Engineering Materials

Hirra Anjum
hirra.anjum@uet.edu.pk

Types of Phase
Diagrams
1. One Component phase diagrams (Unary)
2. Two Component phase diagrams (Binary)
a. Diagram with complete solid
solution
b. Diagram with no solid solution
c. Diagram with limited solid solution
3.
Three Component phase diagrams
(Ternary)

1. Solid Solution Alloys: (Cd-Bi)

A solid solution occurs when we alloy two
metals and they are completely soluble in each
other.
If a solid solution alloy is viewed under a
microscope only one type of crystal can be
seen just like a pure metal.
Solid solution alloys have similar properties to
pure metals but with greater strength but are
not good electrical conductors.
A. Substitutional solid solution:
Solutes substitute the solvent in the crystal
lattice without structural changes
Examples: Cu Ni, Cd-Mg

B. Interstitial solid solution:

Solute does not occupy the sites in
the lattice of solvent but resides in
crystallographic pores.
Example: Fe-C

 The first and most noticeable point on this diagram is the

Eutectic point. The eutectic point as can be seen above
is a point in the diagram where the liquid alloy changes to
a solid without going through a pasty state.
This is the lowest melting point of any composition for the
alloy. in liquid state the two metals are totally soluble in
each other.
In the eutectic point region (represented by the green
line) there is only the eutectic composition alloy.
If you look at 100% Cadmium you will see that there is a
large amount of solid Cadmium while this decreases in the
alloys found nearer to the eutectic. The same applies for
Bismuth.
Therefore we can say that as the composition of the alloy
moves away from the eutectic composition, grains of
either Cadmium or Bismuth appear in the eutectic matrix.

 An examination at 80% Cadmium and 20%

Bismuth. As the temperature falls crystal
nuclei of pure cadmium begin to form.
The temperature cuts the liquidus line at
80/20% and the other phase boundary is the
100% Cadmium ordinate.
Dendrites of cadmium are deposited and the
remaining liquid becomes increasingly richer
in bismuth. Therefore the composition of the
liquid moves to the right.
As the temperature decreases more
cadmium deposition takes place. The growth
of cadmium dendrites and consequent
enriching of the remaining liquid is bismuth.

Diagram with limited solid

solution

Liquidus:
Theliquidusis represented by alineon a
phase diagram that separates a liquid phase
from a solid + liquid phase region.
Solidus:
Thesolidusis represented by alineon a
phase diagram that separates a solid phase
from a solid + liquid phase region.
Eutectic point:
Liquid and two solid phases co-exist in
equilibrium at the eutectic composition CE and
the eutectic temperature TE.
Solvus line: separates one solid solution from
a mixture of solid solutions.
It shows limit of solubility

Development of
microstructure

Micro-constituents

Micro-constituents

Intermetallic compounds
Whilst some metal alloy systems
exhibit total or partial solubility and
others are insoluble in the solid state, a
number of metals combine together to
form an intermediate phase or
intermediate compounds.
There are two types of Inter-metallic
compounds
Electron compounds
Interstitial compounds

Electron compounds
These compounds are of definite chemical crystal
structure and arise if the two alloying metals are of
different crystal structure, valency, and if one of
these metals is electro- positive with the other being
electro- negative an example of this type of electron
compound would be an alloy of the elements
Magnesium and Tin which combine to form an intermetallic compound Mg2SN.
The composition of the compound is fixed and
consists of two atoms of Magnesium combining with
one atom of Tin.
Metallic compounds form a crystal lattice with the
atoms of the alloying metals taking up specific
positions within the lattice. These compounds are
usually hard and brittle.

Interstitial compounds
Interstitial compounds, as the name suggests form
between metals, or metals and non- metallic
elements, with atom sizes very similar to those that
form interstitial solid solution.
One set of atoms fit into the spaces, or interstices,
between the larger atoms. Iron Carbide (Fe3C) or
cementite which is important in the study of IronCarbon diagrams is an example of an interstitial
compound.
As the chemical symbol for Cementite is Fe3C we
know that Cementite is an interstitial compound
containing 3 iron atoms for every 1 atom of Carbon.

Iron-carbon phase
diagram

Significance
Diagram gives the information about the
microstructure of different types of steel including
Carbon steel
Alloy steel
Cast iron
It explains the effect of heat on them
Microstructure of steel rely on mainly on two
allotropes of iron
- iron
- iron

Hyp
oeut
ectic

139
4
115
4
91
0

Hypoeutect
oid

Hyper
eutect
oid

Ferrite (- iron):
Pure iron having BCC structure at room
temperature.
Low solubility of carbon up to 0.28%
by wt. at 723C
It persists up to 910C
Austenite (- iron):
When - iron is heated above 912C it
changes from BCC to FCC
Relatively high solubility of carbon up
to 2.08% at 1154C

(- iron):
When heated upto 1394C iron is
converted to - iron and persists
1538C.
Recalscene:
The change from FCC to BCC releases
latent heat energy more rapidly that it
can be dissipated and temperature
momentarily rises and glow more
brightly.

Cementite:
An excess of iron when combine with
carbon is called as iron carbide or
cementite
Pearlite:
The lamellar structure of ferrite +
cementite is called as pearlite.
Toughest structure which can exist in
plain carbon steel.

Eutectoid:
For steel, this reaction occurs during
the solid state. Solid austenite
changes to solid pearlite. This occurs
at a temperature of 723C for the
alloy with 0.83% carbon.
The point at which solid instead of
liquid transforms into two other solid
phases called eutectoid point

Arrest points:
Critical points where changes in composition and
structure occur are called as arrest points.
Hypoeutectic:
it
is
the
composition
of
mixtureoralloywithtwocomponents
containinglessoftheminor
componentthanaeutecticmixture.
Hypereutectic:
it
is
the
composition
of
mixtureoralloywithtwocomponents
containingmoreoftheminor
componentthanaeutecticmixture.
Note:
If an alloy is not of eutecticcompositionthen it is
either hypereutectic or hypoeutectic.