Research Status of Heat Treatment Process and Thermodynamics of Carbon Partitioning of Steels

The quenching partitioning (Q-P) and the quenching partitioning tempering (Q-P-T) processes are summarized.The application of the carbon partitioning process with heat treatment on-line process (HOP) to high deformability pipeline steels is introduced.Thermodynamics of the constrained carbon paraequilibrium (CCE) of the carbon partitioning is expounded and compared with that of the orthoequilibrium.The deficiencies of the existing theoretical research are pointed out,and the new research directions about the process and the mechanism of carbon partitioning are looked forward.