Materials Science and Engineering

Fall 2024

Worksheet 06
The Microstructure of Alloys and
the Isomorphous Phase Diagrams
Describe the phases present as a function of composition and
temperature in isomorphous binary alloys.

After analyzing the structure of materials, starting with individual atoms and progressing to two or
three atoms, and then to larger groups forming crystals with various defects, we now turn our
attention to much larger assemblies of atoms at the micrometer scale—known as microstructure. At
this scale, real materials typically consist of several portions or constituents referred to as phases. It is
essential to identify and quantitatively analyze the phases present as a function of temperature and
composition under equilibrium conditions. To achieve this, you will learn to interpret and utilize
information derived from unary, binary, and eventually ternary phase diagrams.
First, it is crucial to understand the concept of a phase and recognize that even pure materials can
exist in different phases. In binary systems, we may observe unlimited solubility in the solid state,
leading to isomorphous phase diagrams. Phase transformations can occur at constant temperature or
during processes of cooling or heating. You will be equipped to describe, both qualitatively and
quantitatively, the changes that occur in the microstructure when a material is heated or cooled during
its fabrication or application. This knowledge will also enable you to deduce how a specific material
was processed or utilized by analyzing its structure under a microscope.
A key concept in this context is the lever rule, which is of paramount importance for understanding
phase distributions. Additionally, you are expected to gain foundational knowledge in thermal analysis
through the examination and interpretation of cooling (or heating) curves. One significant concept you
will need to master is that of solid solution.

Please use blue color to type your answers.

You can open spaces as needed.

UANL-FIME
M. Hinojosa
 Materials Science and Engineering
Fall 2024

Name:Adrian Martinez Hernandez

date:1st march ,2025

1.- Write down a paragraph in English, using your own words, about what you have
learned in the videos proposed for this week:
In the videos the phase diagrams were explained as a tool to analyze (in this case) how the alloys
change of states of matter. We can say that these phase diagrams are used for thermal analysis. These
tools are very important because they let us know a lot of information of our alloy. They can reveal the
liquidus and solidus temperatures of an alloy and how it will vary in the different proportions of metals
used. We can also learn the amount of liquid and solid at a given temperature and even the proportions
of the metals in the alloy at either the solid or the liquid state. This shows us that the thermal
characteristics of the metals in an alloy can give up a lot of information about its composition and how
the metal crystalizes.

2.- When studying equilibrium phase diagrams, what must we understand when using the term
‘equilibrium’?
Equilibrium in this sense is a point in which a material is maintains a so called “isothermal temperature”
when transitioning from a state of mater to another so is a point where a material is in some part in a
state of matter and in some part in a different state.

3.- Draw the unary phase diagram for pure H20 at atmospheric pressure and for a temperature range of
-20 °C to 120 °C (do not copy-paste, sketch it yourself, please).

UANL-FIME
M. Hinojosa
 Materials Science and Engineering
Fall 2024

4.- Consider the following cooling curve for the solidification of a pure metal and the resulting
microstructure:

Sketch, for the same metal, the cooling curves corresponding to (a) a higher cooling rate and (b) a
lower cooling rate. (c) Sketch the expected microstructure for each case.

Higher cooling rate Lower cooling rate

Cooling curve (remember to label the axes). Cooling curve

Expected microstructure Expected microstructure

d) If d is the grain size and R is the cooling rate, which of these expressions is correct? (circle it):
𝑑 ∝𝑅 or 𝑑 ∝ 1/𝑅

UANL-FIME
M. Hinojosa
 Materials Science and Engineering
Fall 2024

Calculate the chemical composition in weight % for Copper-Nickuel alloys prepared by melting:
(a) 1 kg of copper and 1 kg of nickel.
50% Cu- 50% Ni alloy
100% 1kg +1kg =2kg
50% of 2kg is 1kg

(b) 1kg of copper and 0.5 kg of nickel

66.6% Cu -33.3% Ni
Total 100% =1kg Cu + 0.5 kg Ni = 1.5kg
2
1kg Cu => % = 66.6%
3
1
0.5kg Ni => % = 33.3%
3

(c) 900 g of copper and 700 g of nickel

56.25% Cu -43.75% Ni
Total 100%= 900g Cu + 700g Ni= 1.6 kg
0.9 𝑘𝑔 𝐶𝑢
(100) = 56.25% 𝐶𝑢
1.6 𝑘𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙
0.7 𝑘𝑔 𝑁𝑖
(100) = 43.75% 𝑁𝑖
1.6 𝑘𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙

(d) One mole of copper and one mole of nickel.

51.985% Cu -48.0152% Ni
Molar mass of Cu: 63.546 g/mol
Molar mass of Ni: 58.6934 g/mol
Total 100%= 63.546g + 58.6934 g=122.239 g
63.546𝑔 𝐶𝑢
(100) = 51.985% 𝐶𝑢
122.239 𝑔

58.6934 𝑔 𝑁𝑖
(100) = 48.0152% 𝑁𝑖
122.239 𝑔

UANL-FIME
M. Hinojosa
 Materials Science and Engineering
Fall 2024

5.- Locate – with a vertical line-, in the provided Cu-Ni phase diagram, the following solid-solution
alloys:
(a) Copper alloy with 20 % Ni, (b) Cu-30% Ni (c) Nickel alloy with 10% Cu (d) 50% Cu- 50% Ni alloy.

Atomic radius Copper: 1.28 Å Atomic radius of Nickel:1.24 Å

Crystal structure of copper: FCC Crystal structure of nickel: FCC

UANL-FIME
M. Hinojosa
 Materials Science and Engineering
Fall 2024

6.- Fill in the following table

Alloy Solidus temperature Liquidus temperature
Copper alloy with 20 % Ni 1155 °c 1200 °c
Cu-30% Ni 1190 °c 1250 °c
Nickel alloy with 10% Cu 1425 °c 1430 °c
50% Cu- 50%Ni alloy. 1250 °c 1300 °vc

7.- Write down the lever rule:

The lever rule states that in a specific alloy in a specific temperature (the intersection of a given
temperature and a given ratio of the components in the mixture in an isomorphous phase diagram), the
distances to the solidus and liquidus of this intersection show the ratio between solids and liquids in
the alloy, the distance from the intersection (specific alloy) to the solidus line divided by the total
distance from solidus to liquidus line in the specific temperature times 100 will compute the
percentage of liquid in the alloy and if we check the percentage of the components at this intersection
to the solidus line we have the percentages of each component of the liquid phase. Now if we divide
the distance from the intersection to the liquidus line by the total distance from solidus to liquidus line
times 100 we will have the percentage of solids in the alloy and the percentages of each component at
the intersection with the liquidus line will show be the percentages of the components of the solid
alloy.

8.- Use you own words to briefly explain the lever rule:
The fraction of a phase is proportional to the distance on the tie line "opposite" to that phase in a given
mixture and temperature. And the intersection with this opposite tie line intersection with the solidus
or liquidus line and the weight percentage show the weight percentage of the components in that
phase.

9.- Consider a Cu- 40% Ni alloy that is maintained at 1250 °C, give:
(a) The number of phases: 2
(b) the quantity of solid phase (you must use the lever rule, include your calculation)
From the intersection of our alloy to the liquidus line the distance is from 30% to 40% so we have 10
Now from the distance from the intersection to the solidus line we have from 40% to 45% so we have 5
The total difference of percentages is 10+5= 15
Now we will find the percentage of solids dividing the distance from the intersection to the liquidus by
the total x 100
10
× 100 = 66.66% 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑 𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒
15

UANL-FIME
M. Hinojosa
 Materials Science and Engineering
Fall 2024

(c) the Ni content of the solid phase:

At the given temperature and ratio of metals the liquidus line intersects with our 1250 °c temperature
The percentages of our components is at 30% Ni and 70% Cu
So in our solid phase there is 30% Ni at 1250 °c
(d) the quantity of liquid phase (include your calculation):
If the solid phase is 66.66% then what is left will be the liquid phase
The liquid phase is 100%-66.66%
𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒 % = 33.33%
(e) the Ni content of the liquid phase:
The Solidus line at 1250° c lands at 45% so there is 45% of Ni in the liquid phase.

10.- Analyze the two light micrographs shown in the following figure. Indicate (guess) the number of
phases in each one.

i) Number of phases: ______ ii) Number of phases: _______

One of the previous microstructures corresponds to a binary Cu-Ni alloy (this information helps you
deduce the number of phases that must be present, considering the previous exercises).

11.- Why do jewelers add small amounts of copper to gold and silver? (Please use your own words, do
not copy paste).
Because these substitutional alloys have obstacles from the difference in atom size that prevent
defects like slips to occur which in turn give the alloy extra hardness for resistance to wear (in terms of
a qualitative view of strength) necessary for expensive accessories that you want them to last.

UANL-FIME
M. Hinojosa
 Materials Science and Engineering
Fall 2024

12.- (a) How many grams of nickel must be added to 500 grams of copper to produce an alloy that has a
liquidus temperature of 1350°C? (First find the corresponding composition and indicate -with a vertical
line- the location of the alloy in the phase diagram, then proceed with the calculation)
We would need a 60% Ni-40% Cu alloy so 750 g must be added

500𝑔 𝐶𝑢 = 40%
? 𝑔 𝑁𝑖 = 60%
500𝑔 𝐶𝑢+ ? 𝑔 𝑁𝑖 = 100%
(100%)
500𝑔 = 1250 𝑔 𝑖𝑠 100%
40%
1250𝑔 (0.40) = 750
40% 𝑜𝑓 1250 𝑔 = 750 𝑔

(b) What is the ratio of the number of nickel atoms to copper atoms in this alloy?

If in this alloy there is 60% Ni-40% Cu

And the atomic weights of each are:

Ni=58.69 g/mol
Cu=63.55 g/mol

We multiply their weight fractions in the alloy by the atomic mass and divide the Nickel product by the
copper.
(750 𝑔)
𝑔
(58.69 𝑁𝑖 ) 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑁𝑖
𝑚𝑜𝑙 = = 1.62
(500 𝑔) 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐶𝑢
𝑔
(63.55 𝑁𝑖)
𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 1.62 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑁𝑖 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑦

UANL-FIME
M. Hinojosa
 Materials Science and Engineering
Fall 2024

13.- Based on the cooling curves shown in the figure for several Mo-V alloys, construct the Mo-V phase
diagram.

UANL-FIME
M. Hinojosa
 Materials Science and Engineering
Fall 2024

14.- (a) What is the atomic percentage of oxygen in water?

In 𝐻2 0 there is 2 hydrogen atoms for each oxygen atom.

1 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑜𝑥𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑛
= 0.3333 => 33.33% 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑥𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
3 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑒
33.33% 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑥𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

(b) What is the weight percentage of oxygen?

Atomic mass H =1 g/mol
Atomic mass O= 16 g/mol

Molecular mass of 𝐻2 0 would be

𝑔 𝑔 𝑔
2 (1 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐻𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑛) + (16 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑥𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑛) = 18
𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑔
(16 )
𝑚𝑜𝑙 × 100 = 88.88%
𝑔
(18 )
𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑥𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 88.88%

(c) Are they different or not? Why?

Yes, because there are more atoms of Hydrogen but the oxygen atoms are much heavier.That’s why
the atomic percentage is less than the weight percentage.

UANL-FIME
M. Hinojosa