Stages of Spheroidisation

of Carbide Phase in Carbon Steels

Contributed by
Sri V Thyagarajan
AGM/QA&Labs
21/10/2005
Stage A (I L) : Typical of the structure of a new tube, consisting
of ferrite and a very fine pearlite.
Stage A (I L): Typical structure of a new tube consisting
of ferrite and a very fine pearlite.
Stage B (II L) : The first stage of spheroidisation usually
coinciding with the appearance of small particles of carbides at the
grain boundaries.
Stage B (II L) : The first stage of carbide spheroidisation usually
coinciding with the appearance of small particles of carbide at the
grain boundaries.
Stage C (III L) : An intermediate stage of spheroidisation showing
more distinct signs of carbide spheroidisation in the pearlite areas,
but some carbide plates still evident. Increased carbide
precipitation within the ferrite grains and at the grain boundaries.
Stage C (III L) : An intermediate stage of spheroidisation showing
more distinct signs of carbide spheroidisation in the pearlite areas,
but some carbide plates evident. Increased carbide precipitation
within the ferrite grains and at the grain boundaries.
Stage D (IV L): Spheroidisation of the carbides is virtually
complete, but they are still grouped in the original pearlitic pattern
Stage D (IV L): Spheroidisation of the carbides is virtually
complete, but they are still grouped under the original pearlitic
pattern.
Stage E (VL): Spheroidisation is complete and the carbides are
dispersed leaving little trace of the original pearlite areas.
Stage E (V L): Spheroidisation is complete and the carbides are
dispersed leaving little trace of original pearlite areas.
Stage F (VI L) : There is a marked increase in the size of some of
the carbide particles, partly due to coalescence.
Stage F (VI L) : There is a marked increase in the size of some of the
carbide particles partly due to coalescence.
 Time-Temperatures for different levels of graphitisation
Graphitisation level
20%

10000 100000 1E+06 1E+07

Initiation of
graphitisation
Log time (hours)
Graphitisation level
30%
Graphitisation level
50%

320 370 420 470 520 570

Temperature deg C

Graphitisation of plain carbon steels is of concern normally at lower

temperatures of service less than about 5300 C. At higher temperatures
spheroidisation is the mode of structural degradation. The above graph is an
estimate of extent of graphitisation as a function of time and temperature,
based on literature data on the subject.
 Time for different levels of spheroidisation for C/ C Mn steels

750
Incipient spheroidisation
700
Start of dispersion
Temperature deg C

650 Complete spheroidisation

600

550

500

450

400
10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000
Log time (hours)

The above graph shows the time temperature relations between different levels of
spheroidisation, grouped to only three levels. This is an extrapolated graph of the
data from literature.
 The justification/necessity for RLA

Creep life = Constant / (Stress)4

Safety factor for average stress – 1.5
Safety factor for minimum stress - 1.25
Hence actual life = Designed life X 1.54 = approximately 5 times
designed life (if based on average stress)
Or
Actual life = Designed life X 1.254 = approximately 2.44 times
designed life (if based on minimum stress)
Hence the need for RLA, and also the need for actual measurement
of damage level.
Creep damage levels are defined based on some of the micro
structural features which show up on service. The most common of
these are listed below.
1. Carbide morphology changes, size, distribution, mean distance
between carbides (these three combined measured by
spheroidisation level), composition ,type of carbides etc. In our
case