The goal of the study of the relationships between phase transformations, microstructure and properties is to obtain specific microstructures, depending on the thermomechanical and heat treatments that will improve the mechanical properties of an alloy for its future use. These useful properties generally derive from the non-equilibrium state of the alloys. Knowledge of the phase diagrams calculated at or out of equilibrium is necessary to perform thermomechanical and then heat treatments in the temperature ranges where the phase domains exist.
Phase transformationsAt T ¼ cst, an alloy is composed of phases, which are homogeneous parts having identical chemical composition, crystal structure, microstructure and properties, but different from the other parts. An example is given in Figure 1. When a heat treatment is performed, the alloy transforms to one or a mixture of new phases because its initial thermodynamic state is less stable compared than the final one. For transformations occurring at constant pressure and temperature, the relative stability of a closed system (fixed mass and chemical composition) is given by its Gibbs free energy G ¼ H À TS, which achieves a minimum such as dG (T,P) ¼ 0. When the cooling rate of the thermal treatment is fast (such as a quenching from the homogenisation temperature situated in the single phase domain), the thermodynamic state of the system is metastable; however, when the cooling is very slow and follows the equilibrium conditions, the state of the system is stable.Three types of phase transformations are reported: The diffusion transformations (civilian transformations), during which the crystal is completely rebuilt during the diffusion process either by substitutional (atoms, vacancies diffusion) or interstitial mechanisms. They produce stable phases; for example: the eutectic transformation, the disorder-order transition. The diffusionless transformations (military transformations), where a shear of the parent phase occurs. They produce metastable phases; for example, the martensitic transformations and the omega-phase formation. The mixed transformations, such as the bainitic transformation in steels (nucleation by shear transformation of the austenite then growth by diffusion process). Some uncertainties remain about the mechanism of these transformations.Determination of the phase transformations requires an interactive approach using both experiments and thermodynamic modeling simulations, especially when the number of elements is greater than three or four, in order to avoid a long time of experiments. Computer simulation of the phase diagram of a system by the CALPHAD (CALculation of Phase Diagrams) [2] method requires: COMMUNICATION Fig. 1. Bright-field electron micrograph showing the a' martensite (TiÀ25AlÀ2Mo (mol-%), hexagonal DO19, brittle) and b (TiÀ22AlÀ6Mo (mol-%), bcc A2, ductile) phases in the TiÀ23.8AlÀ3.5Mo (mol-%) alloy homogenised in the b field then quenched with liquid nitrogen.The mechanical or use properties of alloys are determined by their ...