Metallographic evidence of carbon diffusion in the growth of bainite Original Research Article

There are two paradigms regarding the formation of bainite. One is based on the first stage being rapid, diffusionless growth of acicular ferrite and the subsequent formation of carbide occurring by precipitation from the supersaturated ferrite. An assumption that the first stage occurs as a series of subsequent rapid steps resulting in sub-units plays an important role as an explanation of the not so rapid growth observed macroscopically. The other paradigm is based on the first stage being the formation of acicular ferrite under carbon diffusion and on the subsequent growth of carbide and ferrite side by side. Metallographic observations are presented that support the second paradigm. It is difficult to see how they can be accounted for by the first paradigm, in particular the observation of the shapes of sub-units.