The spheroidization of pearlite

Abstract

In a current publication we show that the kinetics of spheroidization of a deformed Al-CuAl₂ eutectic can be explained by a simple geometric model based on Mullins's analysis of thermal grooving of grain boundaries. For this particular eutectic the kinetics are controlled by rapid interface diffusion, but in other systems the controlling rate could be volume diffusion in either phase or a slow interface reaction. In this Note we demonstrate that the same model provides a reasonable figure for the rate of spheroidization of pearlite in cold-worked and annealed, and hot-fatigued eutectoid steels.