%

Microstructures

Steels
Steelisaninterstitialsolidsolutionofcarboniniron.
Theoreticallysteelhasamaximumof2.11%carbon.
Inpractice,theamountofcarbonrarelyexceeds0.8%

Classification/Nomenclature
Lowcarbonsteels

upto0.2%C AISI1020:
Lasttwonumbersindicate
Mediumcarbonsteels0.20.4%C
Amountofcarbon:0.2%C
10indicatesplaincarbonsteel
Highcarbonsteels
>0.4%C
AISI4340:0.4%C
43indicatesalloysteel

Microstructural changes in steel on

cooling for different compositions

Eutectoid steel

Hypoeutectoid steel

Hypereutectoid steel