A q-state Potts model-based Monte Carlo method used to model the isothermal austenite-ferrite transformation under non-equilibrium interface condition

A q-state Potts model-based Monte Carlo method is developed to model the austenite-ferrite transformation, which occurs during the isothermal austenite decomposition with a non-equilibrium austenite-ferrite interface in an Fe-C binary system on a mesoscale. In this simulation, the carbon diffusion in the ferrite is allowed and the carbon diffusion simulation is independent of the numerical solution of the diffusion equation. During the isothermal austenite decomposition, the nonequilibrium austenite-ferrite interface is mixed diffusion/interface controlled. It is found that the characteristic of the transformation varies as the transformation proceeds. The effects of the bulk carbon concentration and the soaking temperature on the characteristics of the isothermal austenite-ferrite transformation are investigated.