ENR116 – Mod. 3- Slide No.

Iron-Carbon System
 ENR116 – Mod. 3- Slide No. 2

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this section, students will be able to:-

• Understand what a phase transformation is.

• Identify the important phase transformations in the Fe-C

system.

• Recognise how both composition and processing influence

phase transformation.
 ENR116 – Mod. 3- Slide No. 3

Iron-Carbon (Fe-C) phase diagram

2 important points T(ºC)
1600
d
- Eutectic (A): L
1400
L Þ g + Fe3C
g g +L
- Eutectoid (B): 1200 1148ºC
A L+Fe3C
(austenite)

Fe3C (cementite)
g Þ a + Fe3C g g
1000
g g g +Fe3C
B
a+

800 727ºC = T eutectoid

a
g

600
a+Fe3C
400
120 mm
0 0.76
1 2 3 4 5 6 6.7
(Fe)
4.30 C, wt% C
Result: Pearlite =
alternating layers of Fe3C (cementite-hard)
a and Fe3C phases a (ferrite-soft)
(Adapted from Fig. 9.27, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.) Adapted from Fig. 9.24, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
 ENR116 – Mod. 3- Slide No. 4

Hypoeutectoid steel
1600
T(ºC) d
1400 L (Fe-C
g g g +L System)
g g 1200
g
1148ºC L+Fe3C

Fe3C (cementite)
(austenite)
g g 1000 Adapted from Figs. 9.24
g g g + Fe3C and 9.29,Callister &
Rethwisch 8e.
a (Fig. 9.24 adapted from
ag g 800 727ºC Binary Alloy Phase
g ag a Diagrams, 2nd ed., Vol.
1, T.B. Massalski (Ed.-in-
600
a + Fe3C Chief), ASM International,
Materials Park, OH,
1990.)
400
a 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 6.7
(Fe)C C, wt% C
0.76

pearlite

100 mm Hypoeutectoid
steel

pearlite proeutectoid ferrite

Adapted from Fig. 9.30, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
 ENR116 – Mod. 3- Slide No. 5

Hypoeutectoid steel
1600
T(ºC) d
1400 L (Fe-C
g +L System)
a 1200
g
ag g 1148ºC L+Fe3C

Fe3C (cementite)
(austenite)
g ag
Adapted from Figs. 9.24
1000
g + Fe3C and 9.29,Callister &
Rethwisch 8e.
Wa = s/(r + s) (Fig. 9.24 adapted from
800 r s 727ºC Binary Alloy Phase
Wg =(1 - Wa)
aRS Diagrams, 2nd ed., Vol.
1, T.B. Massalski (Ed.-in-
600
a a + Fe3C Chief), ASM International,
Materials Park, OH,
pearlite 1990.)
400
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 6.7
(Fe)C C, wt% C
0.76

Wpearlite = Wg
Wa’ = S/(R + S) 100 mm Hypoeutectoid
steel
WFe3C =(1 – Wa’)
pearlite proeutectoid ferrite
Adapted from Fig. 9.30, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
 ENR116 – Mod. 3- Slide No. 6

Hypereutectoid steel
1600
T(ºC) d
1400 L (Fe-C
g g +L System)
g 1200
g
g g 1148ºC L+Fe3C

Fe3C (cementite)
(austenite)
g g 1000 Adapted from Figs. 9.24
g g g +Fe3C and 9.32,Callister &
Rethwisch 8e. (Fig. 9.24
Fe3C adapted from Binary Alloy
g g 800 Phase Diagrams, 2nd
g g a ed., Vol. 1, T.B. Massalski
(Ed.-in-Chief), ASM
600
a +Fe3C International, Materials
Park, OH, 1990.)
400
0 1 C0 2 3 4 5 6 6.7
0.76

(Fe) C, wt%C
pearlite

60 mmHypereutectoid
steel
pearlite proeutectoid Fe3C
Adapted from Fig. 9.33, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
 ENR116 – Mod. 3- Slide No. 7

Eutectic, eutectoid, & peritectic

Eutectic - liquid transforms to two solid phases
L S1+S2
cool
L heat γ + Fe3C (For Fe-C, 1148ºC, 4.30 wt%
C)
Eutectoid – one solid phase transforms to two other
solid phases
intermetallic compound
S2 S1+S3 - cementite
cool
 heat
 + Fe3C (For Fe-C, 727ºC, 0.76 wt% C)

Peritectic - liquid and one solid phase transform to a

second solid phase
S1 + L S2
cool
cool
 +L heat
heat  (For Fe-C, 1493ºC, 0.16 wt% C)
 ENR116 – Mod. 3- Slide No. 8

Summary

• Important phase diagram phase transformations

include eutectic, eutectoid, and peritectic.

• The Fe-C system is very versatile – this allows

many microstructures and mechanical properties to
be designed.