Physical Metallurgy

Phases and heat treatment. Phase diagrams, the iron–carbon system, transformation kinetics, hardening, tempering and age hardening.

• Phase Diagrams & the Iron–Carbon System — Maps of what forms at each composition and temperature. Learn phases, components and equilibrium, the Gibbs phase rule, unary diagrams, binary isomorphous systems (Cu–Ni) with the tie line and lever rule, eutectic, eutectoid and peritectic reactions, microstructure development on cooling, and the iron–iron carbide diagram (ferrite, austenite, cementite, pearlite, hypo- and hypereutectoid steels, cast irons) — with Python applying the lever rule to find phase and microconstituent fractions in a 0.40% C steel.
• Phase Transformations & Heat Treatment of Steels and Alloys — Changing properties with heat. Learn transformation kinetics (nucleation and growth, the Avrami/JMAK equation), TTT and CCT diagrams, pearlite, bainite and martensite, hardening by quenching (quench media, severity, distortion and cracking), hardenability and the Jominy test, tempering and the Hollomon–Jaffe parameter, annealing, normalising, spheroidising, stress relieving, surface hardening (carburising, nitriding, induction), and precipitation (age) hardening of aluminium alloys — with Python for Avrami kinetics and equivalent tempering treatments.