Activity: A function of the chemical potential of a system.

Alloy: A metallic substance that is composed of two or more

elements.

Austenite: Face-centered cubic iron or an iron alloy based on this

structure.

Bainite: The product of the final transformation of austenite

decomposition.

Binary Eutectic: In this context, it means a phase diagram that

consists of two elemwnts that are not completely soluble in the
solid state.

Binary Isomorphous: In this context, it means a phase diagram

that consists of two elements that are completely soluble in both
the liquid and solid states.

Body-centered: A structure in which every atom is surrounded by

eight adjacent atoms, whether the atom is located at a corner or at
the center of a unit cell.

Cementite: The second phase formed when carbon is in excess of

the solubility limit.

Component: Either a pure metal or a compound of which an alloy

is composed.

Compositions: The concentrations of all components or elements

that are found in an alloy.

Constituents: Severing to form, compose, or make up a unit or

whole: component.

Critical point: Point where the densities of liquid and vapor

become equal and the interface between the two vanishes. Above
this point, only one phase can exist.

Delta iron: The body-centered cubic phase which results when

austenite is no longer the most stable form of iron. Exists between
2802 and 2552 degrees F, has BCC lattice structure and is
magnetic.

Dilatometer: An instrument used to measure thermal expansion in

solids, liquids, and gases.

Enthalpy: A state function where it is the heat supplied to a

system at constant pressure to the system.

Entropy: Measure of randomness or disorder in a system

Equilibrium: When the Gibbs free energy is at a minimum

Eutectic: A eutectic system occurs when a liquid phase

tramsforms directly to a two-phase solid.

Eutectoid: A eutectoid system occurs when a single-phase solid

transforms directly to a two-phase solid.

Face-centered: A structure in which there is an atom at the corner

of each unit cell and one in the center of each face, but no atom in
the center of the cube.

Ferrite: Body-centered cubic iron or an iron alloy based on this

structure.

Fine pearlite:Results from thin lamellae when cooling rates are

accelerated and diffusion is limited to shorter distances.

Free Energy: A function of the internal energy of a system - a

measure of entropy of a system

Heterogeneous system: When a system is composed of multiple

phases.

Homogeneous system: When only one phase is present in the

system.

Hypereutectoid: Hypereutectoid systems exist below the eutectoid

temperature.

Hypoeutectoid: Hypoeutectoid systems exist above the eutectoid

temperature.

Isomorphus: Having the same structure. In the phase diagram

sense, isomorphicity means having the same crystal structure or
complete solid solubility for all compositions.

Incongruent phase transformation: This is a phase

transformation where at least one of the phases involved undergoes
a change in composition.

Lamellae: A thin scale, plate, or layer of phases

Ledeburite: Eutectic of cast iron. It exists when the carbon

content is greater than 2 percent. It contains 4.3 percent carbon in
combination with iron.

Lever rule: A mathematical expression whereby the relative phase

amounts in a two-phase alloy at equilibrium may be computed.

Liquidus Line: On a binary phase diagram, that line or boundary

separating liquid and liquid + solid phase regions. For an alloy, the
liquidus temperature is that temperature at which a solid phase first
forms under conditions of equilibrium cooling.

Martensite: An unstable polymorphic phase of iron which forms

at temperatures below the eutectoid because the face-centered
cubic structure of austenite becomes unstable. It changes
spontaneously to a body-centered structure by shearing action, not
diffusion.

Mass spectrometer: An instrument used to separate charged

particles from a prepared beam by means of an electromagnetic
field and to photograph the resulting distribution or spectrum of
masses.

Microstructure: Structure of the phases in a material. Can only be

seen with an optical or electron mircoscope.

Pearlite: A lamellar mixture of ferrite and carbide formed by

decomposing austenite of eutectoid composition.

Phase: A homogeneous portion of a system that has uniform

physical and chemical characteristics.

Phase diagram: A graphical representation of the relationships

between environmental constraints, composition, and regions of
phase stability, ordinarily under conditions of equilibrium.

Polymorphic: The ability of a solid material to exist in more than

one form or crystal structure.

Quench: To rapidly cool

Reference State: Usually an elements most stable state at a given

temperature
Solidus Line: On a phase diagram, the locus of points at which
solidification is complete upon equilibrium cooling, or at which
melting begins upon equilibrium heating.

Solubility: The amount of substance that will dissolve in a given

amount of another substance.

Tie line: A horizontal line constructed across a two phase region

of a binary phase diagram; its intersections with the phase
boundaries on either end represent the equilibrium conditions of
the respective phases at the temperature in question.

Xray diffraction: The scattering of x-rays by atoms in a crystal,

producing a diffraction pattern that yields information about the
structure of the crystal.

Xray flourescence: A method of determining the amount of an

element present in a substance by bombarding it with electrons and
measuring the intensity of the charicteristic x-rays that are given
off by the sample.