Heat treatments analysis of steel using coupled phase field and finite element methods

Steels are known for their remarkable mechanical properties being extensively used in industry. Furthermore, phase transformations in metals and alloys, particularly in steels, are widely studied due to their importance. The understanding of the microstructure evolution in this type of materials is vital to reproduce the thermomechanical behaviour and to create new materials. To analyse the thermomechanical behaviour of steel during phase transition of steels, a phase field model was coupled with a finite element model in order to simulate the heat treatment and microstructure evolution of austenite to pearlite/ferrite. The thermoelastoplastic constitutive equations for each phase were implemented through a user routine in commercial FE software. This procedure presents a more quantitative understanding of the phase transformation in steels and a deeper comprehension of the mechanical behaviour of these materials when subject to heat treatments.