The iron carbon phase diagram shown in Fig 1 actually shows two diagrams i) the stable iron-graphite diagram (dashed lines) and the metastable Fe-Fe3C diagram. The stable condition usually takes a very long time to develop specially in the low temperature and low carbon range hence the metastable diagram is of more interest.
iron carbon phase diagram
Many of the basic features of this irpn carbon system also influence the behavior of alloy steels. For example, the phases available in the simple binary Fe-C system are also available in the alloy steels, but it is essential to examine the effects of the alloying elements on the formation and properties of these phases. The iron-carbon diagram provides a solid base on which to build the knowledge of both plain carbon and alloy steels.
There are some important metallurgical phases and micro constituents in thr iron carbon system. At the low-carbon end is the ferrite (?-iron) and austenite (?-iron). Ferrite can at most dissolve 0.028 wt% C at 727 deg C and austenite (?-iron) can dissolve 2.11 wt% C at 1148 deg C. At the carbon-rich side there is cementite (Fe3C).
iron carbon phase diagram
Between the single-phase fields are found regions with mixtures of two phases, such as ferrite & cementite, austenite & cementite, and ferrite & austenite. At the highest temperatures, the liquid phase field can be found and below this are the two phase fields liquid & austenite, liquid & cementite, and liquid & ferrite. In heat treating of steels, the liquid phase is always avoided. Some important boundaries at single-phase fields have been given special names that facilitate the understanding of the diagram.
Main micro-structures of iron and steels in equilibrium are
1. Austenite or ?-iron phase – Austenite is a high temperature phase and has a Face Centred Cubic (FCC) structure (which is a close packed structure). ?-iron is having good strength and toughness but it is unstable below 723 deg C.
2. Ferrite or ?-iron phase – It is relatively soft low temperature phase and is a stable equilibrium phase. Ferrite is a common constituent in steels and has a Body Centred Cubic (BCC) structure (which is less densely packed than FCC). ?-iron is soft , ductile and has low strength and good toughness.
3. Cementite – It is Fe3C or iron carbide. It is intermediate compound of Fe and C. It has a complex orthorhombic structure and is a metastable phase. It is hard, brittle and has low tensile strength, good compression strength and low toughness
4. Pearlite is the ferrite-cementite phase mixture. It has a characteristic appearance and can be treated as a micro structural entity or micro constituent. It is an aggregate of alternating ferrite and cementite lamellae that degenerates (“spheroidizes” or “coarsens”) into cementite particles dispersed with a ferrite matrix after extended holding below 723 deg C. It is a eutectoid and has BCC structure. It is a partially soluble solution of Fe and C. It has high strength and low toughness.
iron carbon phase diagram
Many of the basic features of this irpn carbon system also influence the behavior of alloy steels. For example, the phases available in the simple binary Fe-C system are also available in the alloy steels, but it is essential to examine the effects of the alloying elements on the formation and properties of these phases. The iron-carbon diagram provides a solid base on which to build the knowledge of both plain carbon and alloy steels.
There are some important metallurgical phases and micro constituents in thr iron carbon system. At the low-carbon end is the ferrite (?-iron) and austenite (?-iron). Ferrite can at most dissolve 0.028 wt% C at 727 deg C and austenite (?-iron) can dissolve 2.11 wt% C at 1148 deg C. At the carbon-rich side there is cementite (Fe3C).
iron carbon phase diagram
Between the single-phase fields are found regions with mixtures of two phases, such as ferrite & cementite, austenite & cementite, and ferrite & austenite. At the highest temperatures, the liquid phase field can be found and below this are the two phase fields liquid & austenite, liquid & cementite, and liquid & ferrite. In heat treating of steels, the liquid phase is always avoided. Some important boundaries at single-phase fields have been given special names that facilitate the understanding of the diagram.
Main micro-structures of iron and steels in equilibrium are
1. Austenite or ?-iron phase – Austenite is a high temperature phase and has a Face Centred Cubic (FCC) structure (which is a close packed structure). ?-iron is having good strength and toughness but it is unstable below 723 deg C.
2. Ferrite or ?-iron phase – It is relatively soft low temperature phase and is a stable equilibrium phase. Ferrite is a common constituent in steels and has a Body Centred Cubic (BCC) structure (which is less densely packed than FCC). ?-iron is soft , ductile and has low strength and good toughness.
3. Cementite – It is Fe3C or iron carbide. It is intermediate compound of Fe and C. It has a complex orthorhombic structure and is a metastable phase. It is hard, brittle and has low tensile strength, good compression strength and low toughness
4. Pearlite is the ferrite-cementite phase mixture. It has a characteristic appearance and can be treated as a micro structural entity or micro constituent. It is an aggregate of alternating ferrite and cementite lamellae that degenerates (“spheroidizes” or “coarsens”) into cementite particles dispersed with a ferrite matrix after extended holding below 723 deg C. It is a eutectoid and has BCC structure. It is a partially soluble solution of Fe and C. It has high strength and low toughness.
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