This document discusses time-temperature transformation (TTT) curves and the different microstructures that form in steel depending on the cooling process. It provides details on:
1) Isothermal TTT curves show the change in phase that occurs at constant temperature and can indicate the start and finish of transformations.
2) The TTT diagram for eutectoid steel shows the transformations of austenite to pearlite, bainite, and martensite depending on temperature and time.
3) Different cooling processes (paths on the TTT diagram) will result in different microstructures like martensite, bainite, or pearlite, with martensite being the hardest and strongest and