Austenite

Heat Treatment

定義

A face-centered cubic (FCC) phase of iron or iron alloy that exists at elevated temperatures in plain carbon steels and at room temperature in certain stainless steels. It is non-magnetic and dissolves up to 2.14 wt% carbon.

詳細説明

In plain carbon steels, austenite is stable above approximately 727°C (the Ac1 temperature) and transforms to ferrite, pearlite, bainite, or martensite upon cooling depending on the cooling rate. Austenitic stainless steels (e.g., 304 and 316) retain the FCC structure at room temperature due to sufficient nickel and manganese content stabilizing the austenite phase. The austenite grain size at the time of quenching strongly influences the final mechanical properties.