Austenite is a non-magnetic phase of iron characterized by a face-centered cubic crystal structure, stable at high temperatures and capable of dissolving more carbon than ferrite. It plays a crucial role in steel heat treatment processes, where its transformation into other phases like martensite or pearlite determines the mechanical properties of the final product.

Austenite

non-magnetic phase of iron

face-centered cubic crystal structure

high temperatures

Carbon dissolution

ferrite

steel heat treatment processes

transformation into other phases

Martensite is a hard, brittle phase of steel that forms when austenite is rapidly cooled, or quenched, transforming the face-centered cubic structure into a body-centered tetragonal structure. This transformation is diffusionless, meaning it occurs without the movement of atoms over long distances, resulting in an increase in hardness and strength but a decrease in ductility.

martensite

Pearlite is like a special pattern that happens when steel cools down slowly, making it strong and a bit stretchy. It's made of thin layers of two different materials, one hard and one soft, that work together to make the steel tough.

pearlite

mechanical properties of the final product

Nucleation and Growth of Martensite

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