Engineering Material-II

Chapter One
Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

Compiled By: Abebe G.

 Iron Carbide Phase Diagram
• Iron-carbon phase diagram describes the iron-carbon system of
alloys containing up to 6.67% of carbon, discloses the phases
compositions and their transformations occurring with the alloys
during their cooling or heating.
• Carbon content 6.67% corresponds to the fixed composition of
the iron carbide Fe3C.
 Fe-Fe C Phases
Phases in Fe–Fe3C Phase Diagram
-ferrite - solid solution of C in BCC Fe
• Stable form of iron at room temperature.
• The maximum solubility of C is 0.022 wt%
• Transforms to FCC -austenite at 912 C
-austenite - solid solution of C in FCC Fe
• The maximum solubility of C is 2.14 wt %.
• Transforms to BCC -ferrite at 1395 C
• Is not stable below the eutectoid temperature (727  C) unless
cooled rapidly.
 Iron-iron Carbide phases
 -ferrite solid solution of C in BCC Fe
• The same structure as -ferrite
• Stable only at high T, above 1394 C
• Melts at 1538 C
 Fe3C (iron carbide or cementite)
• This intermetallic compound is metastable, it remains as
a compound indefinitely at room T, but decomposes
(very slowly, within several years) into -Fe and C
(graphite) at 650 - 700 C
 Iron carbon phases
• Fe-Fe3C phase diagram is characterized by five individual
phases,:
• α–ferrite (BCC) Fe-C solid solution,
• γ-austenite (FCC) Fe-C solid solution,
• δ-ferrite (BCC) Fe-C solid solution,
• Fe3C (iron carbide) or cementite - an inter-metallic
compound and liquid Fe-C solution and
• four invariant reactions: peritectic, monotectic, eutectoid, &
eutectic reactions.
 Iron iron-carbide phases

• peritectic reaction at 1495 C and 0.16%C, δ-ferrite + L↔ γ-iron

(austenite)
• Monotectic reaction 1495 C and 0.51%C, L ↔ L + γ-iron
(austenite)
• Eutectic reaction at 1147 C and 4.3 %C, L ↔ γ-iron +Fe3C
(cementite) [ledeburite]
• Eutectoid reaction at 723 C and 0.8%C, γ-iron ↔ α–ferrite
+Fe3C (cementite) [pearlite]
 Phase compositions of the iron-carbon alloys at room
temperature
 Hypoeutectoid steels (carbon content from 0 to 0.83%) consist of
primary (proeutectoid) ferrite (according to the curve A3) and pearlite.
 Eutectoid steel (carbon content 0.83%) entirely consists of pearlite.
 Hypereutectoid steels (carbon content from 0.83 to 2.06%) consist of
primary (proeutectoid) cementite (according to the curve ACM) and
pearlite.
 Cast irons (carbon content from 2.06% to 4.3%) consist of
proeutectoid cementite C2 ejected from austenite according to the
curve ACM , pearlite and transformed ledeburite (ledeburite in which
austenite transformed to pearlite)
 Mechanical properties:
 Cementite is very hard and brittle - can strengthen steels.
Mechanical properties also depend on the microstructure,
that is, how ferrite and cementite are mixed.
 Magnetic properties:
  -ferrite is magnetic below 768 C, austenite is non-
magnetic
 Development of microstructure in Fe C phases
•Microstructure depends on composition (carbon content) and heat
treatment. In the discussion below we consider slow cooling in which
equilibrium is maintained. = Microstructure of eutectoid steel (I)
 Microstructure of eutectoid steel (II)
 When alloy of eutectoid composition (0.76 wt % C) is cooled
slowly it forms perlite, a lamellar or layered structure of two
phases: -ferrite and cementite (Fe3C)
 The layers of alternating phases in pearlite are formed for the same
reason as layered structure of eutectic structures: redistribution C
atoms between ferrite (0.022 wt%) and cementite (6.7 wt%) by
atomic diffusion.
 Mechanically, pearlite has properties intermediate to soft, ductile
ferrite and hard, brittle cementite.
Microstructure of hypoeutectoid steel (III)
•Compositions to the left of eutectoid (0.022 - 0.76 wt % C)
hypoeutectoid (less than eutectoid –Greek word) alloys.    +  
 + Fe3C
 The End of Chap 1

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