The carbon partitioning and lengthening rate of bainitic ferrite (α_b) are excellent experimental parameters to estimate our level of understanding of the mechanism of bainitic transformation from a continuum perspective and our ability to capture it in analytical expressions. For Fe-C alloys and relatively simple steels the classical Zener-Hillert theory captures the bainitic transformation rather well but mispredicts the level of carbon in solution in the bainite and overestimates the lengthening rates for transformations at lower temperatures. To address this issue, this paper presents a new thermo-kinetic model based on the Zener-Hillert theory and the Gibbs energy balance concept to simulate the lengthening behavior of α_b in the Fe-C and low alloyed steels. The model incorporates the effect of the temperature dependent carbon diffusion within the migrating interface via a temperature dependent ferrite/austenite interfacial energy and a temperature dependent diffusion coefficient but does not impose local equilibrium across the interface. The good agreement between the model predictions and nine sets of published experiments indicates that both the carbon supersaturation in α_b and the slower lengthening rate are caused by carbon diffusion within the migrating interface. It is found that the degree of carbon supersaturation in α_b increases significantly with decreasing temperature. Consequently, the enhanced carbon solute drag effect, resulting from carbon diffusion within the interface, strongly retards the lengthening rates of α_b at lower temperatures. Transformation strain is shown to have a modest effect on the lengthening rates but to lower the degree of carbon supersaturation.

Kinetics of the austenite (γ) to ferrite (α) transformation and the reverse ferrite (α) to austenite (γ) transformation in a series of Fe-X (X = Ni, Mn and Co) binary alloys has been experimentally and theoretically investigated. A transition from partitioning to partitionless transformation has been predicted to occur during both the γ→α and α→γ transformations by a so called Gibbs Energy Balance (GEB) model, in which the chemical driving force is assumed to be equal to the energy dissipation due to interface friction and diffusion of X inside the migrating interfaces. The transition temperature is found to depend on the kind of X and its concentration, which is in good agreement with experimental results. The intrinsic mobility of the α/γ interface has been derived from the kinetic curves of both the γ→α and α→γ transformations in the investigated alloys, and its value seems to be marginally affected by the transformation direction and alloying elements.

Over the past decades, the mechanism of interface migration during the austenite-ferrite transformation in steels has attracted significant attention from physical metallurgists. There are two challenging research questions in this field: (i) What is the effect of (substitutional) alloying elements on migrating interfaces? and (ii) How to accurately determine the value of interface mobility?. Recently, a cyclic partial phase transformation approach has been proposed to study interface migration, and new insights into the above two questions have been provided. An overview of the cyclic partial phase transformation concept is given, and pathways for future research are suggested.

The transition temperature between upper bainite and lower bainite is calculated with an extended Gibbs energy balance model, which is able to quantitatively describe the evolution of carbon supersaturation within bainitic ferrite sheaves during the entire thickening process. The nucleation rate of intra-lath cementite precipitation on a dislocation is calculated based on of the degree of carbon supersaturation. Upper bainite and lower bainite are thus distinguished by the effective nucleation density and therefore a numerical criterion can be set to define the transition. The model is applied to Fe-xC-1Mn/2Mn/1Mo ternary alloys. Results show that the transition temperature increases with bulk carbon content at lower carbon concentration but decreases in the higher carbon region. This prediction agrees very well with the experimental observations in Mn and Mo alloyed systems. Moreover, the highest transition temperature and the carbon content at which it occurs in the Fe-xC-2Mn system are in good agreement with reported experimental data. The inverse V shaped character of the carbon concentration-transition temperature curve indicates two opposite physical mechanisms operating at the same time. An analysis is carried out to provide an explanation.