Materials and Corrosion ENM233

3a Steel Composition and Properties: Phases.

M.A., C.Eng., C.Mar.Eng., F.E.I., M.I.Mar.EST.

Prepared by Owen Jenkins,

Topic Overview

In this lecture we shall be looking at steel, the iron-carbon phase diagram, and some phases of iron that we havent previously considered.

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Steel

Steel is an alloy of iron and other elements, in which iron is the single most important element by weight The other elements can be metals or nonmetals Non-metals may be solids or gases at STP Most important non-metal carbon.

Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram

The next slide shows a more detailed form of the iron-carbon phase diagram than that shown in earlier slides

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Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram

Iron Phases

Cementite. The stoichiometric Fe3C phase.

Complicated lattice Hard and brittle. Also called - ferrite.

Ferrite. The -phase with the BCC lattice.

Austenite. The -phase with the FCC lattice. Pearlite. The two phase mixture obtained right below the eutectoid point at 0.8 % C concentration Ledeburite. The two phase mixture obtained immediately below the eutectic point at 4.5 % C concentration. Martensite. A metastable form of austenite + carbon; but with a tetragonal lattice and different mechanical properties.

Hard and brittle.

Bainite. A mixture of - ferrite supersaturated with carbon and cementite, but in a non-equilibrium structure quite different from pearlite.

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Widmansttten Structure

A microstructure resulting when steels are cooled at a critical rate from extremely high temperatures. It consists of ferrite and pearlite and has a crosshatched appearance due to the ferrite having formed along certain crystallographic planes.

Widmansttten Ferrite

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Widmansttten Ferrite

Primary Widmanstatten ferrite directly grows from the austenite grain surfaces Secondary Widmansttten ferrite develops from any allotriomorphic ferrite that may be present in the microstructure Widmansttten ferrite can form at temperatures close to the Ae3 temperature and hence can occur at very low driving forces The undercooling needed amounts to a free energy change of only 50 J mol1. This is much less than required to sustain diffusionless transformation.
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Widmansttten Ferrite

Morphology of primary and secondary Widmansttten ferrite

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Widmansttten Meteorite

The light kamacite bands are bordered by darker taenite ribbons Taenite

A nickel-iron alloy with a nickel content varying from about 27% to 65% A nickel-iron alloy with up to 7.5 percent nickel.
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Kamacite

Allotropes of Iron in Three Dimensions

iron has a formula somewhere between Fe3C and Fe2C

ferrite

austenite
Cambridge University, used with permission www.msm.cam.ac.uk/phase-trans 12

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Materials and Corrosion ENM233

3a. Steel Composition and Properties: Phases.
Prepared by

OWEN S. JENKINS LTD.

4, Charlton Avenue, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, AB34 5GL, United Kingdom. Tel. +44 (0)13398 87779. Mobile phone: +44 (0)7803 296779. Email: owen@osjl.co.uk Website: www.osjl.co.uk
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