Iron & Steel

Sources, Uses, Structure, Chemistry

Reported By: Deepak Jose Varghese

Date: 23/05/2018
Contents
 How is Iron Formed & Where does it come from

 How is Iron found on earth & how is it Extracted

 Relationship between Iron & Life.

 Types of Iron, Composition & Uses

 What is Steel

 Microstructure Of Steel & The Iron Carbon Phase Diagram

 Types Of Steel & Its Uses.

 How is Iron Formed & Where does it come
from
 Iron is an element with atomic number 26
and is represented as Fe.

 By Mass it is the most common element on

earth.

 Iron & Nickel is created as one of the last steps

of fusion just before the explosion of a star
into a supernova.

 The Fusion of Iron & Nickel Produces no net

energy output leading to no further fusion can
take place.
 How is Iron found on earth & how is it
Extracted
 The iron itself is usually found in the form
of magnetite, hematite, goethite, limonite
or Siderite.

 Pure Iron came be made by the process of

smelting Iron Ore.

 Smelting is the process of heating Iron-ore

to separate the iron form other elements
with help of a catalyst

 In the pure state it is a very soft grey metal.

 It is of no commercial use.
 Relationship between Iron & Life
 Iron is required to make Chlorophyll in
plants and the deficiency of iron lead to
diseased Plants (Yellow Leaves).

 Iron is also very important for Nitrogen fixation

in plants.

 Iron is an essential bio elements for most forms

of life for most forms of life from bacteria to
mammals.

 The ability of Iron to mediate electron transfer

by being ferrous (electron donor) & in ferric state
is electron accepter is important for life.

 Heme B is a part of haemoglobin in blood which

allows for the collection & transport of oxygen.

 Human body is 0.006% Iron by mass.

 Types Of Iron, Composition & Its Uses
Iron can be broadly classified into two types
namely Wrought Iron & Cast Iron.

 Wrought Iron: This is low carbon Iron (0.05%)

Made by “Working” The iron with hammers
when hot.

 Cast Iron: This is made by casting or pouring

the molten metal into mould and generally
have a higher carbon content in the range of
2%-4%.

 Cast Iron is Further divided into Grey iron,

white iron, ductile iron, malleable Iron,
Compacted Graphic Iron (CGI) based on the
composition and process of manufacturing and
heat treatment used.
 Types Of Iron, Composition & Its Uses

 Grey Cast Iron: Gray iron is

characterized by the flake shape of
the graphite molecules in the metal.
When the metal is fractured, the
break occurs along the graphite
flakes, which gives it the gray color
on the fractured metal's surface. The
name gray iron comes from this
characteristic.
 Types Of Iron, Composition & Its Uses

 White Cast Iron: With the right

carbon content and a high cooling
rate, carbon atoms combine with iron
to form iron carbide. This means that
there are little to no free graphite
molecules in the solidified material.
When white iron is sheared, the
fractured face appears white due to
the absence of graphite. The
cementite microcrystalline structure is
hard and brittle with a high
compressive strength and good wear
resistance. In certain specialized
applications, it is desirable to have
white iron on the surface of the
product.
 Types Of Iron, Composition & Its Uses

 Ductile Cast Iron: or nodular iron,

obtains its special properties through
the addition of magnesium into the
alloy. The presence of magnesium
causes the graphite to form in a
spheroid shape as opposed to the
flakes of gray iron. Composition
control is very important in the
manufacturing process. Small
amounts of impurities such as sulfur
and oxygen react with the
magnesium, affecting the shape of
the graphite molecules. Different
grades of ductile iron are formed by
manipulating the microcrystalline
structure around the graphite
spheroid. This is achieved through
the casting process, or through heat
treatment, as a downstream
processing step..
 What is Steel
 A hard, strong grey or bluish-grey alloy of iron with carbon and usually
Other elements.

 Basically, steel is an iron-carbon alloy that does not undergo eutectic reaction, In
contrast, cast iron does undergo eutectic reaction.

 Iron is the base metal of steel. Iron is able to take on two crystalline forms
(allotropic forms), body centered cubic & face centered, depending on its
temperature. In the body-centered cubic arrangement, there is an iron atom in
the center and eight atoms at the vertices of each cube; in the face-centered
cubic, there is one atom at the center of each of the six faces of the cube and
eight atoms at the vertices. It is the interaction of the allotropes of iron with the
alloying elements, primarily carbon, that gives steel and cast iron their range of
unique properties.
 Metals

Ferrous metals Non-ferrous metals

Steels Cast Irons

Plain carbon steels Grey Iron

Low carbon steels White Iron

Medium carbon steels Malleable & Ductile Irons

High carbon steels

Low alloy steels

High alloy steels

Stainless & Tool steels
 Microstructure of Steel
Five main constituents:
 Ferrite
 Austenite
 Cementite
 Pearlite
 Martensite
 Ferrite
The structure of pure iron.

Has a body-centred cubic (BCC) crystal structure. It is soft and ductile

and imparts these properties to the steel. Very little carbon (less than
0.01% carbon will dissolve in ferrite at room temperature). Often
known as  iron.
A photomicrograph of 0.1%
carbon steel (mild steel). The
light areas are ferrite.
 Austenite
This is the structure of iron at high temperatures (over 912 deg C).
Has a face-centre cubic (FCC) crystal structure. This material is
important in that it is the structure from which other structures are
formed when the material cools from elevated temperatures. Often
known as  iron. Not present at room temperatures.
 Cementite
A compound of iron and carbon, iron carbide (Fe3C).

It is hard and brittle and its presence in steels causes an increase in

hardness and a reduction in ductility and toughness.
 Pearlite
A laminated structure formed of alternate layers of ferrite and cementite.

It combines the hardness and strength of cementite with the ductility

of ferrite and is the key to the wide range of the properties of steels.
The laminar structure also acts as a barrier to crack movement as in
composites. This gives it toughness.
Two-dimensional view of
pearlite, consisting of
alternating layers of
cementite and ferrite.
Three-dimensional analogy to
the structure of pearlite, i.e.
the cabbage represents a
single crystal of pearlite, and
the water in the bucket the
single crystal of ferrite.
 Martensite
A very hard needle-like structure of iron and carbon.

Only formed by very rapid cooling from the austenitic structure (i.e.
above upper critical temperature). Needs to be modified by tempering
before acceptable properties reached.
The needle-like structure of
martensite, the white areas
are retained austenite.
 Carbon
In steels none of the carbon is present as free carbon. It is all
dissolved in the iron as part of the previously described structures.
 0.1% Carbon Steel

Note the small

amount of pearlite in
the structure
 Applications

A typical application
of low carbon steel in
a car body.
 Effect of Carbon Content
Increasing the carbon content decreases the amount of
ferrite and increases the proportion of pearlite in the
structure.
0.2% Carbon Steel

Note the increased amount of pearlite

compared with the 0.1% ‘dead mild’
steel
 Eutectic Structure
This leads to an increase in strength and hardness and a reduction in
ductility.

This continues until there is 0.8% carbon at which point the structure
is 100% pearlite. This is known as a eutectic structure.
 Over 0.8% Carbon
As carbon content increases beyond 0.8%, no more pearlite can be
formed.
The excess carbon forms cementite which is deposited in between the
pearlite grains. This increases the hardness, but slightly reduces the
strength. The ductility of all plain carbon steels over 0.8% carbon is
very low.
 Properties of Carbon Steels
Carbon content Properties Applications
wt %
0.01 - 0.1 Soft, ductile, no useful hardening Pressings where high
by heat treatment except by formability required
normalizing, but can be work-
hardened. Weldable.
0.1 - 0.25 Strong, ductile, no useful General engineering uses
hardening by heat treatment for a mild steel
except by normalizing, but can
be work-hardened. Weldable.
Ductile-brittle transition
temperature is just below room
temperature
0.25 - 0.6 Very strong, heat treatable to Bars and forgings for a wide
produce a wide range of range of engineering
properties in quenched and components.
tempered conditions. Difficult Connecting rods,
to weld. Can become brittle springs, hammers, axle
below room temperature. shafts requiring
strength and
toughness.
 Properties of Carbon Steels
Carbon content Properties Applications
wt %
0.6 - 0.9 Strong, whether heat treated or Used where maximum
not. Ductility lower when less strength rather than
carbon is present toughness is important.
Tools, wear resisting
components ( piano wire
and silver steels are in
this group).

0.9 - 2.0 Wear resistant and can be made Cutting tools like wood
very hard at expense of chisels, files, saw
toughness and ductility. Cannot blades.
be welded. Tend to be brittle if
the structure is not carefully
controlled