Analysis of laser transformation hardening process of hypoeutectoid steel. 1st Report, Formulation and computer model for coupled analysis between temperature field and structural changes.

Coupling effects between the temperature field and the structural changes are considered in the analysis of the laser transformation hardening process. The volume fractions of the structural components, the latent heat during the phase transformation and structure dependence of the thermophysical properties are introduced during the iterational calculations of the temperature distribution and the structural changes. The carbon content, mean value of the grain size of the prior austentite, and the size and the interlamellar spacing of the pearlite colony are input for the initial parameters. Numerical computations are carried out by the finite element method, and the hardness distribution in HAZ can be also obtained