<i>In Situ</i> High Temperature X-Ray Studies on Bainitic Transformation of Austempered Silicon Alloyed Steels

Abstract

The in-situ X-ray diffraction observations of the bainitic transformation of silicon alloyed steels were performed using the high temperature X-ray diffraction technique. The experimental results have shown that the volume fraction and carbon content of austenite remains a constant value which indicate that the transformation is almost finished after the early stages of austempering transformation. Asymmetry diffraction peaks are obtained for samples at the early stage of transformation due to a heterogeneous distribution of carbon in different regions of austenite and thus exists two types of austenite: low-carbon austenite (γLC) and the high-carbon austenite (γHC). The experimental results supports that the bainite growth is by a non-diffusive mechanism when austempering temperature is in the lower bainite transformation temperature.