This is the 4th international meeting on the decomposition of austenite. The decomposition of austenite is one of the most important solid-state phase transformation known, since it dramatically influences the relationship between the microstructure and properties of steels. The Austenite Formation & Decomposition IV (AF&D IV) symposium will bring together researchers in an informal setting, with ample time for discussion and interaction. NSF funds will be used to defray the cost of registration fees for 10 students, 4 postdoctoral researchers, and 2 young faculty. Appropriate students, postdoctoral fellows, and young faculty will be identified by the organizing committee. In addition to student, postdoctoral researcher, and young faculty authors who have already submitted abstracts for the symposium, the organizing committee may also invite such candidates by contacting university departments and/or laboratories that are known to have strong programs in physical metallurgy. Every effort will be made to encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.
The "Austenite Formation and Decomposition IV" (AF&D IV) symposium was held at the Materials Science & Technology 2010 (MS&T'10) Conference and Exhibition in Houston, TX, 17-21 October 2010, and was partially supported by NSF funding. At this symposium, a total of 43 talks were delivered over 7 sessions, spanning 3.5 days, This symposium focused on formation and decomposition mechanisms of "austenite" – the high temperature solid-state phase in a majority of steels. Manipulation of austenite formation, and decomposition to other solid state phases, during heat treatment and subsequent cooling to room temperature is critical to tailoring the properties of many advanced steels. Major themes engaged in AF&D IV included: multiphase steels, with particular regard for austenite stability; the use of high resolution microscopy and diffraction techniques to study austenite and it’s products; fundamentals of the effects of different alloying elements in steels; tailored design of steel chemistry and thermo-mechanical processing routes to manipulate final properties; phase transitions during rapid heating of steels; and computational approaches to study the thermodynamics, kinetics, and property evolution in steels. Many of the most critical developments in these areas have been in circulation only in the past decade or so, indicating the continued vitality of the materials research and engineering community in applying new methods and devising imaginative new phase and processing concepts, to advance the science and engineering of advanced steels.
