Question

What is the amount of pearlite formed during the equilibrium cooling of a 1055 steel from 1000°C to room temperature?

Answer 1

Answer: 98.5% of pearlite was formed during the equilibrium cooling

Explanation:

First we calculate the fraction of pro-eutectoid phase which forms for equilibrium cooling of the 1085 steel from 1000°C at room temperature;

we know that in 1085 steel, last two digits denotes the carbon percentage

so 1085 steel contains 0.85% carbon.

Now from the diagram, carbon percentage is greater than the eutectoid com[psition

i.e 0.85 > 0.76

it is a hyper eutectoid steel

so

fraction of pro eutectoid phase W_Fe₃C = (0.85 - 0.76) / ( 6.7 - 0.76)

= 0.09 / 5.94 = 0.015 = 1.5%

Now, the amount of pearlite formed during the equilibrium cooling of the 1055 steel from 1000°C to room temperature will be;

pearlite (C') = (1 - W_Fe₃C)

= 1 - 0.015

= 0.985 = 98.5%

Therefore 98.5% of pearlite was formed during the equilibrium cooling