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Lecture 16

Martensite is a nonequilibrium phase formed from rapidly cooled austenitized iron-carbon alloys, resulting in a body-centered tetragonal structure with carbon as interstitial impurities. Tempering enhances the ductility and toughness of martensite through heat treatment, while various heat treatments like process annealing and normalizing are used to eliminate cold work effects and improve material properties. The document details the transformation processes and characteristics of martensite and associated heat treatments for carbon steels.

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2 views

Lecture 16

Martensite is a nonequilibrium phase formed from rapidly cooled austenitized iron-carbon alloys, resulting in a body-centered tetragonal structure with carbon as interstitial impurities. Tempering enhances the ductility and toughness of martensite through heat treatment, while various heat treatments like process annealing and normalizing are used to eliminate cold work effects and improve material properties. The document details the transformation processes and characteristics of martensite and associated heat treatments for carbon steels.

Uploaded by

joydash114112
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LECTURE 15

Martensite
• Yet another microconstituent or phase called martensite is formed when
austenitized iron–carbon alloys are rapidly cooled (or quenched)[
preventing carbon diffusion] to a relatively low temperature (in the vicinity
of the ambient).
• Martensite is a nonequilibrium single-phase structure that results from a
diffusionless transformation of austenite.
• However, large numbers of atoms experience cooperative movements, in
that there is only a slight displacement of each atom relative to its
neighbours.
• This occurs in such a way that the FCC austenite experiences a
polymorphic transformation to a body-centered tetragonal (BCT)
martensite.
• Polymorphic transformation ::Change in the atomic structure of a material
(but not in its chemical composition) to produce a different form
Martensite
• A unit cell of this crystal structure is simply a body-centered cube that
has been elongated along one of its dimensions; this structure is
distinctly different from that for BCC ferrite.
• All the carbon atoms remain as interstitial impurities in martensite; as
such, they constitute a supersaturated solid solution
• Many steels, however, retain their martensitic structure almost
indefinitely at room temperature. It is also found in phase systems for
other materials.
• This transformation is instantaneous where the martensite grains
nucleate and grow at a very rapid rate—the velocity of sound within the
austenite matrix. Thus the martensitic transformation rate, for all
practical purposes, is time independent so it is also called athermal
transformation.
• Being a nonequilibrium phase, martensite does not appear on
the iron–iron carbide phase diagram. The austenite-to-
martensite transformation, however, is represented on the
isothermal transformation diagram.
• For the continuous cooling of a steel alloy, there exists a critical
quenching rate, which represents the minimum rate of
quenching that produces a totally martensitic structure.
• In the as-quenched state, martensite, in addition to being very
hard, is so brittle that it cannot be used for most applications;
also, any internal stresses that may have been introduced during
quenching have a weakening effect.
Tempered Martensite
• The ductility and toughness of martensite may be enhanced and
the internal stresses relieved by a heat treatment known as
tempering.
• Tempering is accomplished by heating a martensitic steel to a
temperature below the eutectoid for a specified time period.
• Normally, tempering is carried out at temperatures between 250 C
and 650 °C; internal stresses, however, may be relieved at
temperatures as low as 200 ° C (1h or more).
• This tempering heat treatment allows, by diffusional processes, the
formation of tempered martensite, according to the reaction.
Simple heat treatments for carbon steels
Four simple heat treatments are commonly used for carbon steels. They are:-
• Process annealing,
• Annealing,
• Normalizing, and
• Spheroidizing

Purposes of heat treatments


1. To eliminate the effects of cold work (Process annealing),
2. To control dispersion strengthening (Annealing and Normalizing), or
3. To improve machinability (Spheroidizing).

# Dispersion strengthening is a process carried out to improve the properties


of metals by adding additional metallic material and distributing these
substances evenly in the alloy to create an alloy.
Process Anneal
• A low-temperature and recrystallization heat treatment used to
eliminate all or part of the effect (distortions) of cold working in steels
with less than about 0.25% C is called a process anneal.
• The process anneal is done 80°C to 170°C below the Eutectoid
temperature which is from 557°C to 647°C.
• The main idea is to significantly reduce or eliminate residual stresses.
• A process anneal recrystallizes cold-worked steels.
Annealing
• Annealing is a heat treatment in which a metal or alloy is heated to a
certain high temperature and held for a certain period of time, followed by
slow cooling.
• Its purpose is to produce a refined grain, to induce softness, improve
electrical and magnetic properties, and sometimes to improve
machinability.
• Annealing is a slow process that approaches equilibrium conditions and
comes closest to following the phase diagram.

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