Tracking solute atoms during bainite reaction in a nanocrystalline steel

Abstract

The extremely slow transformation kinetics of a nanocrystalline bainitic steel makes this novel structure the perfect candidate to determine the carbon content of the bainitic ferrite away from any carbon enriched regions, such as dislocations and boundaries, as the bainite transformation progresses at extremely low temperatures. The purpose of this atom probe tomography study was to systematically track atom distributions during the bainite reaction in a nanocrystalline steel. The results will provide new experimental evidence on the explanation for the incomplete reaction phenomenon and the carbon supersaturation of the bainitic ferrite during transformation, subjects critically relevant to understanding the atomic mechanism controlling bainitic ferrite growth.