7/22/2020 Austenite - Wikipedia

Austenite
Austenite, also known as gamma-phase iron (γ-Fe), is a
metallic, non-magnetic allotrope of iron or a solid solution of
iron, with an alloying element.[1] In plain-carbon steel, austenite
exists above the critical eutectoid temperature of 1000 K
(727 °C); other alloys of steel have different eutectoid
temperatures. The austenite allotrope is named after Sir William
Chandler Roberts-Austen (1843–1902);[2] it exists at room
temperature in some stainless steels.

Iron-carbon phase diagram, showing the

Contents conditions under which austenite (γ) is
stable in carbon steel.
Allotrope of iron
Material
Austempering
Behavior in plain carbon-steel
Behavior in cast iron
Stabilization
Austenite transformation and Curie point Allotropes of iron; alpha iron and
Thermo-optical emission gamma iron

See also
References

Allotrope of iron
From 912 to 1,394 °C (1,674 to 2,541 °F) alpha iron undergoes a phase transition from body-centred
cubic (BCC) to the face-centred cubic (FCC) configuration of gamma iron, also called austenite. This is
similarly soft and ductile but can dissolve considerably more carbon (as much as 2.03% by mass at
1,146 °C (2,095 °F)). This gamma form of iron is present in the most commonly used type of stainless
steel for making hospital and food-service equipment.

Material
Austenitization means to heat the iron, iron-based metal, or steel to a temperature at which it changes
crystal structure from ferrite to austenite.[3] The more open structure of the austenite is then able to
absorb carbon from the iron-carbides in carbon steel. An incomplete initial austenitization can leave
undissolved carbides in the matrix.[4]

For some iron metals, iron-based metals, and steels, the presence of carbides may occur during the
austenitization step. The term commonly used for this is two-phase austenitization.[5]
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Austempering
Austempering is a hardening process that is used on iron-based metals to promote better mechanical
properties. The metal is heated into the austenite region of the iron-cementite phase diagram and then
quenched in a salt bath or other heat extraction medium that is between temperatures of 300–375 °C
(572–707 °F). The metal is annealed in this temperature range until the austenite turns to bainite or
ausferrite (bainitic ferrite + high-carbon austenite).[6]

By changing the temperature for austenitization, the austempering process can yield different and
desired microstructures.[7] A higher austenitization temperature can produce a higher carbon content in
austenite, whereas a lower temperature produces a more uniform distribution of austempered
structure.[7] The carbon content in austenite as a function of austempering time has been established.[8]

Behavior in plain carbon-steel

As austenite cools, the carbon diffuses out of the austenite and forms carbon rich iron-carbide
(cementite) and leaves behind carbon poor ferrite. Depending on alloy composition, a layering of ferrite
and cementite, called pearlite, may form. If the rate of cooling is very swift, the carbon does not have
time enough to diffuse and the alloy may experience a large lattice distortion known as martensitic
transformation in which it transforms into martensite, a body centered tetragonal structure (BCT). This
is a very important case, as the carbon does not have time to diffuse due to the high cooling rate, which
results in carbon being trapped and as a result forms hard martensite. The rate of cooling determines the
relative proportions of martensite, ferrite, and cementite, and therefore determines the mechanical
properties of the resulting steel, such as hardness and tensile strength.

A high cooling rate of thick sections will cause a steep thermal gradient in the material. The outer layers
of the heat treated part will cool faster and shrink more, causing it to be under tension and thermal
staining. At high cooling rates, the material will transform from austenite to martensite which is much
harder and will generate cracks at much lower strains. The volume change (martensite is less dense than
austenite)[9] can generate stresses as well. The difference in strain rates of the inner and outer portion of
the part may cause cracks to develop in the outer portion, compelling the use of slower quenching rates
to avoid this. By alloying the steel with tungsten, the carbon diffusion is slowed and the transformation
to BCT allotrope occurs at lower temperatures, thereby avoiding the cracking. Such a material is said to
have its hardenability increased. Tempering following quenching will transform some of the brittle
martensite into tempered martensite. If a low-hardenability steel is quenched, a significant amount of
austenite will be retained in the microstructure, leaving the steel with internal stresses that leave the
product prone to sudden fracture.

Behavior in cast iron

Heating white cast iron above 727 °C (1,341 °F) causes the formation of austenite in crystals of primary
cementite.[10] This austenisation of white iron occurs in primary cementite at the interphase boundary
with ferrite.[10] When the grains of austenite form in cementite, they occur as lamellar clusters oriented
along the cementite crystal layer surface.[10] Austenite is formed by diffusion of carbon atoms from
cementite into ferrite.[10][11]

Stabilization

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The addition of certain alloying elements, such as manganese and nickel, can stabilize the austenitic
structure, facilitating heat-treatment of low-alloy steels. In the extreme case of austenitic stainless steel,
much higher alloy content makes this structure stable even at room temperature. On the other hand,
such elements as silicon, molybdenum, and chromium tend to de-stabilize austenite, raising the
eutectoid temperature.

Austenite is only stable above 910 °C (1,670 °F) in bulk metal form. However, fcc transition metals can
be grown on a face-centered cubic (fcc) or diamond cubic.[12] The epitaxial growth of austenite on the
diamond (100) face is feasible because of the close lattice match and the symmetry of the diamond (100)
face is fcc. More than a monolayer of γ-iron can be grown because the critical thickness for the strained
multilayer is greater than a monolayer.[12] The determined critical thickness is in close agreement with
theoretical prediction.[12]

Austenite transformation and Curie point

In many magnetic ferrous alloys, the Curie point, the temperature at which magnetic materials cease to
behave magnetically, occurs at nearly the same temperature as the austenite transformation. This
behavior is attributed to the paramagnetic nature of austenite, while both martensite[13] and
ferrite[14][15] are strongly ferromagnetic.

Thermo-optical emission
During heat treating, a blacksmith causes phase changes in the iron-carbon system in order to control
the material's mechanical properties, often using the annealing, quenching, and tempering processes. In
this context, the color of light, or "blackbody radiation," emitted by the workpiece is an approximate
gauge of temperature. Temperature is often gauged by watching the color temperature of the work, with
the transition from a deep cherry-red to orange-red (815 °C (1,499 °F) to 871 °C (1,600 °F))
corresponding to the formation of austenite in medium and high-carbon steel. In the visible spectrum,
this glow increases in brightness as temperature increases, and when cherry-red the glow is near its
lowest intensity and may not be visible in ambient light. Therefore, blacksmiths usually austenize steel in
low-light conditions, to help accurately judge the color of the glow.

See also
Gamma loop

References
1. Reed-Hill R, Abbaschian R (1991). Physical Metallurgy Principles (3rd ed.). Boston: PWS-Kent
Publishing. ISBN 978-0-534-92173-6.
2. Gove PB, ed. (1963). Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, Massachusetts,
USA: G & C Merriam Company. p. 58.
3. Nichols R (Jul 2001). "Quenching and tempering of welded carbon steel tubulars" (http://www.thefabr
icator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=237).
4. Lambers HG, Tschumak S, Maier HJ, Canadinc D (Apr 2009). "Role of Austenitization and Pre-
Deformation on the Kinetics of the Isothermal Bainitic Transformation". Metall Mater Trans A. 40 (6):
1355–1366. Bibcode:2009MMTA..tmp...74L (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009MMTA..tmp...74
L). doi:10.1007/s11661-009-9827-z (https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11661-009-9827-z).

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5. "Austenitization" (http://asmcommunity.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/AsmStore/ProductDetail
s/?vgnextoid=39c04ef322e18110VgnVCM100000701e010aRCRD).
6. Kilicli V, Erdogan M (2008). "The Strain-Hardening Behavior of Partially Austenitized and the
Austempered Ductile Irons with Dual Matrix Structures" (http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=
20206650). J Mater Eng Perf. 17 (2): 240–9. Bibcode:2008JMEP...17..240K (https://ui.adsabs.harvar
d.edu/abs/2008JMEP...17..240K). doi:10.1007/s11665-007-9143-y (https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs1166
5-007-9143-y).
7. Batra U, Ray S, Prabhakar SR (2003). "Effect of austenitization on austempering of copper alloyed
ductile iron" (http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=15234163). Journal of Materials
Engineering and Performance. 12 (5): 597–601. doi:10.1361/105994903100277120 (https://doi.org/1
0.1361%2F105994903100277120).
8. Chupatanakul S, Nash P (Aug 2006). "Dilatometric measurement of carbon enrichment in austenite
during bainite transformation". J Mater Sci. 41 (15): 4965–9. Bibcode:2006JMatS..41.4965C (https://
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006JMatS..41.4965C). doi:10.1007/s10853-006-0127-3 (https://doi.org/1
0.1007%2Fs10853-006-0127-3).
9. Ashby MF, Hunkin-Jones DR (1986-01-01). Engineering Materials 2: An Introduction to
Microstructures, Processing, and Design. ISBN 978-0-080-32532-3.
10. Ershov VM, Nekrasova LS (Jan 1982). "Transformation of cementite into austenite". Metal Sci Heat
Treat. 24 (1): 9–11. Bibcode:1982MSHT...24....9E (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1982MSHT...2
4....9E). doi:10.1007/BF00699307 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF00699307).
11. Alvarenga HD, Van de Putte T, Van Steenberge N, Sietsma J, Terryn H (Apr 2009). "Influence of
Carbide Morphology and Microstructure on the Kinetics of Superficial Decarburization of C-Mn
Steels". Metall Mater Trans A. 46 (1): 123–133. Bibcode:2015MMTA...46..123A (https://ui.adsabs.har
vard.edu/abs/2015MMTA...46..123A). doi:10.1007/s11661-014-2600-y (https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs1
1661-014-2600-y).
12. Hoff HA, Waytena GL, Glesener JW, Harris VG, Pappas DP (Mar 1995). "Critical thickness of single
crystal fcc iron on diamond". Surf Sci. 326 (3): 252–66. Bibcode:1995SurSc.326..252H (https://ui.ads
abs.harvard.edu/abs/1995SurSc.326..252H). doi:10.1016/0039-6028(94)00787-X (https://doi.org/10.
1016%2F0039-6028%2894%2900787-X).
13. M. Bigdeli Karimia, H. Arabib, A. Khosravania, and J. Samei (2008). "Effect of rolling strain on
transformation induced plasticity of austenite to martensite in a high-alloy austenitic steel" (http://ceh
sat.iust.ac.ir/files/mateng/arabi_88fcd/effect_of_rolling_strain_on_transformation.pdf) (PDF). Journal
of Materials Processing Technology. 203 (1–3): 349–354. doi:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2007.10.029 (http
s://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jmatprotec.2007.10.029). Retrieved 4 September 2019.
14. Maranian, Peter (2009), Reducing Brittle and Fatigue Failures in Steel Structures (https://books.goog
le.com/books?id=qTT2LgLnpMUC&pg=PA81), New York: American Society of Civil Engineers,
ISBN 978-0-7844-1067-7.
15. Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-
Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-08-037941-8.

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