Modeling of static recrystallization in complexly alloyed austenite

To predict the kinetics of static recrystallization and the resulting grain size in austenite of alloyed steels including additions of Nb, V, and Ti, a quantitative model is developed. Physically motivated, the model relates the activation energy of the process with that of bulk self-diffusion. The known dependence of the latter on the chemical composition of austenite solid solution, established previously, essentially simplifies the modeling. Employed empirical parameters have been fitted to relevant data covering a wide range of chemical compositions (23 steels) and sizes of recrystallized austenite grains. The model satisfactorily complies with experiments on steels whose apparent activation energy of recrystallization varies from 146.1 to 308.1 kJ/mol. It is notable as well that this performance has been achieved with no direct allowance for the pinning of grain boundaries by solute atoms (solute drag effect).