On growth and form a metallurgical viewpoint

In this article, an analogy is drawn between the concepts of driving forces, scales or morphology in biological systems, and the mathematical descriptions commonly used in materials science to understand the effects of phase transformation, on microstructures and its impact on mechanical properties. The simple case of pearlite is presented through a review of data from the literature, and the concept of microstructural control via control of the driving force for the phase transition is used to explore theoretical mechanical properties. This concept is then presented as an opportunity to address more complex system such as bainite.