This chapter discusses ferrous metals, including low-carbon steels, stainless steels, and cast irons. It also provides information on hardening and hardenability and the tempering process.

This chapter is a compilation of terms and definitions related to component failure analysis.

This chapter is a compilation of terms and definitions related to component failure analysis.

This chapter provides perspective on the physical dimensions associated with the microstructure of steel and the instruments that reveal grain size, morphology, phase distributions, crystal defects, and chemical composition, from which properties and behaviors derive. The chapter also reviews the definitions and classifications used to identify and differentiate commercial steels, including the AISI/SAE and UNS designation systems.

A brittle fracture occurs at stresses below the material's yield strength (i.e., in the elastic range of the stress-strain diagram). This chapter focuses on brittle fracture in metals and, more specifically, ferrous alloys. It lists the factors that must all be present simultaneously in order to cause brittle fracture in a normally ductile steel. The chapter then discusses the macroscale characteristics and microstructural aspects of brittle fracture. A summary of the types of embrittlement experienced by ferrous alloys is presented. The chapter concludes with a brief section providing information on mixed fracture morphology.

This chapter presents the Unified Numbering System (UNS) for metals and alloys.

This article describes the repair of weld defects and failed structures. It provides information on three factors that must first be considered before attempting a repair, namely material weldability, nature of the failure that prompted the repair, and involvement of any code requirements. The article discusses the processes involved in welding process selection and the methods of preparing base metal for repair welding. It presents the guidelines for weld repairs of various ferrous (carbon steels, cast irons, and stainless steels) and nonferrous (for example, titanium) base metals.

This chapter discusses the principles of corrosion of metals in aqueous environments. The thermodynamics of aqueous corrosion is the subject of the first half of this chapter, which addresses concepts such as corrosion reactions and free-energy change, the relationship between free energy and electrochemical potential, the effect of ionic concentration on electrode potential, and the corrosion behavior of a metal based on its potential-pH diagram. The corrosion (potential-pH) behavior of iron, gold, copper, zinc, aluminum, and titanium are described. Understanding the kinetics of corrosion and the factors that control the rates of corrosion reactions requires examination of the concepts of polarization behavior and identification of the various forms of polarization in an electrochemical cell. These concepts, addressed in the remaining of this chapter, include anodic and cathodic reactions, the mixed-potential theory, and the exchange currents.

The appendix provides a glossary of practical heat treating terms.

In forgings of both ferrous and nonferrous metals, the flaws that most often occur are caused by conditions that exist in the ingot, by subsequent hot working of the ingot or the billet, and by hot or cold working during forging. The inspection methods most commonly used to detect these flaws include visual, magnetic particle, liquid penetrant, ultrasonic, eddy current, and radiographic inspection. This chapter provides a detailed discussion on the characteristics, process steps, applications, advantages, and limitations of these methods. It also describes the flaws caused by the forging operation and the principal factors that influence the selection of a nondestructive inspection method for forgings.

This chapter discusses the use of phase diagrams in alloy design, processing, and performance assessment. The examples cover both ferrous and nonferrous metals and a variety of goals and objectives. The chapter also identifies limitations and pitfalls associated with the use of phase diagrams.

Tool steels are the ferrous alloys used to manufacture tools, dies, and molds that shape, form, and cut other materials, including steels, nonferrous metals, and plastics. This chapter explores the considerations that make tool steels a very special class of steels, the long historical evolution of iron and steel manufacture, including steels for tools, and the development of tool steels as they emerged from the general class of iron and steel products.

This chapter discusses the processes involved in heat treating of stainless steels, providing information on the classification, chemical compositions, and corrosion resistance of stainless steels. Five groups of stainless steels are discussed: austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, precipitation-hardening, and duplex grades. The chapter also describes the heat treatment conditions that should be followed for processing of stainless steels.