A cellular automaton model of the transformation from austenite to ferrite in low carbon steels

Abstract

A cellular automaton model is developed to simulate the transformation from undeformed austenite to ferrite in low carbon steels. The model is based on a nucleation law to describe nucleation of ferrite at austenite grain boundaries and a stochastic growth algorithm based on the diffusion process of carbon. This modelling provides a visual way to describe a simplified moving boundary problem, for which analytical solutions or well-established numerical models are available, and the simulated results are qualitatively and quantitatively compared to the experimental ones.