Phase stability investigation of light-weight alloys based on the FeMnAlC system

Due the necessity of further reducing vehicles weight in the automotive industry, the concept of lightweight steels based on the FeMnAlC system has recently gained a great deal of attention, since it offers a combination of outstanding mechanical properties and specific weight reduction. Such lightweight steels are complex materials with multiphase microstructure. The mechanical properties of the final product are greatly influenced by both the chemistry of the material and the thermo-mechanical processing route applied. Despite the existing body of research on literature, there are many challenges related with their processing and characterization preventing their commercialization. Therefore, the objective of the present work is to deepen into the microstructural development and phase stability at high temperatures of alloys based on the FeMnAlC system as the first step to help define proper hot rolling and annealing parameters and eventually facilitate production processes in such steel grades. A comparison of thermodynamic predictions, data from literature and experimental measurements is finally performed.