This article provides a discussion on the transformations of various categories of bainite in ferrous systems. These include upper bainite, lower bainite, inverse bainite, granular bainite, and columnar bainite. The article also provides information on the bainite transformations in nonferrous systems.

The transformation of austenite of cast irons represents a more complex and less studied subject. This article discusses the general features of the decomposition of austenite into bainite. It describes the heat treatment cycles of austempered cast iron microstructure. The article reviews several factors, such as presence of graphite and austenite grain size, which affect the transformation rate of austenite during austempering of free-graphite cast irons.

This article discusses the five basic matrix structures in cast irons: ferrite, pearlite, bainite, martensite, and austenite. The alloying elements, used to enhance the corrosion resistance of cast irons, including silicon, nickel, chromium, copper, molybdenum, vanadium, and titanium, are reviewed. The article provides information on classes of the cast irons based on corrosion resistance. It describes the various forms of corrosion in cast irons, including graphitic corrosion, fretting corrosion, pitting and crevice corrosion, intergranular attack, erosion-corrosion, microbiologically induced corrosion, and stress-corrosion cracking. The cast irons suitable for the common corrosive environments are also discussed. The article reviews the coatings used on cast irons to enhance corrosion resistance, such as metallic, organic, conversion, and enamel coatings. It explains the basic parameters to be considered before selecting the cast irons for corrosion services.

The properties of irons and steels are linked to the chemical composition, processing path, and resulting microstructure of the material. Processing is a means to develop and control microstructure by hot rolling, quenching, and so forth. This article describes the role of these factors in both theoretical and practical terms, with particular focus on the role of microstructure in various irons. These include bainite, pearlite, ferfite, martensite, austenite, ferrite-pearlite, ferrite-cementite, ferrite-martensite, graphite, and cementite. The article discusses the evolution of microstructural change in rail steels, cast iron, and steel sheet. It contains tables that list the mechanical properties and compositions of selected steels. The article also discusses the basis of material selection of irons and steels.

This article describes microstructures and microstructure-property relationships in steels. It emphasizes the correlation of microstructure and properties as a function of carbon content and processing in low-alloy steels. The article discusses the iron-carbon phase diagram and the phase transformations that change the structure and properties at varying levels of carbon content. Microstructures described include pearlite, bainite, proeutectoid ferrite and cementite, ferrite-pearlite, and martensite. The article depicts some of the primary processing steps that result in ferrite-pearlite microstructures. It shows the range of hardness levels which may be obtained by tempering at various temperatures as a function of the carbon content of the steel. To reduce the number of processing steps associated with producing quenched and tempered microstructures, new alloying approaches have been developed to produce high-strength microstructures directly during cooling after forging.

This article is a pictorial representation of commonly observed microstructures in iron-base alloys (carbon and alloy steels, cast irons, tool steels, and stainless steels) that occur as a result of variations in chemical analysis and processing. It reviews a wide range of common and complex mixtures of constituents (single or combination of two phases) that are encountered in iron-base alloys and the complex structure that is observed in these microstructures. The single-phase constituents discussed in the article include austenite, ferrite, delta ferrite, cementite, various alloy carbides, graphite, martensite, and a variety of intermetallic phases, nitrides, and nonmetallic inclusions. The article further describes the two-phase constituents including, tempered martensite, pearlite, and bainite and nonmetallic inclusions in steel that consist of two or more phases.

This article focuses on heat treatment of malleable and compacted-graphite irons to produce ferritic and pearlitic malleable irons. It describes the heat treatment cycles of malleable iron, including martempering, tempering, bainitic heat treatment, and surface hardening. The article provides information on the mechanical and physical properties of compacted-graphite irons, which are determined by the graphite shape and the pearlite/ferrite ratio.

This article discusses some elevated-temperature properties of carbon steels and low-alloy steels with ferrite-pearlite and ferrite-bainite microstructures for use in boiler tubes, pressure vessels, and steam turbines. The selection of steels to be used at elevated temperatures generally involves compromise between the higher efficiencies obtained at higher operating temperatures and the cost of equipment, including materials, fabrication, replacement, and downtime costs. The article considers the low-alloy steels which are the creep-resistant steels with 0.5 to 1.0% Mo combined with 0.5 to 9.0% Cr and perhaps other carbide formers. The factors affecting mechanical properties of steels include the nature of strengthening mechanisms, the microstructure, the heat treatment, and the alloy composition. The article describes these factors, with particular emphasis on chromium-molybdenum steels used for elevated-temperature service. Although the mechanical properties establish the allowable design-stress levels, corrosion effects at elevated temperatures often set the maximum allowable service temperature of an alloy. The article also discusses the effects of alloying elements in annealed, normalized and tempered, and quenched and tempered steels.

The properties of irons and steels are linked to the chemical composition, processing path, and resulting microstructure of the material. For a particular iron and steel composition, most properties depend on microstructure. Processing is a means to develop and control microstructure, for example, hot rolling, quenching, and so forth. This article describes the role of these factors in both theoretical and practical terms, with particular focus on the role of microstructure. It lists the mechanical properties of selected steels in various heat-treated or cold-worked conditions. In steels and cast irons, the microstructural constituents have the names ferrite, pearlite, bainite, martensite, cementite, and austenite. The article presents four examples that have very different microstructures: the structural steel has a ferrite plus pearlite microstructure; the rail steel has a fully pearlitic microstructure; the machine housing has a ferrite plus pearlite matrix with graphite flakes; and the jaw crusher microstructure contains martensite and cementite.

This article is a pictorial representation of commonly observed microstructures in iron-base alloys (carbon and alloy steels, cast irons, tool steels, and stainless steels) that occur as a result of variations in chemical analysis and processing. It reviews a wide range of common and complex mixtures of constituents (single or combination of two phases) that are encountered in iron-base alloys and the complex structure that is observed in these microstructures. The single-phase constituents discussed in the article include austenite, ferrite, delta ferrite, cementite, various alloy carbides, graphite, martensite, and a variety of intermetallic phases, nitrides, and nonmetallic inclusions. The article further describes the two-phase constituents including, tempered martensite, pearlite, and bainite and nonmetallic inclusions in steel that consist of two or more phases.

This article introduces basic physical metallurgy concepts that may be useful for understanding and interpreting variations in metallographic features and how processing affects microstructure. It presents some basic concepts in structure-property relationships. The article describes the use of equilibrium binary phase diagrams as a tool in the interpretation of microstructures. It reviews an account of the two types of solid-state phase transformations: isothermal and athermal. The article discusses isothermal transformation and continuous cooling transformation diagrams which are useful in determining the conditions for proper heat treatment (solid-state transformation) of metals and alloys. The influence of the mechanisms of phase nucleation and growth on the morphology, size, and distribution of grains and second phases is also described.

The heat treatment of steel is based on the physical metallurgical principles that relate to its processing, properties, and structure. The microstructures that result from the heat treatment of steel are composed of one or more phases in which the atoms of iron, carbon, and other elements in steel are associated. This article describes the phases of heat treated steel, and provides information on effect of temperature change and the size of carbon atoms relative to that of iron atoms during the heat treatment.

This article provides a detailed discussion on the factors involved in the selection of steels for austempering, including section thickness limitations of steel parts and modifications of austempering practice. The selection of steel for an austempered component is based on the processing characteristics of the heat treating equipment employed. It is also based on the hardenability and transformation characteristics of the steel alloy as indicated by time-temperature-transformation and isothermal-transformation diagrams. The article contains tables that compare the dimensional changes that occur in stabilizer bars as a result of oil quenching and tempering with those that resulted from austempering. It also discusses the production applications of austempering and the problems encountered in austempering together with their solutions.

This article describes the microstructure and metallographic practices used for medium- to high-carbon steels as well as for low-alloy steels. It explains the microstructural constituents of plain carbon and low-alloy steels, including ferrite, pearlite, and cementite. The article provides information on how to reveal the various constituents using proven metallographic procedures for both macrostructural and microstructural examination. Emphasis is placed on the specimen preparation procedures such as sectioning, mounting, grinding, and polishing. The article illustrates the use of proven etching techniques for plain carbon and low-alloy steels.

The choice of heat treatment depends on the service requirements of a given bearing and how the bearing will be made. This article describes the design parameters, material characteristics required to sustain performance characteristics, metallurgical properties, and dimensional stability. It also provides a description of various extensively-used heat treatment processes, namely, carburizing, carbonitriding, induction surface hardening, and nitriding associated with various bearings. In addition, the article explores the factors to be considered in selecting a process and explains why it is optimum for a specific application.

Induction hardening involves multiple processing steps of heating and quenching which presents opportunity for errors and defects. This article discusses the common problems associated with induction hardening of shafts as well as the methods to diagnose, inspect, and prevent them. In addition to the major defects such as laps and seams that remain after induction hardening, microstructural transformation, decarburization, residual stress, and grain size, as well as variations in carbon content, composition, or microstructure can also affect the hardened part.

Solid-state transformations occurring in a weld are highly nonequilibrium in nature and differ distinctly from those experienced during casting, thermomechanical processing, and heat treatment. This article focuses on welding metallurgy of fusion welding of steels and highlights the fundamental principles that form the basis of many of the developments in steels and consumables for welding. Examples in the article are largely drawn from the well-known and relatively well-studied case of ferritic steel weldments to illustrate the special physical metallurgical considerations brought about by the weld thermal cycles and by the welding environment. The article provides information on welds in other alloy systems such as stainless steels and aluminum-base, nickel-base, and titanium-base alloys.

Hardenability of steel depends on carbon content and other alloying elements as well as on the grain size of the austenite phase. This article provides information on the calculation of high-carbon (carburized) steel hardenability. It contains tables that list multiplying factors that are used for the calculation of case hardenability of carburizing steels and the hardenability of high-carbon steels hardened after a prior normalize or quench treatment. The article reviews the derivation and limitations of multiplying factors.

This article provides general information on the definition, purposes, and quench equipment for direct-forge quenching (DFQ) and direct heat treatment (DHT) processes that are widely used in automotive and various other mechanical industries. It discusses the technological advances in these processes and their ability to produce high-quality components at low production cost from microalloyed steels. Further, the article describes the influence of carbon contents on toughness of microalloyed direct heat treated steels. It focuses on the DFQ and DHT steel technologies applied in continuous rolling mills to produce various DHT steels for machining and cold forming applications.

Austempered ductile iron (ADI) results from a specialty heat treatment of ductile cast iron. This article discusses the production of austempered ductile iron by heat treatment. The austempered ductile iron grades, according to ISO 17804 and EN 1564, are presented in a table. For economic reasons, or to avoid metallurgical problems, combinations of alloys are often used to achieve the desired hardenability in austempered ductile iron. The article provides information on the alloy combinations for austempered ductile iron. The mechanical properties, fracture toughness, fatigue, and abrasion resistance of the austempered ductile iron are discussed. The article concludes with information on the applications for austempered ductile iron.