A Semi-Empirical Model for the evolution of Retained Austenite via Bainitic Transformation in Multiphase TRIP Steels

Multiphase TRIP steels exhibit unique combinations of strength and cold formability, characteristics especially desirable in automotive applications. This behaviour is largely determined by the amount and stability of the retained austenite dispersion in the microstructure, produced by a two-stage heat-treatment, consisting of intercritical annealing followed by an isothermal bainitic treatment. The amount and stability of retained austenite is mainly determined by the proper selection of the temperature and temporal duration of the bainitic treatment. In the present work an approach is presented which allows for the calculation of the amount of retained austenite in the microstructure, as a function of bainitic treatment conditions. The approach is based on the physical characteristics of the bainitic transformation and on the stabilizing effects of the formation of bainitic ferrite in austenite. Each bainitic ferrite platelet is considered to chemically stabilize a part of the surrounding austenite due to carbon rejection. The spatial and temporal extent of this stabilization is determined by solving the corresponding carbon-diffusion problem, and thus the amount of retained austenite contributed by any individual platelet is determined. Subsequently, the evolution of the population of the platelets in the entire microstructure is determined and, thus, the volume fraction of retained austenite as a function of transformation time is calculated. Application and comparison of calculations with experimental results, obtained from four different multiphase TRIP steel compositions, exhibited very good qualitative and quantitative agreement