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Real Materials

Interphase Boundaries

Interphase boundaries separate materials of different composition. Boundaries of this type occur frequently in technical materials.
In carbon steels, alloys between iron and carbon, Pearlite is a common room temperature constituent of the alloy.
Pearlite has two constituents, ferrite and iron carbide. Ferrite is an iron/carbon solid solution and the carbide a distinct chemical compound, Fe3C. In the photograph the carbide is dark. (x 2500)

From: Guy,
"Introduction to Materials Science," McGraw Hill (1972)

The right hand gray region in the photograph is Austenite, an fcc solid solution of carbon in iron. The pearlite is growing from the Austenite phase.