Teach Yourself Phase Diagrams

The Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram

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• Introduction
• 1. The eutectoid reaction
• 2. Eutectoid microstructure
• 3. The hypo-eutectoid microstructure

The eutectoid reaction

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 approximately 0.8wt% C, 723°C. The phase just above the eutectoid temperature for plain carbon steels is known as austenite or gamma. We now consider what happens as this phase is cooled through the eutectoid temperature (723°C).

The phase diagram which we will be considering throughout this section is shown below:

 

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