Phase Diagrams

Chapter 4
So far….

We have concentrated on the plastic

deformation of a pure metal.
We have looked at strengthening
approaches (cold work) that do not require
that we change the composition of the
metal.
In this lecture we start to examine
alloying, and see why alloys are stronger
than pure metals
Why Alloys?

The existence of two or more phases

can strengthen a material
Usually pure metals are soft
materials
Alloying element – present in smaller
amounts (most steels contain less
than 1% of carbon)
Let’s Start with a basic
question.. What is a phase?
Homogeneous in crystal structure and
atomic arrangement
Same physical and chemical
properties
A definite interface with its
surroundings
Mechanically separable
 Solution and Solubility

Example: Solubility of salt in water

There exists a maximum amount of salt that
can be completely dissolved in water; excess
of salt stays as solid. This maximum amount
is the solubility of salt in water. The solution
containing the maximum concentration of salt
is a saturated solution.

Cooling of saturated solution results in the

formation of solid salt from the solution,
indicating that solubility decreases with Solid salt – the Salty water –
decreasing T. This process is called precipitate the solution
precipitation and the solid formed is a
precipitate. Heating the solution will lead to
the dissolving of the precipitate back into
solution.
 The same concepts apply to solids: solid
solution, saturation, solubility, precipitation

In this example there exist two phases

in the system and the two phases
stay in equilibrium:
dissolving
Solution Solid
precipitation
For example

A glass of ice water has two phases

Solid water phase
Liquid water phase
A mixture of salt and pepper has two
phases
Solid salt
Solid pepper
Solid, Liquid or Gas?

We usually think of matter as having

3 phases, but..
It’s possible to have more than one
solid phase.
For example
when iron first freezes it is BCC
As it cools it changes to FCC
Upon further cooling it changes to BCC
Forms in which Alloys Exist:

Solid solutions
Compounds
Mixtures (e.g. bird feed)
Intermetallic Compounds

Often alloying elements form with

the host intermetallic compounds –
metals that are chemically bonded to
each other
They are hard and brittle
Give the alloy strength, wear
resistance and hardness
Solid Solutions

Solubility of one metal in another

occurs at the atom-lattice level
Can be substitutional or interstitital
Substitutional Solid Solution

Solute atoms displace the host atoms

Substitutional Solid Solution

Possible only if the atoms have close

atomic diameters
Interstitial Solid Solution

Solute atoms are located between the atoms

of the host metal. Usually they are BONCH
Guidelines

Host metal should be soft to provide

ductility
Alloying metal should be hard to
provide strength – more precipitate
results in higher strength
Precipitate should be discontinuous
Guidelines

Smaller, more numerous precipitate

particles give higher strength
because they interfere with slip
Round particles are better than sharp
particles – Sharp particles can
initiate a crack
Type 1 solid solution alloys

Completely soluble in each other in

solid and liquid states
Difference in the atoms sizes should
be less that 15%
Similar chemical properties
Similar crystal lattice
Phase Diagram

A visualization technique to help you see where

different phases exist, based on “state variables”

Pressure Liquid

Solid
Gas

Temperature
Mapping for a temperature-composition
equilibrium phase diagram
Cooling Curve of Pure Metal

Freezing takes place

at a constant
temperature, during
freezing the latent
heat of solidification
is given off.
 Cooling curves –determination of
phase diagrams
II
1455C

T
1085C Liquid Liquidus

(thermal arrest) T1
Solidus
T L+S
T2
Solid
I
T1 1085C
T II I III
T2

Cu % Ni

t
 liquid phase - 1455C
The simplest type of binary phase Solution of
Cu and Ni
diagrams is the Type I system, in
which the two metals form a
continuous solid solution over the T1 Co

Temperature
entire composition range. An CS1
T2 CL2
example is the Ni-Cu system.
CS2
T3 CL3
Solidification of alloy Co starts on Co
cooing at T1. The first solid formed  phase (FCC)
has a composition of Cs1 and the Solid solution
1085C of Cu and Ni
liquid Co. On further cooling the solid
particles grow larger in size and
change their composition to Cs2 and
then Co, following the solidus Cu Composition Ni
whereas the liquid decrease in
volume and changes its composition L
from Co to CL3 following the liquidus.

The solidification completes at T3.
Type II – Eutectic Alloys

Partial equilibrium diagram for NaCl and H2O

derived from cooling-curve information
Type III – Terminal Solid Solution

Completely soluble in the liquid state

Partially soluble in the solid state
 Ag-Cu Phase Diagram

Liquid
Temperature

 L L




Ag
X Wt% Y CuY
How Does the Solid Form?


Liquid

L+ 
Instead lets look at what happens if
your overall composition is the
eutectic composition
 Lead – Tin Phase Diagram

Liquid Eutectic
Composition
Temperature

 L L




Pb
X Wt% Y SnY
Hypoeutectic and Hypereutectic
350
I III II IV
300 Liquid

250

200  

150

100

50
+

0 Sn
Pb
Hypoeutectic Hypereutectic
Cooling Curve for a Eutectic
System
Plumber’s
solder is a
Liquid
eutectic
alloy of Pb
Temperature

and Sn.
 Why?
L + 

Low,
sharp
melting
Time point
How Does the Eutectic Solid
Form?

Liquid

L + 
Eutectic Solids are
strong but generally
have little ductility
Strength of Eutectic Alloys

Each phase is solid solution

strengthened
Grain size affects the strength – well
inoculated melts have smaller grain
size
Interlamellar spacing
Interlamellar Spacing

The spacing is controlled by how long

the grains are allowed to grow
You can limit the spacing by reducing
the solidification time – by removing
heat faster
Small interlamellar spacing results in
high strength

Interlamellar Spacing