There is no thermal activation energy for the transformation from austenite to martensite.
From the en.wikipedia.org
Martensite has a lower density than austenite does, so that transformation between them results in a change of volume.
From the en.wikipedia.org
Quenching and tempering first involves heating the steel to the austenite phase, then quenching it in water or oil.
From the en.wikipedia.org
In traditional, slow heat treatments, steel's initial microstructure always dissolves into a homogeneous phase called austenite at peak temperature, Babu explained.
From the sciencedaily.com
The new steel being developed by Putatunda's research group is a high bainitic steel with an extremely fine scale microstructure consisting of ferrite and carbon stabilized austenite.
From the sciencedaily.com
Similarly, nitrogen can sometimes be added to argon to help stabilize the austenite in austentitic stainless steels and increase penetration when welding copper.
From the en.wikipedia.org
Much effort was expended on consideration of the austenite-martensite-cementite phases found in the iron-carbon phase diagram that underlies steel production.
From the en.wikipedia.org
More examples
A solid solution of ferric carbide or carbon in iron; cools to form pearlite or martensite
(austenitic) composed of austenite; "austenitic alloy steel"
Austenite, also known as gamma phase iron is a metallic non-magnetic allotrope of iron or a solid solution of iron, with an alloying element. In plain-carbon steel, austenite exists above the critical eutectoid temperature of ; other alloys of steel have different eutectoid temperatures. ...
Alternative spelling of austenite
Austenitic stainless steels are effectively nonmagnetic in the annealed condition and can be hardened only by cold working. Some ferromagnetism may be noticed due to cold working or welding. They typically have reasonable cryogenic and high temperature strength properties. ...
(Austenitic) Refers to 300 series stainless steel, the most popular of all the stainless steel alloys. This accounts for 85%-90% of stainless steel fasteners sold. ...
(Austenitic) Refers to the atomic arrangement of some metals, such as nickel-based alloys, and some steels with about 18% chromium. This atomic arrangement is called "face centred cubic." Austenitic steels cannot be heat treated, but can be strengthened by cold working.
(Austenitic) a higher-temperature body-centered cubic structure with the characteristic stress-strain curve of most metals; compare martensitic.
A high-temperature form of iron. In steel heat treating, the steel is heated into the austenite region before rapidly cooling (quenching).