Thermodynamic optimization of individual steel database by means of systematic DSC measurements according the CALPHAD approach

Reliable thermodynamic data are essential information required for the design of new steel types and are a prerequisite to effective process optimization and simulation. Moreover, it is important to know the exact temperatures at which the high-temperature phase transformations (T_Liquid, T_Solid, T_Perit, T_γ→δ) occur in order to describe the solidification sequence and to describe further processing parameters. By utilizing DTA/DSC measurements, our earlier experimental studies of selected commercial DP, TRIP and high-Mn TWIP steels, have indicated that currently commercially available databases can often not be utilised to reliably describe the behaviour and microstructural development in such complex alloy systems. Because of these ostensible deficiencies, an experimental study was undertaken in an attempt to determine the pertaining thermodynamic data to analyse the behaviour of the important five- component Fe-C-Si-Mn-Al alloy system. High purity model alloys with systematic alloy variations were prepared and utilized in order to determine the influence of individual alloying elements in this complex, but industrially important alloy system. The present study provides new validated experimental thermodynamic data and analysis of the five-component Fe-C-Si- Mn-Al system, which will allow the construction of new phase diagrams, prediction of solidification sequences and the assessment of micro-segregation. (paper)