Synchrotron X-ray studies of austenite and bainitic ferrite

High-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction has been used to conduct in situ studies of the temporal evolution of phases during the isothermal growth of bainite. Two populations of austenitic material were identified: one corresponding to the initial austenite and the other to the carbon-enriched austenite associated with the bainitic ferrite. The observed lattice parameters and the asymmetry of the peaks from the residual austenite have been interpreted in terms of the carbon partitioning due to the transformation. The results are contrasted with an earlier study in which the austenite unit cell appeared to split into two distinct densities prior to the onset of transformation.