BONDING CONFIGURATIONAL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH ALPHA-FERRITE GAMMA-AUSTENITE PHASE-STABILITY IN STEELS DUE TO TRANSITION-METAL ALLOY ELEMENTS

An explanation of the stability of the alpha ferrite or gamma austenit e phase in steels containing transition metal alloying elements that l ie either to the left or right hand side of iron in the periodic table (except manganese which has ail anomalous behaviour) is usually based on the empirical electron state and thermokinetic considerations evol ved by Hume-Rathery and Zener. An alternative interpretation of the ph ase stability is proposed, based on the moments theorem of Cyrot-Lackm an, i.e. an electron theory approach. It is also proposed that if the moments theorem approach can be coupled to thermokinetic aspects of ph ase transformations, it may, be possible to predict some structural pr operties of steels from first principles.