Vol.1 ● No.

3 ● 2012 Scientific Research Journal of India 53

Study of Non-Isothermal Kinetic of Austenite Transformation to Pearlite in

CK45 Steel by Ozawa Model Free Method

Mohammad Kuwaiti*

Abstract:
In recent years, many researchers have been done about the kinetics of thermal
decomposition processes. In this study, The Ozawa model free method were used to
study the Non-Isothermal kinetic of Austenite Transformation to Pearlite. DTA
o
method was used at cooling rates of 5, 10 and 20
min , under argon atmosphere.
Activation energy as a kinetics parameter was determined by using of Ozawa model
free method. The results show that the Activation energy in Ozawa model free method
is in range of 44.8-45.6 KJ mol .

Keywords: Kinetic, Non-Isothermal, Austenite, Pearlite, Ozawa model, DTA,

Activation Energy.

INTRODUCTION

Heterogeneous chemical reactions are ferrite. In kinetic study of heterogeneous

reactions that the components of reaction
are in different phases, these phases that
make up the interfaces and usually reactions
are performed in interfaces1. Reactions are
started in Austenite transformation to
pearlite from interface of austenite and
reactions, is assumed that the equation of
rate is also true in the homogeneous gas
reactions2. In the effect of cooling, in
diagram of equilibrium of Iron – Carbon,
austenite transformation to pearlite occurs at
3, 4
the temperatures near 727°C . In this

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 Vol.1 ● No. 3 ● 2012 Scientific Research Journal of India 54

study, Ozawa and Friedman models free energy in the various progresses fraction of
method were used for kinetic of austenite reaction11.
transformation to pearlite in non-isothermal Eα (1)
ln( β i ) = C −
conditions. Using model free methods begin RTα ,i
to investigate non-isothermal kinetics from
In equation 1, C is the constant, Tα ,i is the
60 A. D.5, 6. In model free methods, is
temperature in the fraction of distinguished
assumed that changing rate of heating the
progress, R is the gas constant, β i is
sample, do not change the reaction
mechanism and rate reaction is only a cooling rate and Eα is activation energy in
function of temperature. Today, determining the fraction of reaction progress. For
parameters of kinetics are used by model calculating activation energy in each
free methods and the development of fraction of the distinguished progress (α ) ,
equipment7. On the base, these methods are  1 
8 changing of Ln β i are drawn vs.  
obtained from STA or DTA . Freeman,  Tα‫و‬i 
Carroll to calculation parameters of kinetic,
and the activation energy is calculated
use from equation of gases rate, although
according to slope of the drawn line. Model
these equations are correct from the
of fraction of the converter was proposed by
standpoint of mathematical, but from the
Friedman, in this method, is necessary that
standpoint of practical are excited some
the experiments are performed at least three
limitations9. In addition, Coats and Redfern
different heating rates5. In this method, from
use from the approximation of temperature
Equation 2 is used for calculating the
function in integral equations, although this
activation energy in the various progresses
approximation has some limitation to
fraction of reaction.
convert data into logarithms, but it can be a
suitable method for the evaluation initial of
 dα  (2)
ln βi ( )α  = ln[Af (α )] − ( )α
10 E
the models of kinetic . Ozawa for
 dT  RT
calculating the activation energy proposes
his own method in a fraction of the
In this equation, α is the fraction progress
distinguished converter. In this method,
of reaction, T is the temperature, R is the
equation 1 is used for calculating activation
gas constant, β i is the cooling rate, A is the

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 Vol.1 ● No. 3 ● 2012 Scientific Research Journal of India 55

pre-exponential factor, f (α ) is the reaction

mechanism and E is the activation energy.

For calculating the activation energy in each

dα
α , changing ln  β i ( ) α  is drawn vs.
 dT 

1 
  and similar Ozawa method, the slope
T 
 α
of the drawn lines, will be determined the
activation energy. In this study, by using
Ozawa and Friedman model free methods,
activation energy of austenite
transformation to pearlite in CK45 steel was Figure 1. Microstructure austenite
transformation to pearlite of CK45 steel a) 500X b)
calculated at cooling rates of 5, 10 and 20 100X
o
C . 50 mg samples of the steel was used for the
min
DTA experiments, by apparatus STA 503,
o
METHOD OF RESEARCH for cooling rates of 5, 10 and 20 C , in
min
The simple of CK45 steel, with the non-isothermal conditions and under argon
specified chemical composition in Table 1, atmosphere. The used range for the DTA
was used as basic material. experiments was 1200 to 650 o C .

Table 1. Chemical composition of CK45 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

steel used in this study
%S %Mn %C
steel Heat Figure 2 is shown the results of the DTA
treatment
<0.03 0.5-0.8 experiments at cooling rates of 5, 10 and 20
%Si %P 0.42-0.5 CK45 o
C .
<0.4 0.35 min

Figure 1 shows microstructure of the sample

which is used.

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 Vol.1 ● No. 3 ● 2012 Scientific Research Journal of India 56

fraction progress of reaction vs. time at

different cooling rates.

Figure 3. The fraction progress of reaction

vs. time

In this Method, not only parameter of time

but also temperature is important, values of
the fraction progress of reaction and the
transformation temperatures were calculated
at different cooling rates that are specified
in Table 2.

Table 2. Values of the fraction progress of

Figure 2. Used peaks to calculate the reaction at different cooling rates
fraction progress of reaction of austenite
transformation to pearlite in the cooling 10 C 20
o
fraction min
rates (a) 5, (b) 10 and (c) 20 C . 5C C
min progress min min
of
According to this figure, the start and finish reaction T (o C ) T (o C ) T (o C )
0.0 883 886 679
temperatures of austenite transformation to
0.1 879 882 675
pearlite are calculated and with increasing 0.2 877 881 672
the cooling rate, the starting temperature of 0.3 876 880 672
0.4 875 879 670
transformation is reduced from 883 to 679 0.5 875 878 669
o
C . For calculating the fraction progress of 0.6 874 877 668
0.7 873 876 667
reaction, the area under peak of DTA curve 0.8 872 874 666
calculated at any moment and is divided on 0.9 871 872 665
1 867 867 662
the area of peak total. Figure 3 shows, the

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 Vol.1 ● No. 3 ● 2012 Scientific Research Journal of India 57

As explained in Equation 1, for Calculating

activation energy in each fraction of
progress should be drawn changing of Ln β i

 1 
vs.   . Table 3 shows the values of
 Tα‫و‬i 

 1 
  for the fraction progress of 1
 Tα‫و‬i  Figure 4. Curves Ln β i vs.   in the
 T α
reaction in various cooling rates. fraction progress of reaction 0.1-0.9

It noticed that the drawn lines are almost

Table 3. The calculated values by the parallel and thus can be concluded that
Ozawa method at different cooling rates
according to Ozawa model, changing the
Fraction fraction progress of reaction did not
progress β =5 β = 10 β = 20
of fluctuate in activation energy. Table 4
1 1 1
reaction       shows the calculated values of activation
 T α  T α  T α
energy by using the Ozawa model, for the
0.1 0.0008679 0.0008654 0.0001054
0.2 0.0008688 0.0008663 0.0001057 fraction progress of reaction.
0.3 0.0008696 0.0008671 0.0001025
0.4 0.0008704 0.0008679 0.0001060 Table 4. The values of activation energy in
0.5 0.0008704 0.0008679 0.0001060 the fraction progress of reaction of austenite
0.6 0.0008713 0.0008688 0.0001062 transformation to pearlite is obtained from
0.7 0.0008721 0.0008696 0.0001063 Figure 4 for the Ozawa method
0.8 0.0008729 0.0008713 0.0001064
0.9 0.0008738 0.0008729 0.0001065 Fraction Activation
progress of Energy( J )
This information has been calculated by reaction mol
using available information in Figure 3. 0.1 45685
0.2 45319
Figure 4 shows changing of Ln β i vs. 0.3 45269
0.4 45228
 1 
  for the austenite transformation to 0.5 45111
 Tα‫و‬i  0.6 44945
0.7 44870
pearlite. 0.8 44870
0.9 44912

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 Vol.1 ● No. 3 ● 2012 Scientific Research Journal of India 58

On this base, with increasing the fraction
progress of reaction, reduced activation
energy partially and in addition to Kinetic
barriers that exist in the early stages of
transformation, it is justified. It is important
that the calculated values of activation
energy is the apparent activation energy of
transformation and can be included stages
of nucleation and growth. Different reports
and models in the cases of kinetic of
austenite transformation to pearlite have
been published But the numerical values is
not registered for the activation energy of
this transformation 13-17.

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CORRESPONDENCE
* Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Islamic Azad University of Najaf Abad University, Iran
Email: Mohammad.Kuwaiti@gmail.com

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