A tailor-made thermodynamic database of the Fe-Mn-Al-C system was developed using the CALPHAD approach. The database enables predicting phase equilibria and thereby assessing the resulting microstructures of Fe-Mn-Al-C alloys. Available information on the martensite start (M s) temperature was reviewed. By employing the M s property model in the Thermo-Calc software together with the new thermodynamic database and experimental M s temperatures, a set of model parameters for the Fe-Mn-Al-C system in the M s model was optimised. Employing the newly evaluated parameters, the calculated M s temperatures of the alloys in the Fe-Mn-Al-C system were compared with the available measured M s temperatures. Predictions of M s temperatures were performed for the alloys, Fe-10, 15 and 20 wt.% Mn-xAl-yC. The predictability of the M s model can be further validated when new experimental M s temperatures of the Fe-Mn-Al-C system are available. Keywords CALPHAD Á Fe-Mn-Al-C Á lightweight steels Á martensite start temperature This invited article is part of a special issue of the Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion in honor of Prof. Zhanpeng Jin's 80th birthday. The special issue was organized by Prof. Ji-Cheng (JC) Zhao,
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