CARBON STEEL

Microstructure
&
Mechanical properties
EXPERIMENT # 10
Instructor: M.Yaqub

TYPE OF IRON

Iron (Ferrite) Stable up to 912 oC.

BCC in Structure. Soft in pure state.
Can disolve up to .02% Carbon.
Iron (Austenite) Stable between 912 oC and
1394 oC.
FCC in Structure
Cementite (Iron Carbide) Fe3C Hard and Brittle
Complex Structure.

TYPE OF STEEL

Hypo-Eutectoid Steel: % of Carbon < 0.7

Eutectoid Steel: % of Carbon = 0.7

Hyper-Eutectoid Steel: % of Carbon > 0.7

LOWER CRITICAL TEMPERATURE

When steel heated, microstructure
changes (new grains forms). The
temperature where this growth starts is
called Lower Critical Temperature, fix for
all % of C, 727oC

UPPER CRITICAL TEMPERATURE

The temperature where new grains formation

completes, (All old grains replaced by new
grains) is called Upper critical temperature.
This temperature depends upon % of Carbon
in steel.
Can be taken from Iron-Carbon Diagram .

IRON-CARBON DIAGRAM

HEAT TREATMENT
PROCESSES

ANNLEALING

Heating the steel above upper critical

temperature and then cool in furnace (very slow
cooling, cooling rate 10 oC / hour).
Annealing reduces the hardness and improve
ductility.
Structure after annealing is coarse pearlite.

NORMALIZING
Heating the steel above upper critical

temperature and then cool in air (cooling

rate 100 oC / hour).
Structure after normalizing is fine pearlite.
Hardness more than the Anealed steel.

QUENCHING
Heating the steel above upper critical

temperature and then cool in water or in

oil (very fast cooling).
After quenching, steel is very hard and
brittle and practically no use.
Structure after quenching is fine
martensite which is complex, hard and
brittle structure. .

TEMERING
Reheat the quenched steel up to

intermediate temperature (below lower

critical temperature) and then cool.
The structure is called tempered
martensite.
After tempering, steel become tough and
looses some hardness. It become use
able now.

SUMMARY

PEARLITE

A homogenous mixture of Cementite Fe3C and

Iron in solid state.
For Hypo Eutectoid steel, final structure is
Ferrite (Iron) and pearlite.

PEARLITE (Contd.)

For Hyper Eutectoid steel, final structure is

cementite and pearlite.

PEARLITE (Contd.)

For Eutectoid steel, final structure is only

pearlite.