A mini-review on numerical approach of microstructure prediction in eutectoid steel

Abstract

Steels can exhibit various properties depending on their compositions, phases, and microstructures developed during heat treatment. The alloy of Fe-C limited to 0.8% of carbon has been classified as eutectoid steel, which has a crucial position in the Industrial world. Different Numerical methods tried to predict the generation and amount of volume of microstructures during the heat treatment process. The heat treatment process is an inherent and antediluvian metallurgical activity in which materials are constrain to thermal treatment to alleviate internal stresses, curtail brittleness and upgrade machinability. During heating and cooling, change in microstructures evolves, resulting in the variation in physical and mechanical properties of metals, influencing further processing and operation. It is essential to know about microstructural development during the heat treatment process to predict mechanical properties and stress–strain generation during operation. The heat transfer rate during the process (Heat Treatment) plays a vital role during phase transformation, which depends upon local cooling conditions and phase transformation heat (enthalpy) evolution, which changes the thermo-physical properties of the metal. Many different methods formulate heat transfer numerically. Some strategies to predict microstructure development are the finite element method (FEM), finite difference method (FDM), enthalpy formulation, & inverse heat conduction process (IHCP). This article has tried to overview various numerical approaches made for microstructure prediction for eutectoid steel and the effect of heat treatment on it.