What Are Phase Diagrams?<\/h2>\n
Phase diagrams are graphical representations of the phases present in an alloy at different conditions of temperature, pressure, or chemical composition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The diagram describes the suitable conditions for two or more phases to exist in equilibrium. For example, the water phase diagram describes a point (triple point) where water can coexist in three different phases at the same time. This happens at just above the freezing temperature (0.01\u00b0C) and 0.006 atm.<\/p>\n There are four major uses of alloy phase diagrams:<\/p>\n When it comes to alloy development, phase diagrams have helped prevent overdesign for applications. This keeps cost and process time down. They also help develop alternative alloys or the same alloys with alternative alloying elements. It can help to reduce the need for using scarce, hazardous, or expensive alloying elements.<\/p>\n Performance-wise, phase diagrams help metallurgists understand which phases are thermodynamically stable, metastable, or unstable in the long run. Appropriate elements can then be chosen for alloying to prevent machinery breakdown. Material for exhaust piping, for example, if not chosen properly, may lead to a breakdown at higher temperatures.<\/p>\n The service life also improves as phase diagrams show us how to solve problems such as intergranular corrosion, hot corrosion<\/a>, and hydrogen damage.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The graph is quite complex but since we are limiting our exploration to Fe3C, we will only be focusing on up to 6.67 weight percent of carbon.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\nUsing the Diagrams<\/h3>\n
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Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram<\/h2>\n
![\"Phase](\"https:\/\/fractory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Phase-diagram-of-steel-and-cast-iron.jpg\")
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