Assignment

ABDI SAMAD MOHAMED AWEYS

B1EN31

An assignment submitted in full filament of the

Requirements for the Engineering Metallurgy

School of Engineering

Department of Mechanical

Somali National University

July 2020
1. Austenite (F.C.C) is a simple interstitial solid solution in which the carbon atoms are randomly
arranged throughout the available octahedral holes (of which is one per Fe atom), there being
insufficient carbon for a regular structure.
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. In plain-carbon steel, austenite exists above
the critical eutectoid temperature of 1000 K (727 °C); other alloys of steel have different
eutectoid temperatures.
2. Cementite (or iron carbide) is a compound of iron and carbon, more precisely an intermediate
transition metal carbide with the formula Fe3C. By weight, it is 6.67% carbon and 93.3% iron. It
has an orthorhombic crystal structure. It is a hard, brittle material, normally classified as a
ceramic in its pure form, and is a frequently found and important constituent in ferrous
metallurgy. While cementite is present in most steels and cast irons, it is produced as a raw
material in the iron carbide process, which belongs to the family of alternative iron making
technologies.
3. Component - chemically recognizable species (Fe and C in carbon steel, H2O and Sucrose in
sugar solution in water). A binary alloy contains two components, a ternary alloy – three, etc.
4. Congruent transformation involves no change in composition (e.g., allotropic transformation
such as α-Fe to γ-Fe or melting transitions in pure solids).
For an incongruent transformation, at least one phase changes composition (e.g. eutectic,
eutectoid, peritectic reactions).
5. Equilibrium a system is at equilibrium if at constant temperature, pressure and composition the
system is stable, not changing with time.
Equilibrium is the state that is achieved given sufficient time. But the time to achieve equilibrium
may be very long (the kinetics can be slow) that a state along the path to the equilibrium may
appear to be stable. This is called a metastable state.
6. Eutectic phase is a three phase by which on cooling a liquid transforms into two solid phases at
the same time. Three phases (L, α, β) may be in equilibrium only at a few points along the
eutectic isotherm. Single-phase regions are separated by 2-phase regions.
7. Eutectic reaction – transition between liquid and mixture of two solid phases, α + β at eutectic
concentration CE.
 The melting point of the eutectic alloy is lower than that of the components (eutectic = easy to
melt in Greek).
At most two phases can be in equilibrium within a phase field. Three phases (L, α, β) may be in
equilibrium only at a few points along the eutectic isotherm. Single-phase regions are separated
by 2-phase regions.
8. Eutectic structure Compositions of α and β phases are very different → eutectic reaction
involves redistribution of Pb and Sn atoms by atomic diffusion. This simultaneous formation of
α and β phases result in a layered (lamellar) microstructure that is called eutectic structure.
9. Eutectoid reaction The eutectoid (eutectic-like in Greek) reaction is similar to the eutectic
reaction but occurs from one solid phase to two new solid phases. Invariant point (the eutectoid)
– three solid phases are in equilibrium.
10. A ferrite is a ceramic material made by mixing and firing large proportions of iron(III) oxide
(Fe2O3, rust) blended with small proportions of one or more additional metallic elements, such as
barium, manganese, nickel, and zinc. They are electrically nonconductive, meaning that they are
insulators, and ferromagnetic, meaning they can easily be magnetized or attracted to a magnet.
Ferrites can be divided into two families based on their resistance to being demagnetized
(magnetic coercivity).
11. Hypereutectoid alloys contain proeutectoid cementite (formed above the eutectoid temperature)
plus perlite that contain eutectoid ferrite and cementite.
12. Hypoeutectoid alloys contain proeutectoid ferrite (formed above the eutectoid temperature) plus
the eutectoid perlite that contain eutectoid ferrite and cementite.
13. Intermediate Solid Solution Some binary alloy systems have intermediate solid solution phases.
In phase diagrams, these phases are separated from the composition extremes (0% and 100%).
Example: in β, β’, γ, δ, ε are intermediate solid solutions
14. Intermetallic Compounds Besides solid solutions, intermetallic compounds that have precise
chemical compositions can exist in some systems. When using the lever rules, intermetallic
compounds are treated like any other phase, except they appear not as a wide region but as a
vertical line.
15. Invariant or Eutectic point - the point on a phase diagram where the maximum number of
allowable phases are in equilibrium. When this point is reached, the temperature must remain
constant until one of the phases disappears. A eutectic is an invariant point.
16. Isomorphous System - complete solid solubility of the two components (both in the liquid and
solid phases).
Three phase region can be identified on the phase diagram: Liquid (L) , solid + liquid (α +L),
solid (α ) Liquidus line separates liquid from liquid + solid Solidus line separates solid from
liquid + solid.
Example of isomorphous system: Cu-Ni (the complete solubility occurs because both Cu and Ni
have the same crystal structure, FCC, similar radii and electronegativity).
17. The lever rule is a mechanical analogy to the mass balance calculation. The tie line in the two-
phase region is analogous to a lever balanced on a fulcrum.
18. A liquidus line is defined as the line on a phase diagram that delineates the liquid region of a
material or substance. Above the liquidus line, the substance is considered to be completely
liquid. In technical terms, the liquidus line represents the locus of temperatures above which the
substance exhibits the behavior of a stable liquid. Liquidus line separates liquid from liquid +
solid
The liquidus line is an essential parameter in metallurgy. Knowledge of a metal or alloy’s
liquidus temperature can help researchers predict various physical and mechanical properties of
the material.
19. Metastable: equilibrium is the state that is achieved given sufficient time. But the time to
achieve equilibrium may be very long (the kinetics can be slow) that a state along the path to the
equilibrium may appear to be stable. This is called a metastable state
20. Microconstituent – element of the microstructure having a distinctive structure microstructure
consists of two microconstituents, primary α phase and the eutectic structure. Although the
eutectic structure consists of two phases, it is a microconstituent with distinct lamellar structure
and fixed ratio of the two phases.
21. Pearlite is a two-phased, lamellar (or layered) structure composed of alternating layers of ferrite
(87.5 wt%) and cementite (12.5 wt%) that occurs in some steels and cast irons. During slow
cooling of an iron-carbon alloy, pearlite forms by a eutectoid reaction as austenite cools below
727 °C (1,341 °F) (the eutectoid temperature). Pearlite is a microstructure occurring in many
common grades of steels.
22. Peritectic Reaction - solid phase and liquid phase will together form a second solid phase at a
particular temperature and composition upon cooling, e.g. L + α ↔ β. These reactions are rather
 slow as the product phase will form at the boundary between the two reacting phases thus
separating them, and slowing down any further reaction.
Peritectics are not as common as eutectics and eutectiods, but do occur in some alloy systems.
There is one in the Fe- C system that we will consider later.
23. Phase – a portion of a system that has uniform physical and chemical characteristics. Two
distinct phases in a system have distinct physical and/or chemical characteristics (e.g. water and
ice, water and oil) and are separated from each other by definite phase boundaries. A phase may
contain one or more components.
24. Phase diagram is a graphical representation of all the equilibrium phases as a function of
temperature, pressure, and composition. For one component systems, the equilibrium state of the
system is defined by two independent parameters (P and T), (T and V), or (P and V).
25. Phase equilibrium is the study of the equilibrium which exists between or within different states
of matter namely solid, liquid and gas. Equilibrium is defined as a stage when chemical potential
of any component present in the system stays steady with time. Phase is a region where the
intermolecular interaction is spatially uniform or in other words physical and chemical properties
of the system are same throughout the region. Within the same state, a component can exist in
two different phases such as allotropes of an element. Also, two immiscible compounds in same
liquid state can coexist in two phases.
26. Primary α phase is formed in the α + L region, and the eutectic structure that includes layers of
α and β phases (called eutectic α and eutectic β phases) is formed upon crossing the eutectic
isotherm. L →α+ L →α+β
27. Proeutectoid Cementite The term ‘‘proeutectoid’’ was originally used to refer to cementite
formed from the austenite phase above the eutectoid temperature, in the austenite-plus-cementite
two-phase field of the Fe–C phase diagram.
Proeutectoid Cementite typically forms in steels whose carbon content is greater than that of the
eutectoid composition (hypereutectoid steels). For plain carbon steels, i.e., Fe–C-based alloys
containing about 0.5% manganese and 0.25% silicon, this corresponds to carbon compositions of
greater than about 0.8%. (All alloy percentages given in this article are understood to be in
weight percent).
28. Proeutectoid Ferrite during cooling of hypoeutectoid steels the α-ferrite + γ-austenite phase
field is encountered before arriving at the α-ferrite + cementite field (that is, pearlite). Therefore,
 discrete chunks of α-ferrite nucleate along the austenite grain boundaries; this is known as
proeutectoid ferrite, and it develops before the remaining γ-austenite transforms to pearlite
29. Solidus line is defined as the line on a phase diagram that delineates the solid region of a
material or substance. Solidus line separates solid from liquid + solid. solidus is the locus of
temperatures (a curve on a phase diagram) below which a given substance is completely solid
(crystallized). The solidus is applied, among other materials, to metal alloys, ceramics, and
natural rocks and minerals.
30. Solubility Limit of a component in a phase is the maximum amount of the component that can
be dissolved in it (e.g. alcohol has unlimited solubility in water, sugar has a limited solubility, oil
is insoluble). The same concepts apply to solid phases: Cu and Ni are mutually soluble in any
amount (unlimited solid solubility), while C has a limited solubility in Fe
31. Solvus line separates one solid solution from a mixture of solid solutions. The Solvus line
shows limit of solubility.
32. System is a group of interacting or interrelated entities that form a unified whole. A system is
described by its spatial and temporal boundaries, surrounded and influenced by its environment,
described by its structure and purpose and expressed in its functioning. Systems are the subjects
of study of systems theory.
33. Terminal Solid Solutions. Eutectic systems that we have studied so far have only two solid
phases (α and β) that exist near the ends of phase diagrams. These phases are called terminal
solid solutions.
34. Tie Line an isothermal (constant temperature) line through the alloy's position on the phase
diagram when it is in a two phase field, intersecting the two adjacent solubility curves, is called a
tie line.
35. Bainite is a plate like microstructure that forms in steels at temperature of 125-550C.
bainite formed above about 350C(upper bainite)consists of ferrite plates or laths(subunits) and a
dispersion of carbide precipitates.
36. Spheroidizing refers to a heat treatment material modification process that is used to convert
granular structures of the material into a spheroidal form. The process is performed to improve
a metal's cold forming capability. Spheroidizing is a form of heat treatment for iron-based
alloys, commonly carbon steels, in order to convert them into ductile and machinable alloys.