Different types of materials have different microstructures. From the point of view of steel, it can be divided into low carbon steel, medium carbon steel and high carbon steel. The microstructure of low carbon steel can be divided into three types: pure iron, 10 steel and 20 steel (annealed state).
Pure iron is an iron containing only impurities, so it has no carbon contact phase. The microstructure of pure iron consists of austenite, ferrite and cementite. Its surface can be magnetically attracted and hard and brittle. Pure iron can be divided into white cast iron, malleable cast iron, vermicular cast iron, spheroidal graphite cast iron and ultra-low carbon steel according to the metallographic structure.
10 steel is a kind of low carbon steel. It is also known as low carbon steel or general structural steel. It is a kind of iron-carbon alloy. The amount of steel is generally 0.1%~0.2%, and its microstructure is pure ferrite. The structure of 10 steel is similar to pure iron. It is soft and tough, and can be magnetically attracted.
20 steel refers to low carbon steel in annealed state. According to the ratio of ferrite and cementite, it can be divided into two types: one is known as pearlite which contains a large amount of ferrite and little cementite. The other is called cementite which contains a large amount of cementite and little ferrite. The yield strength of 20 steel is low, but the impact toughness is good.
In summary, pure iron has no carbon contact phase and its microstructure consists of austenite, ferrite and cementite, while 10 steel and 20 steel are low carbon steels and their microstructures are pure ferrite and ferrite and cementite respectively. Each of these materials has different properties, so it is important to choose the right material for the task at hand.