D AY 11 – I NTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS AND THE I RON -C ARBON P HASE DIAGRAM
f20_09_pg284 Note the MG2Pb line. Intermetallic compounds show up as vertical lines. Their bonding predicts that they will be hard britlle, “rock-like” phases
M ATERIALS E NGINEERING – D AY 11 T HE I RON C ARBON ( OR I RON -I RON C ARBIDE )
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Ferrite ( ) Low temperature form of Fe – it is BCC. Can only hold up to 0.022% C by weight. This carbon is interstitial. It is very soft ductile material. Austenite ( ). High temperature form of Fe – not in equilibrium below 727C. It is FCC. Can hold up to 2.14% C by weight. This is also very soft ductile material. Cementite (Fe 3 C). A compound of Fe and C which always has 6.70% C by weight. The crystal structure is complicated. It is very hard brittle material.
V OCABULARY Ferrite ( ) Low temperature form of Fe – it is BCC. Can only hold up to 0.022% C by weight. This carbon is interstitial. It is very soft ductile material. Austenite ( ). High temperature form of Fe – not in equilibrium below 727C. It is FCC. Can hold up to 2.14% C by weight. This is also very soft ductile material. Cementite (Fe 3 C). A compound of Fe and C which always has 6.70% C by weight. The crystal structure is complicated. It is very hard brittle material.
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U SING THE F E -C D IAGRAM We can use the diagram to predict microstructure, and thereby mechanical properties in equilibrium (i.e. slow) cooled steels. This depends on a reaction known as the Euctectoid Reaction. Here is that reaction As we cool below 727C The resulting microconstituent is called Pearlite, P.
P EARLITE Here are some micrograph images.
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Hypoeutectoid – Below Eutectoid Composition, i.e. less than 0.77% carbon. Hypereutectoid – Above Eutectoid Composition, i.e. greater than.77% carbon
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F INDING THE R ELATIVE A MOUNT OF P EARLITE Steel has 0.30% C by wt. Use the Fe-C diagram to predict microstructure if we cool it slowly %C W P at low temp = W at 727
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W HAT IS STEEL ? A vast family of materials Usually composed of ferrite + cementite. There are some exceptions. The way that the cementite is distributed in the ferrite is very important. For example, 1. Very coarse roundish cementite particles widely separated soft ductile steel. 2. Very fine roundish cementite particles closely spaced hard strong steel. (Has some ductility) 3. And so on – there are many ways to distribute cementite in ferrite.