Microstructure of Carbon- and

Low-Alloy Steels
George Vander Voort
Director, Research and Technology
Buehler Ltd.
Lake Bluff, IL 60044 USA

Microstructure of wrought iron (Fe 0.07% C 0.06% Mn 0.2% Si - 0.16% P 0.02% S) etched with 2% nital revealing slag
stringers and ferrite (alpha) grains and grain boundaries. Original at 500X.

Electrical iron (<0.02% C) etched with 2% nital revealing a ferrite grain structure.

Surface of electrical steel specimen showing large sub-surface ferrite grains. Tint etched with Klemms I. The grain orientations are
random (note the random distribution of colored ferrite grains). Original at 100X. Viewed with crossed polars + sensitive tint.

4% Picral

2% Nital

Low-carbon sheet steel (Fe 0.05% C 0.08% Mn 0.20% Si) etched with picral and nital. Picral reveals the fine cementite
particles and patches of pearlite. Nital reveals the ferrite grain boundaries and the pearlite patches, but the fine cementite
particles are hard to see, especially if the are at grain boundaries. Originals at 500X.

4% Picral

2% Nital

Low-carbon sheet steel etched with picral and nital. Picral reveals the fine cementite particles and patches of pearlite. Nital reveals the ferrit grain
boundaries and the pearlite patches, but the fine cementite particles are hard to see, especially if the are at grain boundaries. Originals at 500X.

4% Picral

2% Nital

Microstructure of hot-rolled Fe 0.11% C 0.85% Mn 0.21% Si etched with picral and nital. Picral reveals the cementite and pearlite, but
not the ferrite grain boundaries. Nital reveals the ferrite grain boundaries and the pearlite, but the fine cementite particles are difficult to see.
Originals at 500X.

As-rolled high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steel strengthened with Nb revealing a duplex ferrite grain size distribution. Microstructure is
ferrite and pearlite. Specimen etched sequentially with 4% picral and 2% nital. Originals at 200X (left) and 500X (right).

4% Picral

2% Nital

Microstructure of hot-rolled Fe 0.16% C 1.26% Mn 0.22% Si 0.15% Cr etched with picral and nital. Picral reveals the cementite and
pearlite, but not the ferrite grain boundaries. Nital reveals the ferrite grain boundaries and the pearlite, but the fine cementite particles are
difficult to see. Originals at 500X.

Microstructure of hot-rolled X42 line-pipe steel etched sequentially with 4% picral and 2% nital revealing a severely banded (layered)
structure of ferrite and pearlite. The hot working axis is horizontal. Originals at 100X (left) and 500X (right). The arrow (right image)
points to a highly elongated MnS (manganese sulfide) inclusion.

Microstructure of hot-rolled ASTM A572 plate steel steel etched sequentially with 4% picral and 2% nital revealing a weakly banded
(layered) structure of ferrite and pearlite. The hot working axis is horizontal. Originals at 200X (left) and 500X (right).

Microstructure of hot-rolled ASTM A588 plate steel steel etched sequentially with 4% picral and 2% nital revealing a moderately banded
(layered) structure of ferrite and pearlite. The hot working axis is horizontal. Originals at 200X (left) and 500X (right).

4% Picral

2% Nital

Microstructure of hot-rolled Fe 0.23% C 0.85% Mn 0.22% Si revealing a moderately banded structure of ferrite and pearlite. Originals
at 500X. The hot working axis is horizontal. The arrow (right picture) points to a large MnS inclusion. Note that it is quite malleable and
has been highly elongated by hot rolling.

4% Picral

2% Nital

Microstructure of hot-rolled Fe 0.31% C 0.84% Mn 0.29% Si steel revealing a banded ferrite-pearlite structure (hot rolling direction is
horizontal). The arrows point to some of the highly elongated MnS inclusions. Originals at 500X.

As-Rolled 1040 Carbon steel (Fe 0.4% C 0.75% Mn) etched sequentially with 4% picral and 2% nital revealing a fine structure of
approximately half ferrite and half pearlite. Originals at 200X (left) and 500X (right). The fine grain size is due to proper control of the
finishing temperature (temperature of bars at the last mill stand).

Normalized (871 C, 1600 F for 1 hour, air cool) 1040 carbon steel (Fe 0.4% C 0.75% Mn) etched sequentially with 4% picral and
2% nital revealing a fine structure of approximately half ferrite and half pearlite. Originals at 200X (left) and 500X (right). The structure
is slightly finer than the as-rolled structure.

4% Picral

2% Nital

Microstructure of annealed 1040 carbon steel (0.40% C 0.68% Mn 0.12% Si) revealing ferrite and pearlite. Originals are at 1000X.

4% Picral

2% Nital

Microstructure of hot-rolled Fe 0.68% C 0.84% Mn 0.33% Si revealing a nearly fully pearlitic structure. Originals at 1000X.

Microstructure of hot-rolled eutectoid Fe 0.80% C 0.21% Mn 0.22% Si revealing a pearlitic structure where some of the
lamellae are resolvable at the original magnification of 1000X. Etched with 2% nital.

Fine pearlitic structure in normalized (780 C, 1436 F 1 h, air cool) 1080 steel (Fe 0.8% C 0.75% Mn) etched with 4% picral.
Some of the lamellae are resolvable. Original at 1000X.

Coarse pearlitic structure, with some spheroidization of the cementite, in slow cooled (780 C, 1436 F 1 h, furnace cool) 1080
steel (Fe 0.8% C 0.75% Mn) etched with 4% picral. All of the cementite particles are resolvable. Original at 1000X.

Coarse pearlitic structure in isothermally annealed (780 C, 1436 F 1 h, isothermally transformed) 1080 steel (Fe 0.8% C 0.75%
Mn) etched with 4% picral. All of the lamellae are resolvable. Original at 1000X.

Microstructure of as-rolled Fe 1% C binary alloy tint etched with Berahas sodium molybdate reagent to color cementite. The
arrow points of proeutectoid cementite that precipitated on a prior-austenite grain boundary before the eutectoid reaction (austenite
forms ferrite and cementite in the form of lamellar pearlite). Magnification bar is 10 m long.

Microstructure of spheroidize annealed W1 water-hardening tool steel tint etched with Berahas sodium molybdate reagent which
colors the cementite. Note that the ferrite was also colored, in this case. Spheroidization of the cementite lowers the hardness and
makes the steel more ductile for cold forming and easier to machine. Magnification bar is 5 m long.

Annealed Fe 1.15% C steel with a coarse lamellar pearlite microstructure and some large globular cementite particles. Heat treatment
was: 800 C (1472 F) 1 h, furnace cool. Etched with 4% picral. Original at 1000X. Black spots are inclusions.

4% Picral

2% Nital

Microstructure of as-rolled Fe 1.31% C 0.35% Mn 0.25% Si high-carbon water hardenable tool steel. Note the Widmansttten
intragranular cementite that precipitated as pro-eutectoid cementite before the eutectoid reaction. Originals at 1000X.