Modeling of Microstructure Evolution of Athermal Transformation of Lath Martensite

Abstract

Martensitic microstructures in steels provide the strength and toughness required for the dynamic loads experienced by construction and mining machines. Such microstructures are produced with appropriate heat treatments. A physics based model has been developed to represent the microstructure evolution during the martensitic transformation. This modeling has been used to understand the role of as-quenched microstructure on subsequent processing. This paper describes modeling the martensitic transformation in steels under different cooling rates. The model described in this paper has been validated with a medium carbon, low alloy steel.