Chapter 9 Flashcards
Why are phase diagrams important?
Phase diagrams have characterize the development of microstructure of alloys which correspond to mechanical properties
What is a component?
Pure metals and/or compounds of which an alloy is composed (like a solute and solvent)
What is a system?
2 meanings
1) A specific body of material under consideration
2) the series of possible alloys consisting of the same components but without regard to alloy composition
What is the solubility limit?
the maximum concentration of solute atoms that may dissolve in the solvent to form a solid solution
What does the addition of solute in excess of the solubility limit result in?
The formation of another solid solution or compound that has a distinctly different composition
What does solubility limit increase with?
Temperature
What is a phase?
A homogenous portion of a system that has uniform physical and chemical characteristics
Is every pure material considered to be a phase?
Yes
Are solid, liquid, and gaseous SOLUTIONS phases?
yes
ex: a sugar-water solution
Are FCC and BCC structures of the same substance in the same phase?
No, they are in separate phases because their respective physical characteristics differ
What is a single-phase system?
Homogenous system
What is a mixture?
Heterogeneous systems
Are most metallic alloys homogenous or heterogenous?
Heterogenous
What does the mechanical behavior of a material depend on?
the microstructure
In metal alloys, what is microstructure characterized by in a phase diagram?
The number of phases present, their proportions, and the manner in which they are distributed or arranged
What does the microstructure of an alloy depend on?
Alloying elements present, their concentrations, and the heat treatment of the alloy
When is a system at equilibrium?
If its free energy is at a minimum under some specified combination of temperature, pressure, and composition
What is free energy?
Is a function of the internal energy of a system and also the randomness or disorder of the atoms and molecules
What is phase equilibrium?
Equilibrium as it applies to systems in which more than one phase may exist. It’s a constancy with time in the phase characteristics of a system.
ex: a solid sugar & sugar-water solution is at a phase equilibrium with a constant (60%- 40%), but then temperature is increased, taking it out of phase equilibrium, and then it settles back into equilibrium with a new ration (50%-50%)
What is a metastable state?
A state of system where equilibrium is never completely achieved because the rate of approach to equilibrium is extremely slow
What is another name of a metastable state?
nonequilibrium
Are metastable structures or equilibrium structures of more practical significance? Why?
metastable structure. some metals’ strength relies on the formation of metastable microstructures
What is another word for one-component phase diagrams?
unary
What’s another name for a phase diagram?
Equilibrium diagram
What are the three externally controllable parameters that affect phase structure?
Temperature, pressure, and composition
What is the simplest phase diagram to understand?
Pressure-temperature phase diagram
one-component system where composition is help constant
temperature (x-axis) versus ln(pressure) (y-axis)
What do the boundaries mean in a Pressure-Temperature phase diagram?
They are called phase boundaries and that means that any point on one of these curves, the two phases on either side of the curve are in equilibrium (or coexist) with one another