Modelling of temperature history and phase transformations during cooling of steel

A mathematical model based on the finite element method and additivity rule has been developed to predict temperature history and microstructural changes during cooling of steel. The utilized model considers the effects of various factors including initial austenite grain size and its role on the kinetics of pearlite and ferrite transformations, amount of residual strain within the cooling material, heat of transformation and variation of thermo-physical properties of the steel during cooling. The model can be employed as a guideline to design new cooling programs for achieving the desired microstructure and mechanical properties. To verify the results of the modelling, time–temperature measurements during cooling of a low carbon steel together with the microstructural studies have been performed. The comparison between the predictions and the experimental results indicates reliability of the proposed model.