The ternary iron aluminum carbides

Abstract

Carbides present in ternary Fe–Al–C were investigated by the combined utilization of an X-ray diffractometer and a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. The alloys were prepared by arc melting and the microstructure was homogenised by a solution annealing treatment in the temperature range 950–1050 °C for 15 min. The diffraction patterns of resulting materials were analysed using a multiphase Rietveld refinement. The steel is composed of a ferritic matrix with carbides Fe3C, M23C6, and/or κ-Fe3AlC depending on the Al and C concentration. It is the first time that the existence of M23C6 ternary carbide in the Fe–Al–C system is recognized. Microprobe analyses performed revealed that the solubility of Al in M23C6 is low, with an Fe/Al ratio (in at.%) higher than 15. On the other hand, the amount of Al in the cementite is negligible and hence its lattice parameters do not depend on the Al concentration of the alloy.