Peculiar metastable structural state in carbon steel

The kinetics of phase transformations at cooling of carbon steel in dependence on the temperature of preliminary annealing T$_{an}$ is studied. It is shown that the cooling from T$_{an}$ > A$_3$ (i. e. above the temperature of ferrite start) with the rate 90 - 100 K/s results in structural state which essentially dependent on T$_{an}$; at 750$^0$C < T$_{an}$ < 830$^0$C the transformation is of perlite type whereas at T$_{an}$ > 830$^0$C the martensitic structure arises. Our results evidence the formation of a special structural state in a certain range of temperatures near and above the boundary of two phase region which is characterized by a substantially nanoscale heterogeneity in carbon distribution, lattice distortions, and magnetic short-range order.