School of Engineering

Chemical Engineering
Howard College

MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION

ENCH 2 MS
NM Mkhize
Lecture 3
IRON – IRON CARBIDE SYSTEM
 Topical Outline and Suggested Readings

Lecture Reading
Topics to be covered
No P.TB./(R.TB)
Ch. 1 pg.1, 10 – pg.16;
Introduction to Materials: Structure/Properties/Performance Ch. 5 pg.147 – pg.153
1 /(Ch. 1 pg.5,14; Ch. 9
Correlations – Types of materials; Phase Equilibria: Definitions
pg.282 – pg.284)
Phase Equilibria: Phase Diagrams (Qualitative);Phase Present; Ch. 5 pg.148 – pg.182
2 Phase Composition; Phase Amount; Invariant reactions; Binary /(Ch. 9 pg.285 – pg.
289)
Eutectic Systems
Ch. 5 pg.228 – pg.241 /
3 The Iron – Carbon System /(Ch. 9 pg.285 – pg.
289)
Ch. 8 pg.252 – pg.276/
Corrosion:Introduction, Classification, Principles, Rates, Factors
/(Ch. 9 pg.285 – pg.
4 affecting Corrosion, Electrochemical aspects, Types of 289)
corrosion, Corrosion prevention, Corrosion Calculations
Ch. 8 pg.252 – pg.276/
5 Strength of Materials and Stainless steel: Types, properties and /(Ch. 9 pg.285 – pg.
applications 289)
 Lecture Outline

 Binary Eutectic Systems

 Hypoeutectic & Hypereutectic
 Equilibrium Diagrams with Intermediate
Phases
 Types of Phase Transformations
 Iron-Carbon Phase
 Computation of the Relative Amounts of
Different Phases
BINARY-EUTECTIC SYSTEMS
HYPOEUTECTIC & HYPEREUTECTIC
Equilibrium Diagrams with Intermediate Phases
Types of Phase Transformations
IRON-CARBON (Fe-C) PHASE DIAGRAM
Cooling curve for pure iron
PHASES in Fe-C SYSTEM
 Various Features of Fe-C diagram
Phases present
L
a ferrite
d BCC structure
BCC structure Ferromagnetic
Paramagnetic Fairly ductile

g austenite Fe3C cementite

FCC structure Orthorhombic
Reactions Non-magnetic Hard
ductile brittle
Peritectic L + d = g
Max. solubility of C in ferrite=0.022%
Eutectic L = g + Fe3C

Eutectoid g = a + Fe3C Max. solubility of C in austenite=2.14%

 Three Phase Reactions

 Peritectic, at 1490 deg.C, with low wt% C alloys

(almost no engineering importance).
 Eutectic, at 1130 deg.C, with 4.3wt% C, alloys
called cast irons.
 Eutectoid, at 723 deg.C with eutectoid composition
of 0.8wt% C, two-phase mixture (ferrite &
cementite). They are steels.
 How to read the Fe-C phase diagram

The diagram shows three horizontal lines which indicate

isothermal reactions (on cooling / heating):
 First horizontal line is at 1490°C, where peritectic
reaction takes place:
Liquid + d ↔ austenite
 Second horizontal line is at 1130°C, where eutectic
reaction takes place:
liquid ↔ austenite + cementite
 Third horizontal line is at 723°C, where eutectoid
reaction takes place:
austenite ↔ pearlite (mixture of ferrite &
cementite)
Delta region of Fe-Fe carbide diagram

Liquid + d ↔ austenite
Ferrite region of Fe-
Fe Carbide diagram
Iron-Carbon Alloy:Eutectoid Composition
Iron-Carbon Alloy: Hypo-eutectoid
Composition
Iron-Carbon Alloy: Hyper-eutectoid
Composition

Hyper-eutectoid compositions
 Cast Irons
-Iron-Carbon alloys of
2.11%C or more are cast
irons.
-Typical composition: 2.0-
4.0%C,0.5-3.0% Si, less
than 1.0% Mn and less
than 0.2% S.
-Si-substitutes partially for C
and promotes formation of
graphite as the carbon rich
component instead Fe3C.
 Computation of the Relative Amounts
of Different Phases in Fe-Fe3 C System
• Hypo-eutectoid co1nposition:
C'0 ;T<TE
• Phases: a-Fe and pear lite
• The fraction of pro-eutectoid a.-Fe:
W = U
~ 0.76-C� _ 0.76-C�
a T+U 0.76-0.02 0.74
• The fraction of pearlite:
T c� -0.02 c� -0.02
p =
W = T+U :::::: 0. 7 6 - 0. 02 0. 74
I X
I I
I I
I I
I I a + Fe3C
I
I
I
I
---------------1---....:• Hyp er-eutectoid composition:
I I
I
I
I
I
C\;T<TE
6.70 • Phases: Fe3 C and pearlite
0.022 c0 0.76 C'1
• The fraction of pro-eutectoid Fe3 C:
v _
' '
Composition (wt% Cl
v.r _ c 1 -0.76 _ c 1 -0.76
Fe3C - \ +X - 6.7-0.76 - 5.94
• The fraction of pearlite:
Vl 3 X 6.70-C� = 6.70-C�
Fpe C \ +X 6.7-0.76 5.94
Principal phases of steel and their Characteristics

Crystal
Phase Characteristics
structure
Ferrite BCC Soft, ductile, magnetic

Soft, moderate
Austenite FCC strength, non-
magnetic

Compound of Iron
Cementite Hard &brittle
& Carbon Fe3C
 Example 1

 Compute the mass fractions of α − 𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 and

cementite in pearlite.
 Example 2

Consider 2.5 𝑘𝑔 of austenite containing 0.65 𝑤𝑡% 𝐶,

cooled to below 727℃ .
a) What is the proeutectoid phase?
b) How many kilograms each of total ferrite and
cementite form?
c) How many kilograms each of pearlite and the
proeutectoid phase form?