Pearlite

Ledeburite

Austenite

Cementite

Ferrite

Single crystals are materials in which the atomic order extends uninterrupted over the entirety of the specimen

The vast majority of crystalline solids are polycrystalline

The vast majority of crystalline solids are single crystals

Single crystals are extremely rare and they only exist in nature

Grain boundaries are beneficial in single crystals

Polycrystalline materials are composed of many small crystals or grains having different crystallographic orientations

A grain boundary is the boundary region separating two grains, wherein there is some atomic mismatch

the solvent component retains its crystal lattice and the soluble component atoms are disposed between the solvent component atoms (interstitial solid solution)

the solvent component retains its crystal lattice, but the atoms of the soluble component replace the atoms of the solvent component

the crystal lattices of the atoms of two different components lie in layers in the alloy

Cu atoms retain the crystal lattice and Ni atoms replace Cu atoms

Fe₃C

Cu(Zn)

in a chemical compound, different atoms are housed in a crystal lattice, with the crystal lattice of one component remaining

Pearlite

Ledeburite

Austenite

Cementite

Ferrite

hardness increases

ductility decreases

hardness decreases

formability is deteriorating

ductility increases but toughness decreases