F- degrees of freedom: number of variables that can be changed independently

without changing the number of phases

 Phase diagram of pure water

Calculate the degree of freedom at:

a) ice-water equilibrium line
b) Water- vapor eq. line
c) In water region
d) In ice region
e) At intersection point of all the three lines
f
Cooling curve for pure iron

1538°C

1400°C

907°C
767 °C
 Binary phase diagrams: For two components

• Two components are completely mixable in liquid

and solid phase (form a solid state solution), and
don’t react chemically
• Two components (A and B) can form stable
compounds or alloys (for example: A, A2B, A3B, B)

Isomorphous: Two elements are completely soluble in each

other in solid and liquid state; substitutional solid state solution
can be formed; single type of crystal str. exist
Example: Copper-Nickel system

Gibb’s Phase rule for binary alloys: P + F = C + 1; Pressure is const.

Binary isomorphous phase diagram

Liquidus line: the line connecting

temp at which liquid starts to
solidify under equilibrium
conditions
Solidus line: the temperature at
which the last of the liquid phase
solidifies
Between liquidus and solidus: P =2

Reminder: Hume-Rothery rules: (1) atoms have similar radii; (2) both pure materials have
same crystal structure; (3) similar electronegativity (otherwise may form a compound
instead); (4) same valency or solute should have higher valency
 Determination of composition: Lever Rule
The weight percentages of the phases in any 2 phase region can be
calculated by using the lever rule
Consider the binary equilibrium phase diagram of elements A and B that are
completely soluble in each other
For liquid phase

For α-phase
Q.: A Cu-Ni alloy contains 47 wt % Cu and 53% of Ni and is at 1300° C. Use
Figure and answer the following:
A. What is the weight percent of Cu in the liquid and solid phases at this
temperature?
B. What weight percent of this alloy is liquid and what weight percent is solid?
Reactions:

1. Eutectic Liquid <=========> α + β

2. Eutectoid α <=========> β + γ
3. Peritectic Liquid + α <=========> β
4. Peritectoid α + β <=========> γ

Forward: Cooling
Backward: Heating

The eutectic and eutectoid reactions are similar in that they both involve the
decomposition of a single phase into two solid phases.
Binary Eutectic phase diagram

Binary Eutectic reaction

Problem:

For a 40 wt% Sn–60 wt% Pb alloy at 150 °C (300F), (a) What

phase(s) is (are) present at point B? (b) What is (are) the
amount(s) of the phase(s)?
 Binary Peritectic Alloy System

The melting points of the two components are quite different

A liquid phase reacts with the solid phase to form a new and
different solid phase

Liquid + α → β
Iron Carbon equilibrium diagram
 Microstructure of eutectoid steel
When alloy of eutectoid composition (0.76 wt % C) is cooled slowly it forms
perlite, a lamellar or layered structure of two phases: α-ferrite and
cementite (Fe3C)
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 α- ferrite
Hypoeutectoid and hypereutectoid alloys

Alloys that contain C % less than the C % at eutectoid point are hypoeutectoid alloys
(C- 0.022% - 0.76 %)

Alloys that contain C % more than the C % at eutectoid point are hyperutectoid alloys
(C- 0.76% - 2.14 %)