On a Model of Heterogenous Deformation of Elastic Bodies by the Mechanism of Multiple Appearance of New Phase Layers

A model describing a possible scenario of martensite type phase transformations is examined. A new phase is supposed to nucleate in the form of plane parallel layers. As the boundary condition, average strains are imposed. Then, the governing parameters of the two-phase structure are the concentration of new phase layers, their orientation and also the orientation of anisotropy axes. The parameters depend on the average strains and are determined by the requirement to minimize the average Helmholtz free-energy function. Once a general procedure has been discussed, average strain–stress diagrams are constructed for two cases. In the first case, for the simplicity sake, both phases are assumed to be isotropic. In the second case anisotropy is produced by a non-spherical phase transformation strain tensor. For both cases phase transition zones (PTZs) are constructed. The PTZ is formed in the space of strains by those which can exist on equilibrium interfaces. Loading and unloading paths, corresponding to uniaxial stretching and plane stretching/compression, are examined and related with the PTZ. Effects of internal stresses induced by the nucleation of new phase areas and the anisotropy of new phase are discussed.