Stainless Steel Flashcards
what category does stainless steel come under
it is a wrought alloy
what is a wrought alloy
can be manipulated / shaped by cold working i.e. it can be drawn into a wire
uses of stainless steel
orthodontic wires and partial denture clasps
components of steel
> 98% iron
<2% carbon
0.5-1% chromium (to increase tarnish resistance)
what is cast / pig iron
when the carbon content is above 2%
uses of stainless steel
cutting instruments >0.8% C
medical instruments e.g. forceps <0.8% C
iron is allotropic, what does this mean
in a solid state it can exist in 2 crystalline forms (2 phases) depending on the temperature
examples of iron acting as an allotrope
900 < temp < 1400C = face centred cubic lattice (FCC) with a higher carbon solubility (2%)
temp <900 or >1400C = body centred cubic lattice (BCC) with a low carbon solubility (0.05%)
what 4 things are found in a Fe-C diagram
- austenite
- ferrite
- cementite
- pearlite
austenite
interstitial solution, FCC; exists as high temp i.e. >720 C
ferrite
very dilute solid solution, exists at low temp
cementite
Fe3C exists at low temp
pearlite
eutectoid mixture of ferrite & cementite
what is an alloy
2 metals that form a common lattice structure, are soluble in one another and form a solid solution
what are 2 types of solid solution
substitutional & interstitial
2 types of substitutional solid solution
a) random - where both types of atoms in the lattice structure are arranged in a random fashion
b) ordered - can predict the type of atom based on its location
interstitial solid solution
2 atoms are markedly different in size e.g. iron occupies all the lattice sites and the carbon fits in the spaces in a random fashion
rapidly cooling FeC gives
grain structure locked in to make austenite
slowly cooling molten alloy FeC gives
ferrite & cementite but also large grains with poor mechanical properties which is not ideal
what happens when you quench FeC
should give austenite but in reality gives martensite