Modelling deformation-induced martensite transformation in high-carbon steels

The transformation behaviour of retained austenite in steels is known to differ according to chemical composition and other microstructural attributes. Earlier research indicated that austenite in high-carbon steels transforms into martensite only when the applied stress exceeds a critical value, contrary to low-carbon steels where transformation occurs in the early stages of deformation. Although transformation models have been proposed, most are optimised for low-carbon steels. Here, we propose physics-based models applied to high-carbon steels to overcome previous limitations. The models have fewer free parameters (4) compared to previous approaches (6), exhibiting improvements in the numerical and physical interpretation of the austenite transformation process. We envision the use of these models as tools for alloy design, also highlighting their scientific and technological value.