Effect of Alloying Elements
Effect of Alloying Elements
ENGINEERING
MATERIALS
Steels - classification
• Steels – Alloys containing up to 2% C
• Cast Iron – 2 to 4.3% C
• Plain Carbon Steels: C is the main alloying
element
• Alloy steels: in addition to C, one or more
other metallic elements also present
• Low C steels: 0.1 to 0.3%
• Medium C steels: 0.3 to 0.6%
• High C steels: 0.6 to 1.2%
Alloy steels
• Alloy steels: Carbon steels to which 1 or
more elements are added to obtain some
positive effects
• Mn, Ni, W, Cu, B, Si, Al, Cr, Mo, V
• Leads to improvements in properties of C
steels
• Have higher hardness, strength, toughness,
corrosion and oxidation resistance
Effects of Alloying elements on
Dislocation movement
• Introduction of impurity atoms creates a pinning
point for dislocations
• An alloying element is by nature a point defect
• It creates a stress field (due to size) when
placed in to another crystallographic position
• The alloying atom may have a different elastic
modulus
• Reduce dislocation mobility; increase strength
and hardness
Effects of Alloying elements on
Polymorphic transformation
temperature
• α-γ transformation at A3 (912˚C) and γ-δ
transformation at A4 (1394˚C)
• δ –ferrite, γ-austenite, α-ferrite exist in
distinct regions of phase diagram
• Mo, Cr, W, Si, V, Ti raise the A3 temp and
lower the A4 temp…….
• Contract γ region and enlarge ferrite region
• Ni, Mn, Cu, Co has the opposite effect
• Cr, Mo, and W form very stable carbides
and favour precipitation of carbides
• In second case carbon tends to remain in
solid solution in the austenite
Effects of Alloying elements on
Strengthening of Ferrite
• Most of the alloying elements form solid
solutions with ferrite
• Increase the hardness and strength
• Ni, Al, Si, Cu have better solubility in ferrite
• The effectiveness of strengthening is low
Effects of Alloying elements on
Formation and stability of Carbides
• Alloying elements may combine with C to form Carbides
• These are hard and brittle, hence provide better hardness
and wear resistance
• Carbides of Cr and V have very high hardness and wear
resistance
• Also act to reduce grain growth
• Ni, Al, Si don’t form carbides in the presence of iron and
causes instability of iron carbide
• Ti and Niobium have very strong crbide forming
tendencies
• Cr, Mo, W, V, Mn also form carbides
• When more than one is added Complex carbides formed
Effects of Alloying elements on
Displacement of the eutectoid point
• Affects equilibrium conditions
• Change position of eutectoid point and the
positions of α and δ phase fields
• Most of the alloying elements shift
Eutectoid composition to lower C content
values
• Presence of Ni and Mn lowers the
Eutectoid temperature
Effects of Alloying elements on
Retardation of transformation temp:
• Austenite transformation temp is shifted up
or down by alloying elements
• Ni and Mn content lower Austenite
transformation temp – postpone
transformation of Austenite on slow
cooling
• Austenite stabilizers
Effects of Alloying elements on
Lowering of critical cooling rate
• Due to alloying elements TTT curve is displaced to
right side
• ie, CCR required for transformation of Martensite
is decreased and leads to better hardenability
• Makes possible to obtain a hard Martensitic
structure throughout
• Cr, Mo, Mn, Ni are more effective
• One of the most useful feature of Alloying
Effects of Alloying elements on
Improvement in
corrosion resistance
• Thin oxide layers and protection against
corrosion
• Al, Si, Cr
• Cr only when a min: 13% is added
Effects of Alloying elements on
Grain growth
• Accelerate grain growth and increase
brittleness
• Cr is the most important
• Ni, V retard grain growth
• Grain refiners
Functions of alloying elements
• Mn
• Present in all steels and functions as a deoxidiser
• It forms MnS and takes care of the negative
effects of residual S content
• 0.5-2% to increase hardness and strength
• Also improves hardenability
• Mo
• Relatively expensive
• Found in high strength structural steels
• Also added to Cr-Ni steels to improve resistance
to corrosion
• Improves hardenability and eliminates
brittleness
• 0.1-0.4%
• Forms carbides having high red hardness and
wear resistance
• Ni
• First alloy steels to be used in large engg
structures
• Increases strength and toughness of steels;
least effect on hardness
• Increase impact resistance at low temperatures
• 1-5%
• In SS above 8% is added – improve corrosion
resistance
• Cr
• Less expensive and most common
• 0.5-4%
• Forms carbides having high hardness and wear
resistance
• Increases hardenability, strength and wear resistance
• Added to tool steels, structural steels and SS
• In SS 12% or more is added
• High temp proprties and corrosion resistance are greatly
improved when added in excess of 5%
• Vanadium
• A powerful deoxidiser, strong carbide
former and prevents grain growth
• Expensive
• Increase hardenability, elastic limit, fatigue
and wear resistance
• 0.1-0.3%
• Tungsten
• Forms hard and stable carbides
• Excellent wear resistance and hardness
• 2-3% to tool steels and heat resisting
steels
• Cobalt
– Increases heat and wear resistance
– High cobalt alloy steels, known for excellent
corrosion resistance over a wide range of
temperatures
– Also increases cutting efficiency and red
hardness of tool steels
Silicon
- Added up to 0.3% as deoxidizer
- Forms SiO2 and eliminates the presence of
oxygen
- 1.5 to 2.5 %to improve strength and toughness
- Also increases magnetic permeability of steels
used for transformers and motors
• Cu
• 0.15-0.25% is normally added to improve
corrosion resistance
• Also promotes precipitation hardening thereby
higher strength and hardness
• Lead
• Up to 0.35%
• Improve machinability
• Doesn’t affect other properties like ductility,
toughness etc
• Ti
• Strongest carbide former
• Added up to 1%
• Strength and corrosion resistance improves
• Sulphur
• Up to 0.33% to increase machinability
• Higher amounts is undesirable
• Can be overcome by adding Mn
• Phosphorus
• Present as a residue
• Upto 0.12% - increase strength, hardness, corrosion
resistance and machinablity
• Higher phosphorous content may lead to cold shortness
• Al
• Most active deoxidizer
• 0.01-0.06%
• Controls grain growth – fine grained steels
• Boron
• 0.001-0.005%
• Increase hardenability
• Increases depth of hardening during
quenching
Nickel-Steels
• Most fundamental alloying element in steel
• Highly soluble in γ and ferrite phases
• Contributes to strength and toughness
• Lowers critical temperature
• Retards transformation of austenite; doesn’t form
any carbides
• Shifts the position of eutectoid point – lowers C
content of Eutectoid alloy
• Pearlite is formed at lower temp
• Have better toughness, plasticity and fatigue
resistance
• Mild effect on hardenability
Chromium steels
• Less expensive alloying element
• Forms carbides having high hardness and
wear resistance
• Cr is soluble up to 13% in γ-iron and
unlimited solubility in α-ferrite
• More than 5% - high temp properties and
corrosion resistance improved
• Plain Chromium steels – 0.7 to 1.15% Cr
and 0.15-0.65% C
• Steel containing 1%C and 2-4% Cr –
excellent magnetic properties
Nickel-Chromium steels
• Contains both Ni and Cr – with 5:2
• Increased toughness, ductility,
hardenability and wear resistance
• Combined effect on hardenability is better
Molybdenum steels
• Relatively costlier element
• Limited solubility in γ and α irons and is a
strong carbide former
• Has a good effect on hardenability and
increases high temperature hardness and
strength of steel
• Used along with Cr, Ni or both
• Ni-Cr-Mo steels have the advantages Ni-
Cr steels along with high hardenability due
to Molybdenum
• Aircraft industry
High Speed Steels
• Steels which maintain high hardness at
temperature up to 550˚C
• Can be used as cutting tools at high speeds at
which high temperatures are developed
• Presence of wear resistant carbides makes HSS
suitable
• Possesses high wear resistance, excellent red
hardness, good shock resistance, machinability
W based and Molybdenum based HSS