1 m

Surface 1

Surface 2

50 m
Srinivasan & Wayman, 1968

s c r
1

50 m

Carbon supersaturated plate

Carbon diffusion into austenite

Carbon diffusion into austenite and carbide precipitation in ferrite

Carbide precipitation from austenite

UPPER BAINITE (High Temperature)

LOWER BAINITE (Low Temperature)

2
Fe-0.4C wt%

Decarburisation time / s

0 300

400

500

Temperature / C

Temperature

Ae3'

T' o x

Carbon in austenite

500
T'o To Ae3'

450

Temperature / C

400 350 300 250 0.0

0.1

0.2

Carbon in austenite / mole fraction

Summary
The mechanism of transformation is displacive
Transformation temperatures higher than martensite Bainite grows without diffusion

But carbon then escapes into the residual austenite

Shape deformation plastically accommodated Sub-unit mechanism of growth

DISPLACIVE

RECONSTRUCTIVE

Summary
Mechanism of transformation is displacive but carbon must partition during growth.
Pairs of plates grow together to minimise strain.