The bainite transformation and the carbide precipitation of 4.88% aluminium austempered ductile iron investigated using electron microscopy

The transformation to a bainitic microstructure during austempering under different conditions was examined for the most successful of the experimental casts. Austenitising temperature of 920 deg. C and austempering temperature of 350 deg. C for different holding times have been used. Microstructures have been examined by SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that isothermal transformation at 350 deg. C for different soaking times gave a typical bainitic microstructure that increased with increasing austempering time. Extension of isothermal transformation time leads to precipitation of carbides which also depended on the bainitic phase transformation