Iron-Iron Carbide Diagram

Iron Iron Carbide Diagram

 Steel is most widely used engineering material

 It is alloy of iron & carbon with carbon content upto 2%
 Cast iron are alloy of iron & carbon but with carbon
content more than 2%

 Steel containing only carbon as the alloying elements are

referred as plain carbon steel
 Equilibrium diagram of plain carbon steel representing
the effect of temperature and composition on phases
present is known as IIC Diagram
.
 M.P-1539 Degree c M.P-1147 Degree c

T%

Ductile Brittle

Steel Cast Iron

2% C% 6.67%
Hardness Increases
Cont…
Pure Iron

 Pure iron (Fe) contain small traces of Mn P, S and si

 It is an allotropic metals
 Allotropy is the existence of metal in more than one
type of lattice structure ( B.C.C/F.C.C) at various levels
of temperature
 Pure iron referred as pig iron
 It is obtained from blast furnace by reduction of iron
ores
 Temperature

 At room temperature, iron is BCC in lattice structure

whereas on heating at 910 degreec it changes to F.C.C
 Allotropy of iron is also termed as Polymorphism of iron
 The temp.at which the magnetic property changes is
referred as Curie temperature
 The temparature at which phase change takes place is
called Critical temperature
 Steel & Cast iron

What is steel?
Steel is a interstitial solid solution of iron and
carbon containing 0.008 to 2% carbon by
weight.

What is Cast iron ?

Steel is a interstitial solid solution of iron and
carbon containing 2 to 6.67 % carbon by
weight
 M.P-1539 Degree c M.P-1147 Degree c

T%

Ductile Brittle

Steel Cast Iron

2% C% 6.67%
Hardness Increases
T%

High Tensile
Strength & High compressive strength &
Low Low tensile strength
compressive
strength

2% C% 6.67%
 

Allotropy of Iron
Temp

1539 0C

1400 0C

910 0C

Time
Allotropy of Iron
 E

Cast iron

Hari Prasad
Critical Temparature
Critical Temperatures in
Iron-Iron Carbide Equilibrium Diagram
S. Critical Temp Significance During Heating
N. Points
1 A0 210 0C Cementite becomes
paramagnetic
2 A1 727 0C Perlite Austenite
3 A2 768 Ferrite becomes
paramagnetic
4 A3 727- Completion of
9100C Ferrite Austenite
5 Acm 727- Completion of
11470C Cementite Austenite
Critical Temperatures in
Iron-Iron Carbide Equilibrium Diagram
S. Critical Temp Name of Critical
N. Points Temperature
1 A0 210 0C Curie Temperature of Fe3C
2 A1 210 0C Lower Critical Temperature
3 A2 768 Curie Temperature of
Ferrite
4 A3 727- Upper Critical Temperature
9100C for Hypoeutectoid Steel

5 Acm 727- Upper Critical Temperature

11470C for Hypereutectoid Steel
Types of Plain Carbon Steel
Mild Steel (0.008-0.15 %C)
Low Carbon Steel (0.15-0.30%C)
Medium Carbon Steel(0.30-0.60%C)
High Carbon Steel(0.60-2%C)
 Phases in Steel

α-ferrite
Interstitial solid solution of carbon dissolve in
α-iron having BCC structure.
Maximum solubility of carbon in α-iron is
0.02% (at 7270C)
At room temperature solubility is 0.008%
 Phases in Steel

Properties of α-ferrite
Soft and ductile phase
Ferromagnetic upto curie temperature(768 0C)

Tensile Strength 40,000psi

Elongation 40% (2in GL)
Hardness 80 BHN
Toughness Low
 Phases in Steel

Microstructure of α-ferrite
 Phases in Steel

Austenite (γ)
Interstitial solid solution of carbon dissolve in
γ-iron having FCC structure.
Maximum solubility of carbon in γ-iron is 2.%
(at 11470C)
Stable only above 7270C
 Phases in Steel

Properties of Austenite
Soft and ductile phase
Non magnetic
It can be extensively worked at the temperature
of its existence.

Tensile Strength 1,50,000psi

Elongation 10% (2in GL)
Hardness Rc 40
Toughness High
 Phases in Steel

Microstructure of Austenite
 Phases in Steel

δ-ferrite
Interstitial solid solution of carbon dissolve in
δ-iron having BCC structure.
Maximum solubility of carbon in δ-iron is
0.1% (at 14920C)
Stable only above 14000C
 Phases in Steel

Iron Carbide (Cementite)

Intemetallic compound of iron and carbon
with fixed carbon content of 6.67% and having
orthorhombic structure.
Chemical formula Fe3C
Metastable phase
 Phases in Steel

Properties of Iron Carbide

(Cementite)
Extremely hard and brittle phase
Ferromagnetic upto 2100C
Tensile Strength 5000psi
Elongation 1%
Hardness 900-1200 VHN
Toughness Very Low
Compressive Strength Very High
 Transformations
 Peritectic reaction:
S1 + L S2

 Eutectic reaction:

L S1 + S2

 Eutectoid reaction:

S1 S2 + S3

9-5
 Transformations
Peritectic reaction:
General Reaction:
S1 + L S2

Reaction in steel:
14920C
Liquid + δ γ
Cooling
0.55%C 0.1% C 0.18% C
BCC FCC

9-5
Peritectic Reaction
 Transformations
Eutectic reaction:
General Reaction:
L S1 + S2
Reaction in steel:

Liquid 11470C γ + Fe3C

4.3%C Cooling 2% C 6.67% C
FCC Orthorhom

9-5
Eutectic Reaction
 Transformations
Eutectoid reaction:
General Reaction:
S1 S2 + S3
Reaction in steel:

γ 7270C α + Fe3C
0.8%C Cooling 0.02% C 6.67% C
FCC BCC Orthorhombic

9-5
Eutectoid Reaction
 Eutectoid reaction:
γ 7270C α + Fe3C
0.8%C Cooling 0.02% C 6.67% C
FCC BCC Orthorhombic
This eutectoid mixture is called Pearlite due to its pearly
appearance under microscope.

Pearlite: It is a eutectoid mixture of alpha ferrite

and cementite formed from austenite containing
0.8%C while cooling at 7270C

9-5
 Phases in Steel

Properties of Pearlite
Good Hardness and T.S.
magnetic

Tensile Strength 1,20,000psi

Elongation 20% (2in GL)
Hardness Rc 20 (250 BHN)
Toughness High
 Phases in Steel

Microstructure of Pearlite
 Phases in Steel

Microstructure of Pearlite
Microstructure of Pearlite
 Phases in Steel

Microstructure of Pearlite
Laminar (Platelike) or Fingerprint Microstructure

Ferrite (white)

Cementite
(dark)
 Hypoeutectoid steels
 There are solid state transformations in this steels.
 They are the transformation of gamma iron to alpha
iron and the decomposition of austenite.
 The limiting composition for getting pearlite is
0.0025%C.
 With carbon content less than this amount, no pearlite
will be formed. The alloy will contain only ferrite
grains.
 Steels containing carbon between 0.025-0.8% would
contain varying amount of ferrite and pearlite and
their relative proportions depend on carbon content

Hari
Prasad
 Schematic representations of
the microstructures for an
iron–carbon alloy of
hypoeutectoid composition

Hari
Prasad
 Eutectoid steel
 On cooling at eutectoid point (0.8%C-7270C), all
austenite will transform into 100% pearlite.
 So, the microstructure at room temperature will
reveal alternate layers of ferrite and cementite,
called pearlite

Hari
Prasad
 Schematic representations of the
microstructures for an iron–
carbon alloy of eutectoid
composition (0.76 wt% C) above
and below the eutectoid
temperature.

Hari Prasad
Hypereutectoid steels
 At eutectoid temperature, the composition of
austenite is 0.8% carbon
 On further cooling, the entire
amount of austenite will transform to
pearlite
 Hence, the final microstructure
consists of pearlite and proeutectoid
cementite
Schematic representations of the
microstructures for an iron–
carbon alloy of hypereutectoid
composition
 Cast Irons
 Hypoeutectic cast iron
 Eutectic cast iron
 Hypereutectic cast iron
 Hypoeutectic cast iron
 In this case, a structure below 11470C consists of
proeutectic austenite and ledeburite (eutectic
mixture consisting of austenite and cementite).
 On further cooling, in the temperature range
11470C – 7230C, excess carbon comes out as
cementite from proeutectic and eutectic austenite.
Cementite

Austenite

Within the temp range of 1147 to 727oC upon cooling

 Ferrite

Cementite network
When it cools to room
temp Hari Prasad
The Lever rule
If an alloy consists of more than one phase, the amount of each phase presen
can be found by applying the lever rule to the phase diagram.

The composition of the alloy is represented by the fulcrum,

and the compositions of the two phases by the ends of a bar.

Amount of phase 1 = (C2 - C) / (C2 - C1)

Amount of phase 2 = (C - C1) / (C2 - C1).

Numerical Examples
Ex.1:For eutectoid steel determine amount of
alpha ferrite and cementite just below the
eutectoid temperature
 Solution:
Eutectoid steel means 0.8%C steel
Co=0.8
Cα=0.02
CFe3C=6.67
(a)Amount of alpha
Ferrite
=(6.67- 0.8)/(6.67- 0.02)
=88.27%
(b) Amount of Cementite
=(6.67- 0.8)/(6.67- 0.02)
=11.72%
Numerical Examples

Ex.5:For 0.40 % C steel at a temperature just

below the eutectoid, determine the
following
a) Amount of pearlite and proeutectiod ferrite
()
b) the amount of cementite
 Solution:
(a)The amount of pearlite
=(0.4 – 0.02) /( 0.8 -0.02) x 100 CO = 0.40 wt% C
C = 0.02 wt% C
=48.71% Cp = 0.8 wt% C
1600
(b)Amount of 
1400 L
proeutectoid ferrite T(°C)  +L


Fe C (cementite)
1200 1148°C L+Fe3C
(austenite)
=(0.8-0.4 )/ (0.8 -0.02) x 100
1000
 + Fe3C
=51.28%
800 727°C
R S
(c)Amount of Cementite 600  + Fe3C
=(0.4-0.02)/(6.67-0.02) x 100 400
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 6.7
C CO Co , wt% C CFe
3C
=5.7%
 Calculation of relative amounts
of phases in Fe-Fe3C diagram
 The relative amount of proeutectoid ferrite and
pearlite in 0.2 percent carbon steel:
X Z Y

0.025%C 0.2%C 0.8%C

𝒀𝒁 𝟎.𝟖−𝟎.𝟐
Percent of ferrite: 𝑿𝒀 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = ( 𝟎.𝟖−𝟎.𝟎𝟐𝟓 )100 =77.4%

Percent of Pearlite: 𝒁𝑿 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = (𝟎.𝟐−𝟎.𝟎𝟐𝟓)100 =22.6%

𝑿𝒀 𝟎.𝟖−𝟎.𝟎𝟐𝟓

Hari
Prasad
 Calculation of relative amounts
of phases in Fe-Fe3C diagram
 The relative amount of pearlite and cementite
in 1.2 percent carbon steel:
X Z Y

0.8%C 1.2%C 6.67%C

𝒀𝒁 𝟔.𝟔𝟕−𝟏.𝟐
Percent of pearlite: 𝑿𝒀 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = 𝟔.𝟔𝟕−𝟎.𝟖
100 =?%

𝒁𝑿 𝟏.𝟐−𝟎.𝟖
Percent of cementite: 𝑿𝒀 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = 𝟔.𝟔𝟕−𝟎.
100 =?%
𝟖

Hari
Prasad
 Property Variation With Microstructure

T.S.
Property

84 kg/mm2
350 BHN
40%
Hardness
230 BHN

28 kg/mm2

10%
80 BHN
Ductility
0.4 0.8 1.2 2.0

%C