MME 291: Lecture 07

Iron Iron Carbide

Phase Diagram

Prof. A.K.M.B. Rashid

Department of MME
BUET, Dhaka

Todays Topics

The iron carbon p

phase diagram
g

Details of iron iron carbide phase diagram

Classification of iron carbon alloys

Reference:
1.

SH Avner. Introduction to physical metallurgy, 2nd Ed., Ch. 7.

Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 02

Allotropic Transformation of Pure Iron

Temperature, C
C

Liquid
1535
1535

(delta) iron (BCC)

1401

(gamma) iron (FCC)

nonmagnetic
910

(alpha) iron (BCC)

nonmagnetic

768

(alpha) iron (BCC)

magnetic

Time
Cooling Curve of Pure Iron
Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 03

Iron Carbon Phase Diagram

Iron Carbide, Fe3C
Temperature, C
T

z An interstitial compound, containing 6.67

wt.% carbon.
z The compound dissociates into iron and
carbon, if given the opportunity:
Fe3C = Fe + 3C

z Fe3C is a metastable compound, because

such decomposition takes a very long time
at room temperature.
6.67

Iron
Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

z Because of the presence of Fe3C, this

diagran is not a true equilibrium diagram.

Fe3C
wt. % carbon
MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

Carbon
P 04

Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

Temperature, C
T

1535

1492

1401
1130

910

723

Fe

Fe3C

wt. % carbon

Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 05

Temperature, C
T

0.10

0.50

0.18

2.0

0.025

4.3

0.80

0.008

Fe

Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

6.67

wt. % carbon

Fe3C

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 06

Temperature, C
T

Delta () iron

Liquid

Austenite ( )

Ferrite ()

Fe

Cemenite

Fe3C

wt. % carbon

Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 07

Temperature, C
T

austenite + L

L + cementite

austenite
austenite
+ ferrite

austenite + cementite

ferrite

cemenite
ferrite + cementite

Fe
Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

wt. % carbon

Fe3C

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 08

The Invariant Reactions

-iron + L
Peritectic
Point

Te
emperature, C

austenite

The Peritectic Reaction @ 1492 C

Delta-iron 0.10%C +

Fe

Liquid 0.50%C

wt. % carbon

Austenite 0.18%C

Fe3C

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

Te
emperature, C

Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

cooling
heating

liquid

P 09

Eutectic
E
t ti
Point

austenite + cementite

The Eutectic Reaction @ 1130 C

Liquid 4.3%C

Fe

cooling
heating

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( Austenite 2.0%C + Cementite 6.67%C )

Ledeburite (an eutectic mixture)

Fe3C
wt. % carbon

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 10

Temperature, C
T

austenite

Eutectoid
Point

ferrite + cementite

The Eutectoid Reaction @ 723 C

cooling

Austenite
Fe
0.8%C

Ferrite 0.025%C + Cementite

)
Fe36.67%C
C
wt. % (carbon

heating

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Pearlite (an eutectoid mixture)

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 11

The Major Phases

Temperature, C
T

delta iron

liquid

cemen
nite

pearllite

ferrite

ledeburite

austenite

Fe
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wt. % carbon

Fe3C

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 12

Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

Temperature, C
T

austenite + liquid

liquid
liquid +
cementite

austenite
austenite
+ ferrite

ferrite +
pearlite

pearlite + cementite

Fe

Fe3C

wt. % carbon

Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

cem
menite

pe
earlite

ferrite

austenite + cementite

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 13

Ferrite ()

ledeburite

Temperature, C
T

Characteristics of Major Phases

z An interstitial solid solution of carbon dissolved in BCC -iron.

z Carbon solubility 0.025 wt.% max. at 723 C, 0.008 wt.% min.
at 0 C.
ferrite

z The softest structure that appears on the iron iron carbide

diagram
diagram.
z Average properties: 40,000 psi TS, 40 % elong. in 2 inch,
< RC 0 or < RB 90 hardness.

Fe
Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

wt. % carbon

Fe3C

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 14

Austenite ()
Temperature, C
T

z An interstitial solid solution of carbon

dissolved in FCC -iron.
-iron

z Not stable at room temperature; can be

made stable under certain conditions.
z Average properties: 150,000 psi TS, 10 %
elong. in 2 inch, RC 40 hardness, high
toughness.

Fe
Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

wt. % carbon

Fe3C

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 15

Cementite (Fe3C)
z An interstitial intermetallic compound of iron carbide
with an orthorhombic structure.
z Its chemical formula is Fe3C and contains 6.67 wt.%
carbon.
z The hardest and brittle structure that appears on the
iron iron carbide diagram.
diagram
z Average properties: 5,000 psi TS, high compressive
strength.

Fe
Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

wt. % carbon

cemen
nite

Temperature, C
T

z Carbon solubility 2.00 wt.% max. at 1130

C, 0.80 wt.% min. at 723 C.

austenite

Fe3C

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 16

Pearlite
z Formed from austenite that contains 0.80 wt.% carbon during slow cooling at
723 C.
z Average properties: 120,000 psi TS, 20 % elong. in 2 inch, RC 20 hardness.

pearllite

Temperature, C
T

z The eutectoid mixture of fine plate-like lamellar mixture of ferrite and cementite.

Fe

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 17

ledeburite

Temperature, C
T

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Fe3C

wt. % carbon

Ledeburite
z The eutectic mixture of austenite and cementite.
z Formed from liquid that contains 4.30 wt.% carbon during slow cooling at 1130 C.
z Not stable below 723 C, where austenite of ladeburite transformed into pearlite.

Fe The structure is then called

wt. transformed
% carbon
ladeburite.
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Fe3C

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 18

Carbon Solubility in Iron

Austenite

Ferrite

z FCC structure
z 4 iron atoms/unit cell
z Dense atomic packing (74 %)

z BCC structure
z 2 iron atoms/unit cell
z Loose atomic packing (68 %)

Iron expands when changes from austenite to ferrite during cooling.

Why does austenite absorb more carbon than ferrite ?

Radius of an average carbon atom is 0.70 (x10-8) cm.
Radius of maximum void in FCC austenite is 0.52 (x10-8) cm, while
that in BCC ferrite is 0.36 (x10-8) cm.
The distortion of ferrite lattice by carbon atom is much greater than
in case of austenite.
Austenite has a greater solubility of C atoms than ferrite
Rashid, DMME, BUET, 2011

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 19

Temperature, C

Classification of Iron Carbon Alloys

liquid

Steels are Fe-C alloys

that pass through austenite
zone during cooling
austenite

eutectic

eutectoid
ferrite
pearlite + cementite

ferrite +
pearlite
0.8
hypo eutectoid
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4.3

2.0

STEELS
hyper eutectoid

CAST IRONS
hypo eutectic

hyper eutectic

MME 291, Lec 07: Iron Iron Carbide Phase Diagram

P 20

Next Class
MME 291: Lecture 08

Development of
Structure in Steels