Abstract

The final carbon content of austenite in equilibrium with tempered martensite can be estimated by the so-called constrained carbon equilibrium in the presence of carbide (CCE theta) model. However, the linear predictions under CCE theta deviate from both the initial and the experimentally measured carbon content. A modified approach to the CCE theta model is proposed, which predicts an increase of the carbon content in austenite with the decrease of temperature below the onset of martensitic transformation.