What Is Pearlite

What is Pearlite – Definition
In metallurgy, pearlite is a layered metallic structure of two-phases, which compose of

alternating layers of ferrite (87.5 wt%) and cementite (12.5 wt%) that occurs in some
steels and cast irons.
In
metallurgy, pearlite is a layered metallic structure of two-phases, which compose of
alternating layers of ferrite (87.5 wt%) and cementite (12.5 wt%) that occurs in some
steels and cast irons. It is named for its resemblance to mother of pearl. If steel
(austenite) with a eutectoid composition of approximately 0.77% C is slowly cooled
below 727 °C, the ferrite and cementite phase separate almost simultaneously to
produce a microstructure with distinctive platelets. This distinctive microstructure of
steel is called pearlite. A ferrite phase has a much lower carbon content, and cementite
has a much higher carbon concentration.
In a hypereutectoid composition (greater than 0.8% carbon), the carbon will first
precipitate out as large inclusions of cementite at the austenite grain boundaries until
the percentage of carbon in the grains has decreased to the eutectoid composition
(0.8% carbon), at which point the pearlite structure forms.
In a hypoeutectoid composition, that means when low-carbon steels (with up to 0.30%

C) or medium-carbon steels (with 0.30 to 0.60% C) are slowly cooled from the austenitic
phase, some low-carbon α-ferrite forms first along austenite grain boundaries) until the
remaining composition rises to 0.8% of carbon, at which point the pearlite structure will
form. No large inclusions of cementite will form at the boundaries in hypoeuctoid steel.
The above assumes that the cooling process is very slow, allowing enough time for the
carbon to migrate.
The most common structural steels produced have a mixed ferrite-pearlite

microstructure. Their applications include beams for bridges and high-rise buildings,
plates for ships, and reinforcing bars for roadways. These steels are relatively
inexpensive and are produced in large tonnages.
Other Common Phases in Steels and Irons
In the figure, there is the iron–iron carbide (Fe–Fe3C) phase diagram. The percentage
of carbon present and the temperature define the phase of the iron carbon alloy and
therefore its physical characteristics and mechanical properties. The percentage of
carbon determines the type of the ferrous alloy: iron, steel or cast iron. Source:
wikipedia.org Läpple, Volker – Wärmebehandlung des Stahls Grundlagen. License: CC
BY-SA 4.0
Heat treatment of steels requires an understanding of both the equilibrium phases and
the metastable phases that occur during heating and/or cooling. For steels, the stable
equilibrium phases include:
 Ferrite. Ferrite or α-ferrite is a body-centered cubic structure phase of iron which

exists below temperatures of 912°C for low concentrations of carbon in iron. α-
ferrite can only dissolve up to 0.02 percent of carbon at 727°C. This is because
of the configuration of the iron lattice which forms a BCC crystal structure. The
primary phase of low-carbon or mild steel and most cast irons at room
temperature is ferromagnetic α-Fe.
 Austenite. Austenite, also known as gamma-phase iron (γ-Fe), is a non-
magnetic face-centered cubic structure phase of iron. Austenite in iron-carbon
alloys is generally only present above the critical eutectoid temperature (723°C),
and below 1500°C, depending on carbon content. However, it can be retained to
room temperature by alloy additions such as nickel or manganese. Carbon plays
an important role in heat treatment, because it expands the temperature range of
austenite stability. Higher carbon content lowers the temperature needed to
austenitize steel—such that iron atoms rearrange themselves to form an fcc
lattice structure. Austenite is present in the most commonly used type of
stainless steel, which are very well known for their corrosion resistance.
 Graphite. Adding a small amount of non-metallic carbon to iron trades its
great ductility for the greater strength.
 Cementite. Cementite (Fe3C) is a metastable compound, and under some
circumstances it can be made to dissociate or decompose to form α-ferrite and
graphite, according to the reaction: Fe3C → 3Fe (α) + C (graphite). Cementite in
its pure form is a ceramic and it is hard and brittle which makes it suitable for
strengthening steels. Its mechanical properties are a function of its
microstructure, which depends upon how it is mixed with ferrite.
The metastable phases are:

 Pearlite. In metallurgy, pearlite is a layered metallic structure of two-phases,
which compose of alternating layers of ferrite (87.5 wt%) and cementite (12.5 wt
%) that occurs in some steels and cast irons. It is named for its resemblance to
mother of pearl.
 Martensite. Martensite is a very hard metastable structure with a body-centered
tetragonal (BCT) crystal structure. Martensite is formed in steels when the
cooling rate from austenite is at such a high rate that carbon atoms do not have
time to diffuse out of the crystal structure in large enough quantities to form
cementite (Fe3C).
 Bainite. Bainite is a plate-like microstructure that forms in steels from austenite
when cooling rates are not rapid
enough to produce martensite but are still fast enough so that carbon does not
have enough time to diffuse to form pearlite. Bainitic steels are generally stronger
and harder than pearlitic steels; yet they exhibit a desirable combination of
strength and ductility.
References:
Materials Science:
U.S. Department of Energy, Material Science. DOE Fundamentals Handbook, Volume 1
and 2. January 1993.
U.S. Department of Energy, Material Science. DOE Fundamentals Handbook, Volume 2
and 2. January 1993.
William D. Callister, David G. Rethwisch. Materials Science and Engineering: An
Introduction 9th Edition, Wiley; 9 edition (December 4, 2013), ISBN-13: 978-
1118324578.
Eberhart, Mark (2003). Why Things Break: Understanding the World by the Way It
Comes Apart. Harmony. ISBN 978-1-4000-4760-4.
Gaskell, David R. (1995). Introduction to the Thermodynamics of Materials (4th ed.).
Taylor and Francis Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56032-992-3.
González-Viñas, W. & Mancini, H.L. (2004). An Introduction to Materials Science.
Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-07097-1.
Ashby, Michael; Hugh Shercliff; David Cebon (2007). Materials: engineering, science,
processing and design (1st ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-7506-8391-3.
J. R. Lamarsh, A. J. Baratta, Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, 3d ed., Prentice-Hall,
2001, ISBN: 0-201-82498-1.

What Is Pearlite

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What Is Pearlite

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What is Pearlite – Definition

In metallurgy, pearlite is a layered metallic structure of two-phases, which compose of

In a hypoeutectoid composition, that means when low-carbon steels (with up to 0.30%

The most common structural steels produced have a mixed ferrite-pearlite

 Ferrite. Ferrite or α-ferrite is a body-centered cubic structure phase of iron which

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