Edward DeMille Campbell Memorial Lecture: Prof. Harry Bhadeshia, Cambridge University, presents “Mechanism of the bainite transformation – a consensus finally?”.
Edward DeMille Campbell Memorial Lecture: Prof. Harry Bhadeshia, Cambridge University, presents “Mechanism of the bainite transformation – a consensus finally?”.
Tuesday, October 21, 2025: 10:30 AM-11:30 AM
A rearrangement of atoms in the solid-state can be driven by external stimuli that cause changes in the structure and properties of the material over a variety of length scales. Steels are blessed with the ability to accept most of the elements in the periodic table, leading to a rich variety of phase changes that can be manipulated to create alloys that are fit-for-purpose.
A mathematical understanding of how atoms translate during the phase change can in principle nurture creativity that might steal the show. It is in this context that I describe the bainite transformation, which has a chequered history about the processes that occur at the atomic scale. Both in terms of the level of chaos during nucleation and growth, and whether small and large atoms need to be treated differently. There now seems to be a consensus on this subject, though care still is needed in dealing with detail. Once implemented properly, bainitic steels can be created that were never imagined, using theory alone.