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Seminar Report On
The Iron Carbon Phase Diagram

SUBMITTED BY
SHANKAR NARAYAN CHOWDURY
ROLL:12/ME/25(14800712134)
ME 3RD YEAR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Prof. Sandip Ghosh, for giving me
his invaluable knowledge and wonderful technical guidance.

I extend my thanks to all my friends for their help and support without which it
would incompletes.

CONTENTS

1. INTROUCTION
2. IRON CARBON DIARAM CHAT
3. IRON PHASE
4. CLASSIFICATION OF FERIOUS ALLOY
5. EUTECTIC PERITECTIC PERITETOID REACTION
6. MICROSTUCTURE OF EUTECTOID HYPOEUTECTOID
7. HYPEREUTECTOID STEEL
8. CONCLUSION
9. BIBLIOGRAHY

INTRODUCTION

Many of the engineering materials possess mixtures of phases, e.g. steel, paints,
and composites. The mixture of two or more phases may permit interaction
between different phases, and results in properties usually are different from the
properties of individual phases. Different components can be combined into a
single material by means of solutions or mixtures. A solution (liquid or solid) is
phase with more than one
component; a mixture is a material with more than one phase. Solute does not
change the structural pattern of the solvent, and the composition of any solution
can be varied. In mixtures, there are different phases, each with its own atomic
arrangement. It is possible to have a mixture of two different solutions! A pure
substance, under equilibrium conditions, may exist as either of a phase namely
vapor, liquid or solid, depending upon the conditions of temperature and pressure.
A
phase can be defined as a homogeneous portion of a system that has uniform
physical and chemical characteristics i.e. it is a physically distinct from other
phases, chemically homogeneous and mechanically separable portion of a system.
In other words, a phase is a structurally homogeneous portion of matter. When
two phases are present in a system, it is not necessary that there be a difference in
both physical and chemical properties; a disparity in one or the other set of
properties is sufficient.

THE IRON AND IRON CARBIDE PHASE DIAGRAM CHAT

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.

IRON PHASE DIAGRAM

-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 -austenite at 912 C
-austenite - solid solution of C in FCC Fe
The maximum solubility of C is 2.14 wt %.
Transforms to BCC -ferrite at 1395 C
Is not stable below the eutectic temperature
(727 C) unless cooled rapidly (Chapter 10)
-ferrite solid solution of C in BCC Fe
The same structure as -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 -Fe
and C (graphite) at 650 - 700 C.

University of Tennessee, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

CLASSIFICATION OF FERROUS ALLOY

Iron: less than 0.008 wt % C in ferrite at room T
Steels: 0.008 - 2.14 wt % C (usually < 1 wt % ) -ferrite + Fe3C at room T
Cast iron: 2.14 - 6.7 wt % (usually < 4.5 wt %)

EUTECTIC PERITECTIC PERITECTOID REACTION

Eutectic: 4.30 wt% C, 1147 C
L + Fe3C

Eutectoid: 0.76 wt%C, 727 C

(0.76 wt% C) (0.022 wt% C) + Fe3C
Eutectic and eutectoid reactions are very important in heat treatment of steels

University of Tennessee, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

MICROSTUCTURE OF EUTECTOID HYPOEUTECTOID

HYPEREUTECTOID STEEL
Microstructure depends on composition (carbon content) and heat treatment.
In the discussion below we consider slow cooling in which equilibrium is maintained.

Microstructure of eutectoid steel (I)

U niversity of Tennessee, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineerin

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Microstructure of eutectoid steel (II)

When alloy of eutectoid composition (0.76 wt % C) is cooled slowly
it forms perlite, a lamellar or layered structure of two phases: -ferrite and cementite (Fe3C)
The layers of alternating phases in pearlite are formed for the same reason as layered
structure of eutectic structures: redistribution C atoms between ferrite (0.022 wt%)
and cementite (6.7 wt%) by atomic diffusion.Mechanically, pearlite has properties intermediate to soft, ductile ferrite and hard, brittle cementite.In the micrograph, the dark areas are
Fe3C layers, the light phase is - ferrite

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Microstructure of hypoeutectoid steel (I)

Compositions to the left of eutectoid (0.022 - 0.76 wt % C) hypoeutectoid (less than eutectoid + + Fe3C

University of Tennessee, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineerin

Microstructure of hypereutectoid steel (I)

Compositions to the right of eutectoid (0.76 - 2.14 wt % C) hypereutectoid (more than eutectoid
+ Fe3C + Fe3C

University of Tennessee, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineerin

CONCLUSION
I discuss about the Iron Carbon Phase diagram and show virus types of carbon alloy and show
their microstructure that is very helpful in the heat treatment industry. From the iron carbon
we know about the phase like perlite mertensite banite etc. It is also helpful metal industry for that
reason we have to know the Iron Carbon Diagram.

BIBIOGRAPHY
1. Material Science by R.S Khurmi & R.S Sedha
2. Material Science and Metallurgy for Engineers by V.D Kodgire, S.V Kodgire
3 . Manufacturing Technology-Vol.1 by P.N Rao