Lecture19EutectoidTransformationinSteelsatypical.pdfVIP

Lecture 19: Eutectoid Transformation in Steels: a typical case of Cellular Precipitation Today’s topics • Understanding of Cellular transformation (or precipitation): when applied to phase transformation from austenite to pearlite in iron-carbon (Fe-C) steel, such a transformation is also often called eutectoid transformation. • Understanding of the different phases of iron-carbon (Fe-C) steel. • What is the eutectoid transformation? How to understand such a transformation in Fe-C steel, particularly regarding the phase diagram? About cellular transformation (or precipitation) • Cellular transformation can be in the type of α à β or γ à α+β, where all of the parent phase is consumed by the transformation product, and the transformation does not terminate by the gradual reduction in the growth rate, but by the impingement of adjacent cells growing with a constant velocity (see Figure 5.24c below, cited from the Book, Phase Transformations in Metals and Alloys, by D. A. Porter, K. E. Easterling and M. Y. Sherif, CRC Press, third edition.). • Since the new phase (α or β) forms by precipitation from the parent phase (γ) upon cooling, cellular transformation is also often called Cellular precipitation. The essential feature of this type of transformation is that the boundary moves with the growing tips of the precipitates as shown in Figure 5.55 (below, cited from the same Book above). • The growth of cellular precipitates requires the portioning of solute to the tips of the precipitates in contact with the advancing grain boundary. This can occur in one of the two ways: either by diffusion through the lattice ahead of the advancing cell front, or by diffusion in the moving boundary. • The mechanism whereby grain-boundary nucleation develops into cellula