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The kinetics of ferrite nucleation at austenite grain boundaries in Fe-C alloys

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Abstract

The nucleation kinetics of grain boundary allotriomorphs of proeutectoid ferrite at austenite grain faces have been measured in three high purity Fe-C alloys as a function of isothermal reaction time and temperature. Several correction techniques, including discrimination between different nucleation sites and the effect of carbon diffusion fields on further nucleation of ferrite, were incorporated into a stereological procedure utilizing the SchwartzJSaltykov size distribution analysis. This analysis enabled the number of ferrite particles per unit unreacted grain boundary area to be obtained as a function of isothermal reaction time, and thus the time-dependent nucleation kinetics to be obtained as a function of temperature and carbon concentration. These rates were then compared with those predicted by classical heterogeneous nucleation theory using various models for the critical nucleus. It was concluded that viable critical nuclei must have predominately low energy interphase boundaries. Only a very small fraction of the austenite grain face area appears to be capable of supporting nucleation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IBM Corporation, V42J025-1, 80302, Boulder, CO

    W. F. Lange (Senior Engineer and Manager of Electronic Packaging Technology Group)

  2. Tsukuba Laboratories, National Research Institute for Metals, 1-2-1 Sengen, Sakura-Mura, 305, Niihari- Gun, Ibaraki, Japan

    M. Enomoto (Senior Researcher)

  3. Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Carnegie Mellon University, 15213, Pittsburgh, PA

    H. I. Aaronson (Professor)

Authors
  1. W. F. Lange
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  2. M. Enomoto
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  3. H. I. Aaronson
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Formerly Graduate Student, Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931

Formerly Professor at Michigan Technological University

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Lange, W.F., Enomoto, M. & Aaronson, H.I. The kinetics of ferrite nucleation at austenite grain boundaries in Fe-C alloys. Metall Trans A 19, 427–440 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02649256

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