Modeling of Cementite Precipitation Kinetics on Solute Carbon Content in Extra and Ultra Low Carbon Steels

Abstract

The solute carbon content in ferrite is one of the important factors to obtain good formability in low carbon steels. Although most of the carbons are consumed by the formation of grain boundary cementite during coiling after hot-rolling, the carbon content after coiling is normally observed much more than that of equilibrium. In this study, a classical nucleation and growth model is used to simulate the precipitation kinetics of the grain boundary cementite from coiling temperature (CT) to room temperature (RT). The predicted precipitation behaviors depending on the initial carbon content and the cooling rate are compared with the reported. As a result, the lateral growth of thickening of cementite is a major factor for the sluggish reaction of grain boundary cementite. The reduction of solute carbon content after coiling is divided into three regions: a) increase due to no cementite precipitation, b) decrease due to the fast length-wise growth of cementite, c) increase due to the slow thickness-wise growth of cementite.