Microstructure in a Cubic to Orthorhombic Transition

Microstructures for a cubic to orthorhombic transition are constructed using a geometrically nonlinear, thermoelastic theory of martensitic transformations. Such microstructures are of interest because they provide low energy paths along which a specimen can transform. The particular microstructures considered are the twinned martensite, austenite–martensite, wedge, triangle, and diamond. More specifically, all possible twins are found along with the corresponding twinning elements and magnitude of the twin shear. Further, two kinds of austenite–martensite microstructures are studied: those with a single variant of martensite and those with twinned martensite. The regions in the space of transformation stretches in which each of these microstructures exist are determined, and the shape strains and habit plane normals are found as well. In addition, special microstructures, the wedge, triangle, and diamond, are constructed with both the austenite-single variant and austenite-twinned martensite microstructures. These special microstructures are of interest because they provide a mechanism through which the transformation may proceed more easily, and they are possible only in alloys with particular transformation stretches. Numerically computed level curves in the space of the stretches are presented on which the special microstructures are possible. These results may be useful in providing guidelines for alloy design.