Iron Carbon phase Diagram

The Fe – C diagram (also called the iron-carbon phase or equilibrium

diagram) is a graphic representation of the respective microstructure
states of the alloy iron-carbon (Fe-C) depending on temperature and
carbon content. To explain this diagram, an introduction about metal
structures and pure iron must be done

Carbon being a very small element gets into austenite / ferrite to form a
solid solution. Ferrous metals are broadly classified into three main
categories
 Iron (C content 0.008%wt)
 Steel (Fe-C alloy 0.008% to 2.11% C)
 Cast iron (Fe-C alloy 2.11% to 6.7% C)

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PURE IRON
Cooling curve for pure iron
Body-Centered Cubic (BCC)
Face-Centered Cubic (FCC)
Hexagonal Close-Packed (HCP)

Cooling curve for pure iron

L: liquid
γ: Austenite
α:Ferrite
δ: Delta
CM: Cementite

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Cooling curve for pure iron

The solubility of carbon is always greater in FCC when compared to BCC.

The solubility of carbon in different phases are mentioned below:

α – Ferrite (BCC)
 Max solubility of carbon is 0.022wt%
γ – Austenite (FCC)
 Max solubility of C is 2.14wt%
δ – Ferrite (BCC)
 Stable only at high temperature
 Max solubility of C is 0.10wt%
Cementite (Iron – Carbide or Fe3C)
 Orthorhombic structure
 Intermetallic
 Brittle

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Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram
The iron-carbon phase diagram is widely used to understand the different
phases of steel and cast iron. Both steel and cast iron are a mix of iron and
carbon. Also, both alloys contain a small number of trace elements.

The graph is quite complex but since we are limiting our exploration to
Fe3C, we will only be focusing up to 6.67 weight percent of carbon.

This iron-carbon phase diagram is plotted with the carbon concentrations

by weight on the X-axis and the temperature scale on the Y-axis.

Fig. shows, the Fe-C equilibrium diagram in which various structures

(obtained during heating and cooling), phases, and microscopic
constituents of various kinds of steel and cast iron are depicted. The main
structures, the significance of various lines, and critical points are
discussed as under.

Structures In Fe-C-Diagram
The main microscopic constituents of iron and steel are as follows:

 Austenite
 Ferrite
 Cementite Fe3C
 Pearlite

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 Iron-carbon Phase Diagram

The important boundaries (the lines) separating phases have some universally used
abbreviations:

 A1: The upper limit of the ferrite / cementite phase field (horizontal line going
through the eutectoid point).
 A2: The temperature where iron looses its magnetism (so-
called Curie temperature). Note that for pure iron this is still in the -phase.
 A3: The boundary between the  austenite and the austenite/ ferrite field.
 A4: The point in this case where  changes to  at high temperatures.
 ACM: The boundary between the  austenite and the austenite / cementite field.

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1. Austenite
Austenite is a solid solution of free carbon (ferrite) and iron in gamma iron.
On heating the steel, after upper critical temperature, the formation of
structure completes into austenite which is hard, ductile, and non-magnetic.

It is able to dissolve a large amount of carbon. It is in between the critical or

transfer ranges during the heating and cooling of steel. It is formed when
steel contains carbon up to 1.8% at 1130°C. On cooling below 723°C, it
starts transforming into pearlite and ferrite. Austenitic steels cannot be
hardened by usual heat treatment methods and are non-magnetic.

2. Ferrite
Ferrite contains very little or no carbon in iron. It is the name given to pure
iron crystals which are soft and ductile. The slow cooling of low carbon
steel below the critical temperature produces a ferrite structure. Ferrite
does not harden when cooled rapidly. It is very soft and highly magnetic.

3. Cementite
Cementite is a chemical compound of carbon with iron and is known as iron
carbide (Fe3C). Cast iron having 6.67% carbon is possessing the complete
structure of cementite. Free cementite is found in all steel containing more
than 0.83% carbon. It increases with an increase in carbon % as reflected
in the Fe-C Equilibrium diagram. It is extremely hard.

The hardness and brittleness of cast iron are believed to be due to the
presence of cementite. It decreases tensile strength. This is formed when
the carbon forms definite combinations with iron in form of iron carbides
which are extremely hard in nature. The brittleness and hardness of cast
iron are mainly controlled by the presence of cementite in it. It is magnetic
below 200°C.

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4. Pearlite
Pearlite is a eutectoid alloy of ferrite and cementite. It occurs particularly in
medium and low carbon steels in the form of a mechanical mixture of ferrite
and cementite in the ratio of 87:13. Its hardness increases with the
proportion of pearlite in ferrous material.

Pearlite is relatively strong, hard, and ductile, whilst ferrite is weak, soft,
and ductile. It is built up of alternate light and dark plates.

These layers are alternately ferrite and cementite. When seen with the help
of a microscope, the surface has an appearance like a pearl, hence it is
called pearlite. Hard steels are mixtures of pearlite and cementite while soft
steels are mixtures of ferrite and pearlite.

As the carbon content increases beyond 0.2% in the temperature at which

the ferrite is first rejected from austenite drop until, at or
above 0.8% carbon, no free ferrite is rejected from the austenite. This
steel is called eutectoid steel, and it is a pearlite structure in composition.

As iron having various % of carbon (up to 6%) is heated and cooled, the
following phases representing the lines will tell about the structure of
iron, how it charges.

What Is The Iron Carbon Diagram?

The Fe – C diagram (also called the iron-carbon phase or equilibrium
diagram) is a graphic representation of the respective microstructure states
of the alloy iron-carbon (Fe-C) depending on temperature and carbon
content. To explain this diagram, an introduction about metal structures and
pure iron must be done.

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Why Iron Carbon Diagram Is Called
Equilibrium Diagram?
The iron carbide is called the metastable phase. Therefore, the iron-iron
carbide diagram even though technically represents metastable conditions,
can be considered as representing equilibrium changes, under conditions
of relatively slow heating and cooling.

What Are The Phases In Iron Carbon Phase

Diagram?
For the iron-carbon phase diagram, the phase fields of interest are ferrite,
cementite, austenite, ferrite + cementite, ferrite + austenite, and austenite +
cementite phase fields.

What Is The Carbon Equilibrium Diagram?

The Iron carbon equilibrium diagram (also called the iron-carbon phase
diagram) is a graphic representation of the respective microstructure states
of the alloy iron-carbon (Fe-C) depending on temperature and carbon
content.

What Is The Percentage Of Carbon In

Eutectoid Steel?
Steel containing 0.8% C is known as eutectoid steel. The equilibrium
microstructure of eutectoid steel obtained at room temperature is pearlite.

What Is Mild Steel?

Mild steel is a ferrous metal made from iron and carbon. It is a low-priced
material with properties that are suitable for most general engineering

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applications. Low carbon mild steel has good magnetic properties due to its
high iron content; it is therefore defined as being „ferromagnetic‟.

What Is Steel Made Of?

steel, alloy of iron and carbon in which the carbon content ranges up to 2
percent (with a higher carbon content, the material is defined as cast iron).
By far the most widely used material for building the world‟s infrastructure
and industries, it is used to fabricate everything from sewing needles to oil
tankers.

What Is The Significance Of A0 Temperature In

Iron Iron Carbide Diagram?
The A1 line is the eutectoid-temperature line and is the lowest temperature
at which f.c.c. iron can exist under equilibrium conditions. Just above A1
line, the microstructure consists of approximately 25 percent austenite and
75 percent ferrite.

What Is Critical Temperature In Iron Carbon

Diagram?
Thus, it is the temperature corresponding to gamma + alpha/gamma phase
boundary for hypo-eutectoid steel and is a function of carbon content of the
steel, as it decreases from 910 deg C at 0 % C to 727 deg C at 0.76 % C. It
is also called the upper critical temperature of hypo-eutectoid steels.

What Is Eutectoid Temperature In Iron Carbon

Diagram?
The eutectoid reaction describes the phase transformation of one solid into
two different solids. In the Fe-C system, there is a eutectoid point at

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approximately 0.8wt% C, 723°C. The phase just above the eutectoid
temperature for plain carbon steels is known as austenite or gamma.

What Is The Importance Of Iron Carbon

Diagram?
The iron-carbon phase diagram is widely used to understand the different
phases of steel and cast iron. Both steel and cast iron are a mix of iron and
carbon. Also, both alloys contain a small amount of trace elements.

Is Carbon A FCC?
Carbon is more soluble in the FCC phase, which occupies area “γ” on the
phase diagram, than it is in the BCC phase. The percent carbon
determines the type of iron alloy that is formed upon cooling from the FCC
phase, or from liquid iron: alpha iron, carbon steel (pearlite), or cast iron.

How Do You Know If Its BCC Or FCC?

The most direct difference between FCC and BCC crystals is in the atomic
arrangements. The face-centered cubic structure has an atom at all 8
corner positions, and at the center of all 6 faces. The body-centered cubic
structure has an atom at all 8 corner positions, and another one at the
center of the cube.

Is Steel A BCC Or FCC?

The alpha phase is called ferrite. Ferrite is a common constituent in steels
and has a Body Centred Cubic (BCC) structure [which is less densely
packed than FCC].

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What Is The Iron Carbon Equilibrium?
Under equilibrium conditions, pro-eutectoid ferrite will form in iron-carbon
alloys containing up to 0.8 % carbon. The reaction occurs at 910°C in pure
iron, but takes place between 910°C and 723°C in iron-carbon alloys.

What Is Perlite In Iron Carbon Diagram?

Pearlite is the eutectoid mixture of cementite and ferrite. Iron carbon
equilibrium diagram: The phase diagram of Fe-Fe3C is not a true
equilibrium because the iron carbide is an unstable phase that after
prolonged heat treatment decomposes into iron and carbon (the graphite
form).

What Is Ferrite In Iron Carbon Diagram?

Ferrite is known as α solid solution. It is an interstitial solid solution of a
small amount of carbon dissolved in α (BCC) iron. The maximum solubility
is 0.025 % C at 723C and it dissolves only 0.008 % C at room
temperature. It is the softest structure that appears on the diagram.

Which Is Almost Pure Iron Phase?

Pure iron (α-iron, or „ferrite‟) undergoes a change in crystal structure when
heated above 910 °C, forming γ-iron, or „austenite‟.

Why ACM Line Is Steeper Than A3 Line?

Acm line is much steeper than A3 line, which though, means that the
amount of proeutectoid cementite in commercial steels is very small, but it
also means that heating, too much high temperatures, has to be done to
dissolve this cementite for complete homogenisation of austenite.

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Austenite Transformation TTT Diagrams
T-T-T diagram is also called isothermal transformation diagram
[Temperature-Time –Transformation]. It is a plot of temperature versus the
logarithm of time for a steel alloy of definite composition. It is used to
determine when transformations begin and end for an isothermal [constant
thermal] heat treatment of a previously austenitized alloy.

TTT Diagram For Eutectoid Steel ( Isothermal

Transformation Diagram )
Time-Temperature-Transformation (TTT) diagram or S-curve refers to only
one steel of a particular composition at a time, which applies to all carbon steels.
This diagram is also called as C-curve isothermal (decomposition of austenite)
diagram and Bain’s curve. The effect of time-temperature on the microstructure
changes of steel can be shown by the TTT diagram. These diagrams are extensively
used in the assessment of the decomposition of austenite in heat-treatable steels.
We have seen that the iron-carbon phase diagram does not show time as a variable
and hence the effects of different cooling rates on the structures of steels are not
revealed. Moreover, equilibrium conditions are not maintained in heat treatment.
Although, the iron-carbon equilibrium diagram reveals on the phases and
corresponding microstructures under equilibrium conditions but several useful
properties of the steels can be obtained under non-equilibrium conditions, e.g.
variable rates of cooling as produced during quenching and better transformation of
austenite into pearlite and martensite.

For each steel composition, different IT diagram is obtained. Fig shows the TTT
diagram of eutectoid steel (i.e. steel containing 0.8% C).

Austenite is stable above eutectoid temperature 727 °C. When steel is cooled to a
temperature below this eutectoid temperature, austenite is transformed into its
transformation product. TTT diagram relates the transformation of austenite to time
and temperature conditions. Thus, the TTT diagram indicates transformation
products according to temperature and also the time required for complete
transformation.

Curve 1 is transformation begin curve while curve 2 is the transformation end

curve. The region to the left of curve 1 corresponds to austenite (A’). The region to
the right of curve 2 represents the complete transformation of austenite (F+C). The
interval between these two curves indicates partial decomposition of austenite into
ferrite and Cementite (A’+F+C).

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TTT Diagram for Eutectoid Steel :

At temperatures just below eutectoid temperature, austenite decomposes

into pearlite; at lower temperatures (600 deg C) sorbite is formed and at
500 – 550 degree C troostites is formed.
If the temperature is lowered from 500 deg C to 220 deg C acicular troostite
or bainite is formed. In eutectoid steels, the martensite transformation
begins at MS (240 deg C) and ends at MF (50 deg C).
The change in the hardness of the structures is shown in Rockwell units (RC)
at the right-hand side of the diagram.

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 14 Diagram
Iron-carbon Phase
Fe-C-Diagram