Microstructure Modelling of Solid-State Transformations in Low-Alloy Steel Production

In this work the formation of microstructural banding in a dual-phase steel is investigated by using a three-dimensional cellular automata model for phase transformations. Originally developed for describing the metallurgical processes occurring during the annealing stage of cold-rolled strips, this model is presently applied to investigate microstructural-band formation during the austenite-to-ferrite transformation kinetics during cooling after hot rolling. The recent incorporation in the model of an inhomogeneous concentration of Mn, the alloying element most responsible for the development of microstructural banding, and the local nucleation behaviour dependent on the Mn concentration allows the study of the effect of material and process parameters on the banding formation.