Microstructure features

Example of microstructures
Grain Grain boundary Second phase:
Introduction to Materials Engineering (solid solution) in-grain precipitate

Microstructure-Sensible Properties
and Principles of Heat-Treatment
Second phase:
GB precipitate

Structure of grains with Precipitates in Aluminium

GB Cementite in steel alloy 6061

Microstructure features Basic of phase diagrams

One-component diagram
- pure phase
- solid solution
- second phase
- special structure (eutectic, peritectic etc.)
- grain boundary
- in-grain precipitate
- grain-boundary precipitate
- inclusion
- pore
- micro-crack

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 Basic of phase diagrams Basic of phase diagrams
Two components with full Two components with limited solid solubility
solid and liquid solubility and eutectic transition

A
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Basic of phase diagrams Basic of phase diagrams

Example of complicated binary phase diagram: Al-Mg Ternary phase diagram

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 Strengthening mechanisms Strengthening mechanisms
Grain size effect – Hall-Petch law
- grain size effect
- solid solution hardening
k

- precipitation hardening
- interactions of impurity atoms with dislocations
- interactions of impurity atoms with grain boundaries d
 – strength of material
d – average grain size

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Strengthening mechanisms Strengthening mechanisms

Solid solution hardening Precipitation hardening

interstitial solid solution substitutional solid solution

Foreign (“solved”) atom in the matrix lattice, being a Pair of precipitates, being an impediment for a moving
source of stresses field, causes difficulty for dislocations dislocation, causes material’s hardening
movement, and, therefore, material’s hardening

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 Strengthening mechanisms
Microstructure-sensible properties
Interactions of impurity atoms with dislocations
Cottrell atmospheres - yield strength
- ultimate strength
- elongation
- hardness
- energy of fracture
- fatigue resistance
moving dislocation
- creep resistance
carbon - dislocation pair in steel with atmosphere of impurity atoms - magnetic stiffness
- thermal and electrical conductivity
Impurity atoms, being tensed to dislocation due to its
stresses field, must move together with it as a “cloud”, and
cause difficulty to this movement and, therefore,
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material’s hardening 14

Principles of heat-treatment Principles of heat-treatment

Role of microstructure Temperature and time effect

1. Heat-treatment necessarily deals with formation of certain
microstructure with features having certain morphology.
2. Additive effect
Each microstructural feature has its own physical and
mechanical properties contributed to the properties of whole
material.
1. Heat-treatment affects material’s properties via microstructure.
2. Microstructural effect is diffusion-governed.
3. Based on the common solution of diffusion equation, diffusion
length, i.e. all diffusion-controlled processes, depend on
temperature exponentially and on time as square root.

3. Non-additive effect 4. This dictates importance of temperature and time establishing

Action of strengthening mechanisms mentioned previously. in heat-treatment.

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 Principles of heat-treatment Principles of heat-treatment
Basic microstructural events Microstructural consideration
of various types of heat-treatment
1. Grain growth and coarsening
Thermal-induced process of grain boundary moving towards center of
• Stress relieving
its curvature, accomplished with growth of larger grains on account of
smaller ones. Removing or reducing stresses in work-hardened non-age-hardenable
alloys without producing a recrystallized grain structure.
2. Recrystallization
Formation of microstructure of equiaxed grains in previously work-
hardened crystalline material, at temperature above 0.4Tm. • Annealing
3. Nucleation Producing a recrystallized grain structure and softening in work-
hardened materials.
“Birth process” of new the grains of recrystallized material as well as
of new phase
4. Precipitation • Tempering
Nucleation and growth of particles of second phase, sometimes Full or partial controlled decomposition of quenched microstructure
occurs at GB, sometimes – inside existing matrix grain. (i.e. martensite decomposition into beinite or pearlite)

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Principles of heat-treatment
Microstructural consideration
of various types of heat-treatment
• Solution
A high-temperature heat treatment designed to put age-hardening
constituents into solid solution. Normally applied to age-hardenable
materials prior to ageing treatment

• Ageing
Controlled precipitation and growth of second-phase particles from
supersaturated solid solution, obtained by solution treatment, in order
to achieve precipitation-hardening effect.

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