Introduction

 In 1930, Davenport and Bain were the first to report about bainite as a
product of austenite decomposition. This generic term, bainite, has been
so designated in the honour of E.C. Bain. The TTT diagram of eutectoid
steel illustrates its isothermal formation between the nose of the curve
and the Ms temperature. In this wide range of temperature usually 250 to
550°C, lath-shaped fine aggregates of ferrite and carbide form, whose
morphology is distinctly different from that of fine lamellar pearlite.

 Bainite seems to be the most complicated microstructure of steel.

Bainite possesses some of the features which are similar to pearlite
reaction and have some of the characteristics of martensite/
 Bainite may be made to form isothermally, or during athermal treatments at
cooling rates too fast to form pearlite, yet not rapid enough to produce
martensite. In recent years, the argument on the mechanism of the bainite
reaction is still continuing based on the thermodynamics and transformation
kinetics in steels.
 Bainite forms easily in some alloy steels, containing elements like Cr, Mo, B,
etc. Alloying elements which strongly retard the transformation to
ferrite/pearlite, help in formation of bainite on continuous cooling. Ability to
form bainite increases with greater hardenability of the steel.
 Bainitic transformation is quite complex as summarised, the formation of
bainite constitutes a complex problem in competitive reaction kinetics
involving the allotropic transformation of γ → α, the partition of carbon
between these phases, precipitation of cementite and other carbides and
relaxation, of transformation strain. All the γ→α transformations (including
bainite reaction) are a first order transformations which occur by the motion
of well-defined interfaces. The structure of the interface influences the way
in which the atoms of the parent phase (austenite) move in order to
generate the ferrite lattice (product phase).
 Bainite is a non-lamellar mixture of ferrite, retained austenite and/or
carbides that can be obtained in steels by the transformation of austenite in
a temperature range delimited approximately by the martensite start
temperature MS, and the temperature at which fine pearlite can grow at a
reasonable rate.
 Nucleation of bainite is different from that of allotriomorphic ferrite and it
comes from the observation that bainite transformation start temperature B S
decreases at a faster rate with an increase in alloy concentration than is the
case for Ae3 temperature.
 Bainite, as a two-phase microstructure, consists of ferrite and iron carbide.
Bainitic microstructure can be divided into two broad categories based on
the morphology and, this sharp change occurs between the two forms of
bainite around a temperature of about 400°C. “Upper bainite” in this case
consists of parallel ferrite laths with cementite / and austenite layers
between them. The cementite precipitates from the carbon-enriched
austenite films between the ferrite plates; the ferrite itself is free from
carbides. “Lower bainite” is of the plate-like morphology and involves fine
cementite platelets within bainitic ferrite oriented in a specific direction.
 Bainitic transformation has its own ‘C’ curve on its TTT diagram. There is
quite an overlapping between the bottom of the pearlitic reaction curve and
the top of the bainitic reaction curve and ultimately, for example, the TIT
diagram of an eutectoid steel is a continuous single curve. Addition of
certain alloying elements separates these reactions and thus, these
reactions are represented as separate ‘C’ curves on TTT diagram as
represented in Fig. 3.39 (b) for 0.5% C and 3% Cr steel.
 Carbon has the largest effect in lowering the Bs temperature. Above Bs,
austenite does not form bainite except in presence of externally applied
stress. Further, at temperatures below Bs, austenite does not transform
completely to bainite. The amount of bainite formed increases as the
isothermal reaction temperature is lowered as shown schematically in Fig.
3.40. Below a lower limiting temperature, Bf (bainite finish), it is thus
possible to transform austenite completely to bainite.
 The surface-relief accompanied with bainite formation suggests some
similarity with martensitic transformation. As the surface displacements
appear to be uniform for individual plates in lower bainite reaction, there is
every likely-hood of occurrence of martensite type shear with invariant plane
strain type characteristics. However, the bainite plates grow with time, and
new plates are also nucleated.
 Bainitic transformation has its own ‘C’ curve on its TTT diagram. There is
quite an overlapping between the bottom of the pearlitic reaction curve and
the top of the bainitic reaction curve and ultimately, for example, the TIT
diagram of an eutectoid steel is a continuous single curve. Addition of
certain alloying elements separates these reactions and thus, these
reactions are represented as separate ‘C’ curves on TTT diagram as
represented in Fig. 3.39 (b) for 0.5% C and 3% Cr steel.
 Carbon has the largest effect in lowering the Bs temperature. Above Bs,
austenite does not form bainite except in presence of externally applied
stress. Further, at temperatures below Bs, austenite does not transform
completely to bainite. The amount of bainite formed increases as the
isothermal reaction temperature is lowered as shown schematically in Fig.
3.40. Below a lower limiting temperature, Bf (bainite finish), it is thus
possible to transform austenite completely to bainite.
 The surface-relief accompanied with bainite formation suggests some
similarity with martensitic transformation. As the surface displacements
appear to be uniform for individual plates in lower bainite reaction, there is
every likely-hood of occurrence of martensite type shear with invariant plane
strain type characteristics. However, the bainite plates grow with time, and
new plates are also nucleated.
 According to the displacive mechanism, bainite is an aggregate of discrete
sub-units of bainitic ferrite produced directly by shear and retained austenite
or carbides (cementite) which rather form as a secondary reaction.

• Lets see through our journey, which mechanism does Bainite Transformation
follows?