The catalytic effect of retained austenite refers to the phenomenon wherein quenching steels with a small amount of retained austenite, when subjected to tempering at a specific temperature followed by cooling, undergo transformation into martensite. I am curious to know if this theory is universally applicable to all steels containing retained austenite.
I thought that the retained austenite is very stable after quenching; what factors drive their transformation again?
Could you please provide more insights into this matter?