Iron-CarbonPhaseDiagram(areview)seeCallisterChapter9.pdfVIP

MSE 300 Materials Laboratory Procedures Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram (a review) see Callister Chapter 9 University of Tennessee, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering 1 MSE 300 Materials Laboratory Procedures The Iron–Iron Carbide (Fe–Fe C) Phase Diagram 3 In their simplest form, steels are alloys of Iron (Fe) and Carbon (C). The Fe-C phase diagram is a fairly complex one, but we will only consider the steel part of the diagram, up to around 7% Carbon. University of Tennessee, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering 2 MSE 300 Materials Laboratory Procedures Phases in Fe–Fe C Phase Diagram 3 α-ferrite - solid solution of C in BCC Fe • Stable form of iron at room temperature. • The maximum solubility of C is 0.022 wt% • Transforms to FCC γ-austenite at 912 °C γ-austenite - solid solution of C in FCC Fe • The maximum solubility of C is 2.14 wt %. • Transforms to BCC δ-ferrite at 1395 °C • Is not stable below the eutectic temperature (727 ° C) unless cooled rapidly (Chapter 10) δ-ferrite solid solution of C in BCC Fe • The same structure as α-ferrite • Stable only at high T, above 1394 °C • Melts at 1538 °C Fe3C (iron carbide or cementite) • This intermetallic compound is metastable, it remains as a compound indefinitely at room T, but decomposes (very slowly, within several years) into α-Fe and C (graphite) at 650 - 700 °C Fe-C liquid solution University of Tennessee, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering 3 MSE 300 Materials Laboratory Procedures A few comments on Fe–F