Introduction to Fe-C equilibrium phase

diagram

Chia-Chang Shih

Outline



Divergence among pure iron, steel
and cast iron
0.02wt% C
2wt% C
pure iron steel
cast iron
Pure iron
1. Melt point of pure iron : 1538

2. Crystalline transformation of allotrope appears twice under the equilibrium condition.

3. Three transformations on crystalline structure in pure iron from room temperature to
melting point:
a. -Fe: Which shows the crystalline structure of body centered cubic (BCC) at the
temperature raging from 1394 to 1538.
b. -Fe: Face centered cubic (FCC) is the corresponding crystalline structure while
temperature controlled at 912 -1394.
c. -Fe: Crystalline structure transformed into BCC once temperature is below 912.

Crystalline structures
(1) triclinic
(2) (3) monoclinic
(4)-(7) orthorhombic
(8)-(9) tetragonal
(10) trigonal
(11) hexagonal
(12)-(14) cubic

Comparisons between BCC and FCC
N = 2
CN = 8
APF = 0.68
Close packed planes : {110}{112}{123}
Close packed directions : <111>
Slip system : 48
N = 4
CN = 12
APF = 0.74
Close packed planes : {111}
Close packed directions : <110>
Slip system : 12

ferrite austenite
Introduction to Fe-C alloy
1. Carbon atoms tend to insert into the interstitial sites of Fe matrix to form the
interstitial solid solution
2. The solubility of carbon in -Fe is about 0.02%. -Fe reveals the ferromagnetic
under 770 and this temperature is the so-called A2.
3. The solubility of carbon in -Fe is about 2.04%.
4. Cementite, ie Fe
3
C, which shows a tendency to be formed once carbon content is
higher than the solubility in Fe matrix.
5. Ferrite and Austenite reveal the maximum interstitial space of 0.036nm and 0.053nm,
respectively.




1. Generally, we could obtain the information about phases and
microstructures in a specific alloy by an equilibrium phase
diagram.
2. All phases shown in equilibrium phase diagram can be
defined as equilibrium phases, and their transformation must
take place under a condition of extreme slow cooling speed.
What are the phases within materials?
Difference among the phases can be distinguished
through the crystalline structure and chemical
composition.

Case 1 : different crystalline structure + identical composite
ex. Low-carbon ferrite and austenite

Case 2 : different composite + same crystalline structure
ex. and phases within stainless steels

Case 3 : both composite and crystalline structure are different
ex. ferrite and cementite

Binary phase diagram
binary isomorphous system
Binary phase diagram
eutectic system : L +
Binary phase diagram
intermediate phases
intermediate solid solutions
terminal solid solutions

Binary phase diagram
Eutectoid system : +
Binary phase diagram
Peritectic system : L +
Binary phase diagram-invariant reaction
system reaction phase diagram
eutectic
L +
eutectoid
+

Peritectic
+ L

peritectoid
+
monotectic
L1 + L2


L







L
L2
L1


What can be achieved from phase diagram?
1. Corresponding composites and temperatures of the phases
under equilibrium condition.
2. Solid solubility
3. Corresponding solidification temperature of alloys under
equilibrium condition.
4. Corresponding temperature and composition ranges for
respective equilibrium phases.


The effects of composition, process and
microstructure on
mechanical properties of steels


Fe-C equilibrium phase diagram
symbol name Crystalline
structure
L liquid
-Fe

BCC

austenite FCC

ferrite
BCC

Fe
3
C cementite Orthorhombic
A1 : + Fe
3
C
A2 : ferromagnetic transitive temperature
A3 : +
Acm : + Fe
3
C




A1
Acm A3
Bao tinh
Cng tch
Cng tinh
Cementite cng tinh
A2 T768
Ko cat Austenite
Cemeitite I
Cemeitite II
Cemeitite III
0.09
%C
0.5%C
0.006
%C
0.18%C
0.02
%C
The corresponding temperature and carbon content
of each transformation point in Fe-C equilibrium
phase diagram
temperature()
Carbon
content (wt%)
description
1538 0 Melting point of pure iron
1148 4.30 Eutectic point
1148 2.0 Solubility limit of carbon in -Fe matrix
912 0 Transformation temperature of -Fe from -Fe (A3)
1495 0.09 Solubility limit of carbon in -Fe matrix
1495 0.18 Peritectic point
1394 0 Transformation temperature of -Fe from -Fe (A4)
727 0.02 Solubility limit of carbon in -Fe matrix
727 0.77 Eutectoid point
Microstructures in pure iron
ferrite austenite
Microstructures in pure iron-IF steel
Optical microscopy Scanning electron microscopy
Peritectic

L












Eutectoid reaction



Fe
3
C

1. Pearlite had transformed from austenite by
eutectoid reaction, which is one kind of lammer-
mixture structure that consists of the ferrite and
Fe
3
C.
2. Generally, corresponding temperature and carbon
content of eutectoid reaction was about
727(A1) and 0.77%, respectively.
Eutectoid structurethe formation of pearlite
Eutectoid structurethe formation of pearlite
N-W relationship: (110)
bcc
//(111)
fcc
, [001]
bcc
//[-101]
fcc
(Nishiyama-Wasserman relationship)

K-S relationship: (110)
bcc
//(111)
fcc
, [1-11]
bcc
//[0-11]
fcc
(Kurdjumov-Sachs relationship)

Coherent interface Semicoherent interface
Incoherent interface
Interface energy: CI < SI < II
Eutectoid structurethe formation of pearlite
The effect of temperature on pearlite
interlamellar spacing



** Spacing between ferrite and Fe
3
C within pearlite
structure shows an inverse proportion to T.

**T = T
eutetoid
-T
The effect of temperature on pearlite
interlamellar spacing

The effect of alloy elements on
pearlite interlamellar spacing
Ferrite stabilized elements favor the decrease of interval between ferrite and Fe
3
C
within pearlite structure.
The effects of alloy elements on eutectoid
reaction
causes : 1. ferrite stabilized elements
2. dislocation atmosphere
Proeutectoid reaction

Proeutectoid structure
Hypereutectoid reaction
Hypereutectoid structure
Eutectic

L Fe
3
C

A complex structure consists of iron and
Fe
3
C results from the emergency of eutectic reaction
can be called as Ledeburite.
Eutectic reaction appears at eutectic point with
temperature of about 1148 and carbon content of 4.3%.
Eutectic reaction
1. Liquid iron with carbon content of 4.3% will be transformed into a complex structure
which consists of -Fe and Fe
3
C at 1148 under extremely slow cooling rate.
2. -Fe comes from the eutectic reaction will be transformed into pearlite while
temperature decreasing until 727 .

L


Fe
3
C

Fe
3
C
(1148) (727)
Equilibrium cooling
Fe
3
C
Proeutectic reaction
1. -Fe solidifies firstly from liquid iron with carbon content of 2 - 4.3% in the
region of L + A .
2. When temperature decreased to 1148(mark 2), remaining liquid iron must be
transformed into Ledeburite through eutectic reaction.
3. Secondary Fe
3
C will be precipitated from -Fe.
4. All the -Fe will be transformed into pearlite by eutectoid reaction once
temperature decreasing until to 727(mark 3).


L


L

Fe
3
C
(1148) (727)
Fe
3
C


Fe
3
C
Fe
3
C

Equilibrium cooling
Hypereutectic reaction
1. Cementite (Fe
3
C) firstly solidifies in the liquid iron with carbon content of 4.3%-6.67% (region
of mark 1 to 2).
2. All the remaining liquid iron must solidify and be transferred into Ledeburite through eutectic
reaction when temperature decreasing until 1148(mark 2) under isothermal condition.
3. All the -Fe will be transformed into pearlite by eutectoid reaction once temperature decreasing
until to 727(mark 3).

L
Fe
3
C
(1148) (727)
Fe
3
C

Fe
3
C
Fe
3
C

L
Fe
3
C Fe
3
C
Equilibrium cooling