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Austenite, Martensite, Bainite, Pearlite and Ferrite?

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What are the microstructural constituents Austenite,

Martensite, Bainite, Pearlite and Ferrite?
TWI Frequently asked questions
by Joanna Nicholas

Austenite and ferrite

Austenite was originally used to describe an iron-carbon alloy, in which the iron was in the face-centred-cubic
(gamma-iron) form. It is now a term used for all iron alloys with a basis of gamma-iron. Austenite in iron-
carbon alloys is generally only evident above 723°C, and below 1500°C, depending on carbon content.
However, it can be retained to room temperature by alloy additions such as nickel or manganese. Similarly,
ferrite was a term originally used for iron-carbon alloys, in which the iron was in the body-centred cubic
(alpha- or delta-iron) morphology, but is now used for the constituent in iron alloys, which contains iron in the
alpha- or delta-iron form. Alpha ferrite forms by the slow cooling of austenite, with the associated rejection of
carbon by diffusion. This can begin within a temperature range of 900°C to 723°C, and alpha-ferrite is evident
to room temperature. Delta ferrite is the high temperature form of iron, formed on cooling low carbon
concentrations in iron-carbon alloys from the liquid state before transforming to austenite. In highly alloyed
steels, delta ferrite can be retained to room temperature.

Austenite/delta ferrite (Courtesy IIW)

Ferrite (TWI photo no.0711)

Alpha ferrite (F) and pearlite (P) (TWI photo

no.0709)
When iron carbon alloys transform from austenite on cooling, the solubility limit of carbon in ferrite is
commonly exceeded. Under slow cooling conditions, carbides are formed, and at faster cooling rates carbon
may be trapped in solid solution.

Pearlite
Pearlite is usually formed during the slow cooling of iron alloys, and can begin at a temperature of 1150°C to
723°C, depending on the composition of the alloy. It is usually a lamellar (alternate plate) combination
offerrite and cementite (Fe3C). It is formed by eutectoid decomposition of austenite upon cooling by diffusion
of C atoms, when ferrite and cementite grow contiguously, C precipitating as Fe3C between laths of ferrite at
the advancing interface, leaving parallel laths of Fe and Fe3C which is pearlite.

Martensite (TWI photo no.0717)

Martensite
Martensite is formed in steels when the cooling rate from austenite is sufficiently fast. It is a very hard
constituent, due to the carbon which is trapped in solid solution. Unlike decomposition to ferrite and pearlite,
the transformation to martensite does not involve atom diffusion, but rather occurs by a sudden diffusion less
shear process. The term is not limited to steels, but can be applied to any constituent formed by a shear
process which does not involve atom diffusion or composition change. The martensite transformation normally
occurs in a temperature range that can be defined precisely for a given steel. The transformation begins at a
martensite start temperature (Ms), and continues during further cooling until the martensite finish
temperature (Mf) is reached. Ms can occur over a wide range, from 500°C to below room temperature,
depending on the hardenability of the steel. The range Ms to Mf is typically of the order of 150°C. Many
formulae have been proposed to predict the martensite start temperature. Most are based on the composition
of the steel, and a selection are listed in the following table:

Proposer's name Formula

Savage (1942) Ms (°C) = 500 - 300C - 35Mn - 20Cr - 15Ni - 10Si - 10Mo

Grange and Steward Ms (°C) = 538 - 341C - 39Mn - 39Cr - 19Ni - 28Mo
(1946)
Steven and Haynes (1956) Ms (°C) = 561 - 474C - 33Mn - 17Cr - 17Ni - 21Mo

Andrews I (1965) Ms (°C) = 539 - 423C - 30.4Mn - 12.1Cr - 17.7Ni - 7.5Mo

Andrews II (1965) Ms (°C) = 512 - 453C +217C2 - 16.9Ni +15Cr - 9.5Mo - 71.5CMn - 67.7CCr
Beres and Beres (1993) For 0.03<C<0.35,
Ms (°C) = 454 - 210C + 4.2/C - XNi -YMn - ZCr(eq) - 21Cu

Where X, Y, Z are factors that change with the appropriate elemental

composition

Cr(eq) = Cr + Mo + 1.5Si + W + V + Al

[1]
Beres and Beres stated that their formulae were within 40°C of the actual Ms , in all cases studied, whereas
other formulae had larger scatter bands. More recently, Ms models have been developed through the use of
neural networks, trained on experimental data and using further data to validate and test the model, a
reasonable approximation of Ms can be identified. Such models are available on the web [2] and can be used
with compositional information. Neural networks based on the relationship between the chemical composition,
transformation temperature and kinetics during continuous cooling enable calculation of a CCT diagram for the
steel. These given also take into account the influence of alloying elements on the phase transformation
curves, as well as the resulting hardness. It is also possible to predict quantitatively the microstructure of the
steele.g. %ferrite, pearlite, bainite etc. [3]

Models combining the kinetics of martensitic transformation with mechanics, in view of microstructural
development are also applicable. Finite element analysis enables evaluation of the local stress and strain fields
as well as monitoring the kinetics of martensitic transformation and develop an understanding of critical
parameters such as effect of austenite grain size on the resulting martensitic microstructure. [4]

In-situ experimental studies based on synchrotron radiation can also result in valuable data to support
computer models, as real time study of such diffusion less phase transformations will be crucial to broaden
the understanding of microstructural development and related structure-property relationships. [5]

Bainite
Bainite is formed at cooling rates slower than that for martensite formation and faster than that for ferrite and
pearlite formation. There are two forms of bainite, known as upper and lower bainite.

Upper bainite (TWI photo no.B1d21)

Lower bainite (TWI photo no.B1d7)

Upper bainite generally forms at temperatures between 550 and 400°C. There are several proposed formation
mechanisms, based on the carbon content and transformation temperature of the steel, resulting in slightly
different morphologies. Low carbon steels exhibit fine bainitic laths, nucleated by a shear mechanism at the
austenite grain boundaries. Carbon solubility in bainitic ferrite is much lower than in austenite, so carbon is
rejected into the austenite surrounding the bainitic ferrite laths. When the carbon concentration in the
austenite is high enough, cementite nucleates as discrete particles or discontinuous stringers at the
ferrite/austenite interfaces. As the carbon content increases, the cementite filaments become more
continuous, and at high carbon contents, the bainitic ferrite laths are finer with the cementite stringers more
numerous and more continuous. The structure can appear more like pearlite, and is termed 'feathery' bainite.

Lower bainite generally forms at temperatures between 400 and 250°C, although the precise changeover
temperature between upper and lower bainite depends on the carbon content of the steel. The transformation
nucleates, like upper bainite, by partial shear. The lower temperature of this transformation does not allow
the diffusion of carbon to occur so readily, so iron carbides are formed at approximately 50-60° to the
longitudinal axis of the main lath, contiguously with the bainitic ferrite. With low levels of carbon, the carbide
may precipitate as discrete particles, following the path of the ferrite/austenite interface. However, the overall
mechanism of lower bainite formation is independent of carbon content in the main. The appearance of lower
bainite strongly resembles that of martensite, but lower bainite is formed by a mixture of shear and diffusional
processes rather than just shear.
 References
1. Beres L and Beres Z: 'Neue Beziehung zur Bestimmung der Martensitbildungstemperatur der Stahle',
Schweisstechnik (Wien), 47 (12), December 1993, pp186-188
2. Sourmail T and Garcia-Mateo C: 'A model for predicting the Ms temperatures of steels' Computational
Materials Science Volume 34, Issue 2, September 2005. pp213-218.
3. L A Dobrzanski & J Trzaska: 'Application of neural networks to forecasting the CCT diagrams', Journal
of Materials Processing Technology, Vol. 157-158, 2004, pp 107-113.
4. G Reisner, E A Werner and F D Fischer: 'Micromechanical modelling of martensitic transformation in
random microstructures', Int. Journal of Solids & Structures, Vol. 35, Issue 19, 1998, pp. 2457-2473.
5. R G Thiessen et al: 'Phase field modelling and synchrotron validation of phase transformations in
martensitic dual phase steel', Acta Materialia, Vol.55, Issue 2, 2007, pp 601-614.

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