UNIT- I

SESSION-02

ALLOYS AND PHASE DIAGRAMS

Solid solutions: substitutional and interstitial & Hume Ruthery's Rule

ENGINEERING MATERIALS

Periodic table

METALS

Metals in pure form are not used in engineering application unless specific
properties
eg. High electrical conductivity, High ductility or Good corrosion property.

ALLOYS

When two metals are mixed together they form an alloy if one metal is soluble in
the other one in solid state.

Therefore, an alloy is a solid solution of two or more metals.

1 | Pa g e M E 6 3 0 4 - E N G I N E E R I N G M AT E R I A L S A N D
M E TA L L R GY

UNIT- I
SESSION-02

ALLOYS AND PHASE DIAGRAMS

Solid solutions: substitutional and interstitial & Hume Ruthery's Rule

SOLID SOLUTIONS

A solid solution may be defined as a solid that consists of two or more elements
automatically dispersed in a single - phase structure.

Primarily there are two types of solid solutions

Substitutional Solute atoms occupy the regular lattice sites of the parent metal
(solvent). Substitutional solid solutions can be random (Cu-Ni) or ordered (Cu-Au).

Interstitial Solute atoms occupy the interstitial positions (Steel C solute atoms in
Fe)

2 | Pa g e M E 6 3 0 4 - E N G I N E E R I N G M AT E R I A L S A N D
M E TA L L R GY

UNIT- I
SESSION-02

ALLOYS AND PHASE DIAGRAMS

Solid solutions: substitutional and interstitial & Hume Ruthery's Rule

Hume-Rothery Rule
Formation of substitutional solid solutions between two metals is governed by a set
of rules known as Hume-Rothery rules

Relative Size Factor

If the sizes of the solute and solvent atoms differs by less than 15%.

Electronegativity Factor
If the electronegativity difference between the metals should be small.
(minimum chemical affinity to each other).

Relative valance Factor

A metal of high valence can dissolve only a small amount of a lower-valence metal,
while a lower-valence metal may have good solubility with a higher valence metal.
e.g. Zn is much more soluble in Cu than Cu in Zn.

Lattice Type Factor

For complete solubility over the entire range of compositions the crystal
structures of the solute and the solvent must be the same.

INTERMETALLIC COMPOUND
If two elements have high difference in electronegativity, they tend to from a
system called intermetallic compound.
Eg.Fe3C

BINARY ALLOY
When two metals are mixed in the liquid state to produce a solution, the resulting
alloy is called a binary alloy.

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M E TA L L R GY