| Abstract Scope |
Quantitative analysis of microstructural evolution during thermomagnetic processing poses a significant challenge due to complex interactions between energetics and kinetics. Adhering to the principle that 'microstructures define properties', optimizing and fine-tuning processing conditions offer a pathway to enhance materials’ properties. Magnetic fields applied during heat treatment have shown potential to refine microstructures, improving mechanical responses such as yield strength in steels. However, the mechanisms driving these improvements remain debated. Furthermore, in the Fe-C system the γ-to-α transformation, driven by ferrite nucleation at prior austenite grain boundaries, is hypothesized to be influenced by external magnetic fields. This work employs a diffuse-interface phase-field model to study microstructure evolution in a polycrystalline Fe–C binary alloy under applied magnetic fields. Incorporating micro-elastic effects alongside chemical and magnetic contributions, and using CALPHAD-derived Gibbs energies, simulations reproduce field-aligned morphologies consistent with experimental observations, elucidating the synergistic role of chemical, magnetic, and elastic interactions. |