Progress in elemental segregation and solute drag effect at the austenite/ferrite interface

Abstract

The high-performance development of steels relies on precise control of their microstructure. Solid-state phase transformation is a crucial means for the microstructure control of steels, and a thorough exploration of the phase transformation mechanisms holds dual 中国科学: 技术科学 年 第 卷 第 期 significance for both scientific understanding and practical applications. The austenite to ferrite transformation is one of the most critical phase transformations in the fabrication of high-strength steels. Due to the addition of alloying elements, complex thermos-kinetic events such as elemental partitioning, elemental interface segregation, and carbide precipitation will occur during the real phase transformation process. Among these, elemental interface segregation and the associated solute drag effect are regarded as one of the most important and challenging topics in the field. This paper would briefly summarize the recent progress in this topic from both experimental and theoretical perspectives, and also provide discussions and outlook of the unresolved scientific issues.