Transformation diagram

Stmctures that form as a function of temperature and time on cooling for a steel of a given composition are usually represented graphically by continuous-cooling and isothermal-transformation diagrams. Another constituent that sometimes forms at temperatures below that for peadite is bainite, which consists of ferrite and Fe C, but in a less well-defined arrangement than peadite. There is not sufficient temperature and time for carbon atoms to diffuse long distances, and a rather poody defined acicular or feathery stmcture results. 

Fig. 21. Transformation diagram for martempering. The product is tempered martensite.

In austempering the article is quenched to the desired temperature in the lower bainite region, usually in molten salt, and kept at this temperature until transformation is complete (Fig. 22). Usually, the piece is held twice as long as the period indicated by the isothermal transformation diagram. The article may then be quenched or air-cooled to room temperature after transformation is complete, and may be tempered to lower hardness if desired. 

Fig. 23. Transformation diagram for hiU annealing. The product is ferrite and peadite.

Figure 6.4 The time-temperature-transformation diagram of the iron-carbon system, beginning at the composition of austenite...

The figure below shows the isothermal transformation diagram for a coarse-grained, plain-carbon steel of eutectoid composition. Samples of the steel are austenitised at 850°C and then subjected to the quenching treatments shown on the diagram. Describe the microstructure produced by each heat treatment. 

Isothermal annealing, 23 288—290 transformation diagram for, 23 289 Isothermal dehydrogenation, 23 337 Isothermal evaporation, general separation heuristics for, 22 319-320 Isothermal forging, of titanium, 24 859 Isothermal furnace liners, 13 239-240... 

The diagrams that will be mainly considered are those concerning the behaviour of the alloys in the liquid and solid states that is, melting and solid-state transformation diagrams. A number of different diagram types can be defined and classified on the basis of the different mutual solubility of the components (in the liquid and in the solid state with the formation of more or less extended liquid and/or solid solutions) and of their reactivity, resulting in the formation of various, so-called intermediate phases . 

Figure 5.30. Schematic drawing showing the construction of an isothermal transformation diagram from measurements of the progress of the transformation at various constant temperatures. This may be done, for instance, by metallographic examination of several specimens, quenched from the 7-field quickly enough to miss the nose of the C-curve and then isothermally annealed for various length of time. Notice that curves for the transformation of different samples may be shown on the same diagram and that more complex trends may be observed in real diagrams of specific alloys. In the example reported, Ms is the temperature at which the alloy will begin to show the martensitic transformation, Mf indicates the temperature below which no additional martensite forms.

Characteristics and implementation of the treatments depend on the expected results and on the properties of the material considered a variety of processes are employed. In ferrous alloys, in steels, a eutectoid transformation plays a prominent role, and aspects described by time-temperature-transformation diagrams and martensite formation are of relevant interest. See a short presentation of these points in 5.10.4.5. Titanium alloys are an example of the formation of structures in which two phases may be present in comparable quantities. A few remarks about a and (3 Ti alloys and the relevant heat treatments have been made in 5.6.4.1.1. More generally, for the various metals, the existence of different crystal forms, their transformation temperatures, and the extension of solid-solution ranges with other metals are preliminary points in the definition of convenient heat treatments and of their effects. In the evaluation and planning of the treatments, due consideration must be given to the heating and/or cooling rate and to the diffusion processes (in pure metals and in alloys). 

For a number of applications, particularly those associated with conditions of continuous cooling or heating, equilibrium is clearly never approached and calculations must be modified to take kinetic factors into account. For example, solidification rarely occurs via equilibrium, amorphous phases are formed by a variety of non-equilibrium processing routes and in solid-state transformations in low-alloy steels much work is done to understand time-temperature-transformation diagrams which are non-equilibrium in nature. The next chapter shows how CALPHAD methods can be extended to such cases. 

This section will begin by looking at how thermodynamic and kinetic modelling has been combined to understand time-temperature-transformation diagrams in steels. The woric, for the most part, is semi-empirical in nature, which is forced upon the topic area by difficulties associated with the diffusional transformations, particularly where nucleation aspects have to be considered. The approaches have considered how best to predict the time/temperature conditions for austenite to... 

I.I The prediction of transformation diagrams after Kirkaldy et al. (1978). A model for the calculation of ferrite and pearlite was first presented by Kirkaldy et al. (1978) based on Zener-Hillert type expressions (Zener 1946, Hillert 1957). In this first effort, no attempt was made to differentiate between the diffusive and displacive transformations and a overall C curve was produced of the type shown schematically in Fig. 11.14. Kirkaldy ettd. (1978) used the formalism below where the general formula for the time (r) to transform x fraction of austenite at a temperature T is given by... 

The prediction of transformation diagrams after Bhadeshia (1982). Later work by Bhadeshia (1982) noted that the approach of Kirkaldy et al. (1978) could not predict the appearance of the bay in the experimentally observed TTT diagrams of many steels, and he proposed that the onset of transformation was governed by nucleation. He considered that the time period before the onset of a detectable amount of isodiermal transformation, r, could be reasonably defined as the incubation period, r necessary to establish a steady-state nucleation rate. The following expression for r, was then utilised... 

The prediction of transformation diagrams after Kirkaldy and Venugopolan (1984). Kirkaldy and Venugopolan (1984) refined the work of Kirkaldy et al. (1978) by considering that there should be C curves associated with... 

A discontinuous transformation generally occurs by the concurrent nucleation and growth of the new phase (i.e., by the nucleation of new particles and the growth of previously nucleated ones). In this chapter we present an analysis of the resulting overall rate of transformation. Time-temperature-transformation diagrams, which display the degree of overall transformation as a function of time and temperature, are introduced and interpreted in terms of a nucleation and growth model. 

Exercise 25-20 A hexapeptide was subjected to the transformations diagrammed below. (The commas between the amino acids indicate the sequence is unknown or unspecified.) Deduce the structure of the hexapeptide. 

Wei, J., DeMuse, M. and Hawley, M.C., Kinetics modelling and time-temperature-transformation diagram of microwave and thermal cure of epoxy-resins, Polym. Eng. Sci., 1995, 35, 461. 

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