> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://dante-solutions-inc.gitbook.io/dante-6.3-help-documentation/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://dante-solutions-inc.gitbook.io/dante-6.3-help-documentation/readme/material-database/steel-alloy-data/steel-material-phase-transformation-data-file.md).

# Steel Material Phase Transformation Data File

The phase transformation data needed to execute a DANTE model are contained within the file having a \*.DQTB extension for Standard materials and a \*.DQT extension for User materials; e.g., S41XX.DQTB, U41XX.DQT. The example file shown indicates that the data are for the 4100 series steel family. The data stored in the \*.MECB file are in keyword format and includes:

* Transformation kinetics for the transformation of austenite to ferrite, pearlite, upper bainite, lower bainite, and martensite (upper and lower bainite are determined by their temperature of transformation);
* Transformation kinetics for the transformation of martensite to tempered martensite;
* Transformation kinetics for the transformation of ferrite, pearlite, upper bainite, lower bainite, martensite, and tempered martensite to austenite;
* Effect of alloy composition on phase transformation behavior (within a reasonable range); and
* Alloy precipitation forming and coarsening kinetics

The phase transformation data are a function of carbon content. Many of the steel alloys in the DANTE material database have data defined at multiple carbon levels so that a carburization process may be modeled. Any steel grade with “XX” after the series number has multiple carbon levels; e.g., S51XX, S93XX, etc. Any material name that does not have “XX” after the series number generally may have only one (1) carbon level, though exceptions do exist for specific alloy names; e.g., S15B37.

Below is an example showing the phase transformation data file for one carbon level. A description of each keyword follows the example.

```
	*MAT_DESCRIPTION 
	 Phase Transformation Property File (mm, kg)
	**
	*MAT_VERSION
	 AUG2024
	*MAT_NAME
	 U41XX
	*STEEL_CHEMCN
	** Grain Size (mm), Nominal Chemical Composition (wt%)
	**- GS:1,  Mn:2,  Si:3,  Ni:4,  Cr:5,  Mo:6,  Cu:7,   V:8
	  0.0635,  0.85,  0.23,  0.05,  0.90,  0.20,  0.00,  0.00
	**-  P:9, Nb:10, Al:11, Ti:12,  W:13, Co:14,  B:15,  N:16
	    0.00,  0.00,  0.00,  0.00,  0.00,  0.00,  0.00,  0.00
	*STEEL_WTCHEM
	** Alloy Normalized Effect on Hardenability (Phase Transformation Kinetics)
	**- GS:1,  Mn:2,  Si:3,  Ni:4,  Cr:5,  Mo:6,  Cu:7,   V:8
	     1.0,   1.0,   1.0,   1.0,   1.0,  0.85,   0.0,   0.0
	**-  P:9, Nb:10, Al:11, Ti:12,  W:13, Co:14,  B:15,  N:16 
	     0.0,   0.0,   0.0,   0.0,   0.0,   0.0,   0.0,   0.0
	** ---------------------------------------------------------
	*STEEL_HKIN_EQU
	**  Equilibrium Heat up (Austenization) kinetics:  3 kinetics parameters  
	**  Comment Line         A1, A3 (760.0, 901.767, 203.0)
	 735.0, 885.0, 203.0 
	** ---------------------------------------------------------
	** stress effect on martensitic transformation
	** Data 1: stress effect on Ms
	** Date 2: stress effect on martensite transformation (inactive)
	*STEEL_KINSTRS
	 0.65
	** Total number of kinetic data sets with different chemistry
	**
	** -------
	*STEEL_KINSET_START
	**
	*STEEL_KINCARB
	** Carbon (wt%) for current kinetics data set
	 0.20
	*STEEL_KINCHEM
	**- GS:1,  Mn:2,  Si:3,  Ni:4,  Cr:5,  Mo:6,  Cu:7,   V:8
	  0.0635,  0.85,  0.23,  0.05,  0.90,  0.20,  0.00,  0.00
	**-  P:9, Nb:10, Al:11, Ti:12,  W:13, Co:14,  B:15,  N:16
	    0.00,  0.00,  0.00,  0.00,  0.00,  0.00,  0.00,  0.00
	** Austenite-->Martensite
	*STEEL_KIN_AMART
	** Line 1: Alloy Effect on Ms: A+BX+BX^2+CN+CN^2 (Unit:C)
	** Line 2: Alloy Effect on Mobility : A+BX+BX^2+CN+CN^2
	** Line 3: Kinetics (5 values)
	 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0
	 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0
	 414.85, 7.76336E-02, 0.752566, 0.66888, 0.20, 0.00
	** Austenite-->Ferrite
	*STEEL_KIN_AFERR
	** Line 1: Alloy Effect on Mobility: B1+B2X+B3X^2+B4N+B5N^2
	** Line 2: Effect by Moly Content (0.0, Nominal, 5.0)
	** Line 3: Kinetics (9 values)
	 1.0, 6.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0
	 0.1, 1.0, 10.0
	 520.0, 760.0, 0.10073, 7.9851, 0.6903, 815.42, 153.46, 0.8117, -0.7588
	** Austenite-->Pearlite
	*STEEL_KIN_APEAR
	** Line 1: Alloy Effect on Mobility: B1+B2X+B3X^2+B4N+B5N^2
	** Line 2: Effect by Moly Content (0.0, Nominal, 5.0)
	** Line 3: Kinetics (9 values)
	 1.0, 6.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0
	 0.1, 1.0, 10.0
	 520.0, 750.0, 2.712E-02, 10.499, 0.723, 793.14, 130.72, 0.796, -0.2968
	** Austenite-->Bainite
	*STEEL_KIN_ABAIN
	** Line 1: Alloy Effect on Mobility: B1+B2X+B3X^2+B4N+B5N^2
	** Line 2: Effect by Moly Content (0.0, Nominal, 5.0)
	** Line 3: Kinetics (13 values)
	 1.0, 6.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0
	 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 
	 300.0, 450.0, 560.0, 0.259, 2.428, 2.0527, 567.12, 116.57, 0.50496, -0.992, 0.2, 1.0, 1.0
	** Martensite-->Tempered Martensite
	*STEEL_KIN_MTMART
	** Line 1: Kinetics (9 values)
	 100.0, 700.0, 0.500, 1.500, 15.50, 450.0, 150.0, 0.350, 0.150 
	** Ferrite-->Austenite
	*STEEL_HKIN_FAUST
	** Line 1: Kinetics (9 values)
	 730.0, 1400.0, 0.0250, 9.0575, 15.965, 1025.0, 150.0, 0.150, 0.90   
	** Pearlite-->Austenite
	*STEEL_HKIN_PAUST
	** Line 1: Kinetics (9 values)
	 730.0, 1400.0, 0.0250, 9.0575, 15.965, 1025.0, 150.0, 0.150, 0.90 
	** Upper Bainite-->Austenite
	*STEEL_HKIN_UBAUST
	** Line 1: Kinetics (9 values)
	 730.0, 1400.0, 0.0250, 9.0575, 15.965, 1025.0, 150.0, 0.150, 0.90 
	** Lower Bainite-->Austenite
	*STEEL_HKIN_LBAUST
	** Line 1: Kinetics (9 values)
	 730.0, 1400.0, 0.025, 9.0575, 15.965, 1025.0, 150.0, 0.150, 0.900  
	** Martensite-->Austenite
	*STEEL_HKIN_MAUST
	** Line 1: Kinetics (9 values)
	 730.0, 1400.0, 0.030, 9.0575, 15.965, 1025.0, 150.0, 0.150, 0.900   
	** Tempered Martensite-->Austenite
	*STEEL_HKIN_TMAUST
	** Line 1: Kinetics (9 values)
	 730.0, 1400.0, 0.030, 9.0575, 15.965, 1025.0, 150.0, 0.150, 0.900 
	** Precipitation Model parameters for CBD-A in TM Phase  
	** data-1:  Max. Actual Weight Fraction of CBD-A formed at this C level 
	** data-2:  Lower T Bound 
	** data-3:  Grain Boundary PPTB if T > given value
	** data-4:  Upper T Bound
	** data-5:  nu      
	** data-6:  w1      
	** data-7:  w2      
	** data-8:  tau1    
	** data-9:  tau2    
	** data-10: alpha   
	** data-11: beta-1 
	*STEEL_KIN_TMPCIPA
	 0.0000, 300.0, 700.0, 750.0, 0.00, 3.50, 2.05, 750.0, 150.0, -0.25, 3.50 
	**
	*STEEL_KINSET_END
	** -------
```

\*\* \*\*

***PHASE FILE KEYWORD DESCRIPTIONS*** ***\*MAT\_DESCRIPTION***: Text description of the data contained in the file.\*\* \*\*

***\*MAT\_VERSION***: The version of the DANTE material database. **This value should not be modified. Software will not function properly if changed.**

***\*MAT\_NAME***: Name of the material in the DANTE material database. **This value should not be modified unless a new or modified material is being created.** If a new material is created in the User Database (UDB subdirectory), the material name must be unique, have a maximum of 36 characters (no spaces or special characters; underscore “\_” and hyphen “-” are acceptable), and be all capital letters.

***\*STEEL\_CHEMCN***: Defines the nominal chemical composition of the steel alloy as defined by the alloy’s manufacturing standard. This value is displayed as the “Nominal Composition” in the DANTE Plug-In (Abaqus) or DANTE ACT (Ansys). Unit is weight percent.

***\*STEEL\_WTCHEM***: Defines the effect specific alloying elements have on the hardenability of the given steel alloy.

***\*STEEL\_HKIN\_EQU***: Describes the austenite transformation under equilibrium/slow heating conditions. While this option is accurate and available using the [Steel Phase Transformation Kinetics Mode](/dante-6.3-help-documentation/readme/material-database/steel-alloy-data/steel-phase-transformation-kinetics-mode.md), DANTE Solutions recommends using the rate-based austenite transformation kinetics to ensure the austenite transformation is modeled as accurately as possible.

***\*STEEL\_KINSTRS***: Defines the effect of stress on the transformation of austenite to martensite. Due to the volumetric change which occurs during the transformation, the application of stress to the material undergoing the transformation can have a significant effect on the rate of formation. **The model is currently still under development and is not active in the current release of DANTE.** However, the model can be activated with user data.

***\*STEEL\_KINSET\_START***: Each carbon dependent phase transformation dataset must be nested between the **\*STEEL\_KINSET\_START** and **\*STEEL\_KINSET\_END** keywords. DANTE will interpolate between carbon datasets to determine values for carbon levels not specified. However, DANTE will not extrapolate outside of the defined carbon datasets, since phase transformations can be altered significantly by even small additions of carbon.

***\*STEEL\_KINCARB***: Defines the carbon value associated with one full dataset describing all transformations; austenite to diffusive and martensitic products, diffusive and martensitic products to austenite, martensite to tempered martensite, and iron carbide to alloy carbide. Unit is weight percent.

***\*STEEL\_KINCHEM***: Defines the chemical composition of the specific alloy tested. **These values are used for reference only**. Unit is weight percent.

***\*STEEL\_KIN\_AMART***: Describes the transformation from austenite to martensite, including the effects of alloy composition on the martensite starting temperature and the mobility of the transformation (its hardenability).

***\*STEEL\_KIN\_AFERR***: Describes the transformation from austenite to ferrite, including the effects of alloy composition on the mobility of the transformation (its hardenability).

***\*STEEL\_KIN\_APEAR***: Describes the transformation from austenite to pearlite, including the effects of alloy composition on the mobility of the transformation (its hardenability).

***\*STEEL\_KIN\_ABAIN***: Describes the transformation from austenite to bainite, including the effects of alloy composition on the mobility of the transformation (its hardenability). Upper and lower bainite are differentiated by formation temperature and significantly affect the final material properties.

***\*STEEL\_KIN\_MTMART***: Describes the transformation from martensite to tempered martensite.

***\*STEEL\_HKIN\_FAUST***: Describes the transformation from ferrite to austenite.

***\*STEEL\_HKIN\_PAUST***: Describes the transformation from pearlite to austenite.

***\*STEEL\_HKIN\_UBAUST***: Describes the transformation from upper bainite to austenite.

***\*STEEL\_HKIN\_LBAUST***: Describes the transformation from lower bainite to austenite.

***\*STEEL\_HKIN\_MAUST***: Describes the transformation from martensite to austenite.

***\*STEEL\_HKIN\_TMAUST***: Describes the transformation from tempered martensite to austenite.

***\*STEEL\_KIN\_TMPCIPA***: Describes the precipitation behavior of Carbide A in tempered martensite from iron carbides. Iron carbides are formed as the as-quenched martensite ejects carbon to become tempered martensite. Iron carbides can then dissociate, with the carbon taken up by other alloying elements. This model is only relevant for precipitation hardening steels.

***\*STEEL\_KINSET\_END***: Each carbon dependent phase transformation dataset must be nested between the **\*STEEL\_KINSET\_START** and **\*STEEL\_KINSET\_END** keywords. DANTE will interpolate between carbon datasets to determine values for carbon levels not specified. However, DANTE will not extrapolate outside of the defined carbon datasets, since phase transformation can be altered significantly by even small additions of carbon.