Iron Carbon

Phase Diagram

 Phase: A phase may be defined as a homogeneous

Some basic
terminology

portion of a system that has uniform physical and

chemical characteristics. Every pure material is
considered to be a phase; so also is every solid,
liquid, and gaseous solution.

Component: Components are pure metals and/or

compounds of which an alloy is composed.

Phase
Diagra
m

Aphase diagramis a
way to represent the
various phases of a
substance and the
conditions under which
each phase exists.

Water
phase
diagram

IMPORTANC
E OF PHASE
DIAGRAMS

There is a strong correlation between

microstructure and mechanical properties,
and the development of microstructure of an
alloy is related to the characteristics of its
phase diagram.
Also phase diagrams provide valuable
information about melting, casting,
crystallization, and other phenomena.

Fe-C Phase
Diagram

 Ferrite

Strucutres
in the
Diagram Ferrite

Also known as iron.

BCC solution of C in Fe
Stable at room
temperature
Maximum solubility of
Carbon 0.022% at
727 C
Maximum solubility of
C at room
temperature 0.008%
Maximum
temperature of
existence 912 C
Is Magnetic upto 768
C
Softest phase
Maximum ductility
Low tensile stength

 Austenite

Structures
in the
diagram Austenite

Also known as iron

FCC solution of C in Fe
Not stable at room
temperature
Maximum solubility of
Carbon 2.14% at
1147 C
Temperature range of
existence 727 C
1493 C
Is non magnetic
Hard phase
Low ductility
High toughness

Structures
in the
diagram iron

Iron

BCC solution of C in Fe
Temperature range is 1394 1538 C
Maximum solubility of C 0.1 %
Non magnetic
Properties similar to Ferrite

 Cementite

Structures
in the
diagram Cementite

It is a compound of Fe
and C Fe3C
The wt% of C in
cementite is 6.70 %
Orthorhombic crystal
structure
Exists at room
temperature
The hardest structure
in the diagram
The most brittle
structure
Lowest tensile
strength
High compressive
strength

 Pearlite

Structures
in the
diagram Pearlite

Contains 0.76 % C
Formed by slow
cooling at 727 C.
Very fine lamellar
mixture of ferrite and
cementite
The white background
is ferrite containing
thin plates of
cementite.
High tensile strength
Medium ductility
Medium hardness

Developme
nt of
microstruct
ure
Pearlitic
steels

Formation
Of Pearlite

Developme
nt of
microstruct
ure
Hypoeutect
oid steels

Microstructu
re of
hypoeutect
oid steels
Photomicrograph of a 0.38 wt% C steel having a
microstructure consisting of pearlite and proeutectoid
ferrite. 635X

Development
of
microstructur
e
Hypereutecto
id
steels

Microstructu
re of
hypereutect
oid steels
Photomicrograph of a 1.4 wt% C steel having a
microstructure consisting of a white proeutectoid cementite
network surrounding the pearlite colonies. 1000X

What
should you
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THANK
YOU
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