Dissemination of IT for the Promotion of Materials Science (DoITPoMS)

DoITPoMS Micrograph Library Full Record for Micrograph 78

Full Record for Micrograph 78

Link to full size image of micrograph 78
[239 KB]

View micrograph
.. in new window

View micrograph and record
.. in new window


You can also view and download the micrographs on Flickr
Micrograph no
78
Brief description
Forging steel, brittle, intergranular fracture
Keywords
alloy Link to MATTER Glossary entry for alloy, brittle Link to MATTER Glossary entry for brittle, carbon, fracture Link to MATTER Glossary entry for fracture, intergranular Link to MATTER Glossary entry for intergranular, iron, metal, steel Link to MATTER Glossary entry for steel
Categories
Fracture, Metal or alloy
System
Fe-C-X   Link to phase diagram
Composition
Forging steel
Standard codes
Reaction
Processing
Applications
Sample preparation
Technique
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
Length bar
800 μm
Further information
This steel has been given a welding type stress relief heat treatment which has resulted in the embrittlement of prior austenite grain boundaries due to the segregation of impurities to the boundaries (like P and Sn). The fracture path is now intergranular following the weakened grain boundaries. A similar fracture mechanism is observed with glassy phases and intergranular porosity in ceramics.
Contributor
Prof T W Clyne
Organisation
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge
Date
25/10/01
Licence for re-use
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International