MSE 250: Structure and Properties of Materials

10. Phase Diagram I

Instructor: Prof. Yang Jiao (yang.jiao.2@asu.edu)

Office: Engineering Research Center Rm 387
Phone: 480-965-4560

Expected Outcome
Key concepts:
Phase
Phase diagram and tie line
Liquidus and solidus
Phase fraction and level rule

Skills:
Draw illustrations of phase microstructure
Determine what phases exist given phase diagram
Construct phase diagram given liquidus and solidus Ts
Determine phase fraction using level rule

Phase: A region within a material having a unique

structure and/or composition different from other region
such that this region possess distinct properties.

Question:
How many phases are in saltwater solution?
How many phases are in ice water?
How many phases exist in the plain carbon steel shown in figure 1?

Fe3C

Nearly
pure Fe

Figure 1: Schematic of a plain-carbon steel.

Black carbon-rich
Gray almost pure iron

Example: If three teaspoons of sugar are added to a cup of hot water

(coffee) it will dissolve initially, but upon cooling it will precipitate out
as a second phase. This occurs because the solubility limit decreases
with temperature, as shown in Figure 3.

T e m pe r a t u r e

Liquid

Liquid with sugar

precipitates

% Sugar
Figure 3: Solubility limits change with temperature.

Binary Alloys
Liquids can dissolve other substances, such as salt in water, forming a
homogeneous single phase. Similarly, some solids are soluble in one another.
Example: most gold jewelry contains some dissolved silver to strengthen it
and improve wear properties.
Solid Solutions: A homogeneous solid mixture of two or more elements
Low-Temperature precipitates form

Hi-Temperature lead soluble

Cooling
Tin
Lead

Many solid and liquid solutions have solubility limits, which depends on
temperature. If the limit is exceeded, it results in the formation of a
secondary phase.

Black lead-rich
White tin-rich

Phase diagrams display what phases exist as a function of temperature

and composition at fixed pressure (usually at 1 atm)

Liquidus

Example:
Silicon
germanium
phase diagram

Solidus

Question:

In the Si Ge phase diagram above:

What phase(s) exist at point A?
What phase(s) exist at point B and C?
What phase(s) exist at point C?

 1) Germanium and silicon have melting points

of 958 and 1430 oC, respectively, and they form
a continuous solid solution (totally soluble, like
Cu-Ni). Thermal analysis provides the following
data:
Alloy
liquidus
solidus
(wt% Si)
temp. (oC)
temp. (oC)
20
1115
990
40
1227
1050
60
1315
1126
80
1370
1230

Tie Line: The composition of each phase is given by the intersection of the
horizontal temperature line with the boundaries of each phase region. This
is shown in the figure.

The tie line in this solid solution phase diagram shows how the composition
of two separate phases can be found at 1200C.

Phase Fraction
Definition: The fraction of the bulk material which exists as a given phase.
Example: A glass of ice water contains 25% ice by weight and 75% liquid by
weight
The phase fraction is determined using the lever rule. Think of the tie line as
a lever balanced on the vertical line which represents the overall composition.

T e m pe r a t u r e

L+
Tie Line

Fs
A

An illustration of using the

lever rule to determine the
weight fraction of solid and
liquid.

wl

Fl
w0

ws

Phase fraction of liquid Fl

Weight Percent B

Fl

Fs

Phase fraction of solid Fs

ws w0
ws wl

w0 wl
ws wl

Activity: In the silicon germanium phase diagram, what are the weight
fractions of the solid and liquid present for the temperature of the tie line
shown (1200 C) and an overall composition of 30 wt. % Si?

Expected Outcome
Key concepts:
Phase
Phase diagram and tie line
Liquidus and solidus
Phase fraction and level rule

Skills:
Draw illustrations of phase microstructure
Determine what phases exist given phase diagram
Construct phase diagram given liquidus and solidus Ts
Determine phase fraction using level rule