Abstract
The definition of the practical upper temperature limit of the bainite reaction in steels is discussed. Because the theoretical upper temperature limit of bainite reaction, B 0, can neither be obtained directly from experimental measurements, nor from calculations, then, different models related to the practical upper temperature limit of bainite reaction, B S, are reviewed and analyzed first in order to define the B 0 temperature. A new physical significance of the B S and B 0 temperatures in steels is proposed and analyzed. It is found that the B 0 temperature of the bainite reaction in steels can be defined by the point of intersection between the thermodynamic equilibrium curve for the austenite→ferrite transformation by coherent growth (curve Z\(\gamma \to \overrightarrow \alpha \)) and the extrapolated thermodynamic equilibrium curve for the austenite→cementite transformation (curve ES in the Fe-C phase diagram). The B S temperature for the bainite reaction is about 50–55 °C lower than the B 0 temperature in steels. Using this method, the B 0 and B S temperatures for plain carbon steels were found to be 680 °C and 630 °C, respectively. The bainite reaction can only be observed below 500 °C because it is obscured by the pearlite reaction which occurs prior to the bainite reaction in plain carbon steels. A new formula, B S(°C) =, 630-45Mn-40V-35Si-30Cr-25Mo-20Ni-15W, is proposed to predict the B S temperature of steel. The effect of steel composition on the B S temperature is discussed. It is shown that B S is mainly affected by alloying elements other than carbon, which had been found in previous investigations. The new formula gives a better agreement with experimental results than for 3 other empirical formulae when data from 82 low alloy steels from were examined. For more than 70% of these low alloy steels, the B S temperatures can be predicted by this new formula within ±25°C. It is believed that the new equation will have more extensive applicability than existing equations since it is based on data for a wide range of steel compositions (7 alloying elements).
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Zhao, Z., Liu, C., Liu, Y. et al. A new empirical formula for the bainite upper temperature limit of steel. Journal of Materials Science 36, 5045–5056 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011874708194
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011874708194