Crystallographic variant selection of martensite during fatigue deformation

Metastable austenitic stainless steels are prone to form deformation-induced martensite under the influence of externally applied stress. Crystallographic variant selection during martensitic transformation of metastable austenite has been investigated thoroughly with respect to the interaction between the applied uniaxial cyclic stress and the resulting accumulated plastic strain during cyclic plastic deformation. The orientation of all the Kurdjomov–Sachs (K-S) variants has been evaluated extensively and compared with the measured orientation of martensite with their corresponding interaction energies by applying the elegant transformation texture model recently developed by Kundu and Bhadeshia. Encouraging correlation between model prediction and experimental data generation for martensite pole figures at many deformed austenite grains has been observed. It has been found that both the applied uniaxial cyclic stress and the accumulated plastic strain are having strong influence on crystallographic variant selection during cyclic plastic deformation. Patel and Cohen’s classical theory can be utilized to predict the crystallographic variant selection, if it is correctly used along with the phenomenological theory of martensite crystallography.     

Crystallographic variant selection of martensite at high stress/strain

The phenomenological theory of martensitic transformation is well understood that the displacive phase transformations are mainly influenced by the externally applied stress. Martensitic transformation occurs with 24 possible Kurdjomov-Sachs (K-S) variants, where each variant shows a distinct lattice orientation. The elegant transformation texture model of Kundu and Bhadeshia for crystallographic variant selection of martensite in metastable austenite at various stress/strain levels has been assessed in this present research. The corresponding interaction energies have also been evaluated. Encouraging correlation between model prediction and experimental data generation for martensite pole figures at many deformed austenite grains has been observed at different stress/strain levels. It has been investigated that the mechanical driving force alone is able to explain the observed martensite microtextures at all stress/strain levels under uniaxial tensile deformation of metastable austenite under low temperature at a slow strain rate. The present investigation also proves that the Patel and Cohen’s classical theory can be utilized to predict the crystallographic variant selection, if it is correctly used along with the phenomenological theory of martensite crystallography.     

X-ray determination of the volume fraction of the B19′ martensite in nickel-titanium alloys

An X-ray method has been considered for determining the volume fraction of the B19′ martensite in semi-product NiTi alloys, which is based on comparing the total integrated intensity of its strongest reflections with the total integrated intensity of reflections from the matrix B2 phase. It has been shown that the method enables one to determine the volume fraction of martensite with an error of about 1% both in textured and textureless samples.     

Crystallographic specific features of the martensitic structure of Ni<Subscript>47</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>42</Subscript>In<Subscript>11</Subscript> alloy

The structure of Ni₄₇Mn₄₂In₁₁ alloy after annealing has been investigated. It is shown that the martensitic transformation in Ni₄₇Mn₄₂In₁₁ alloy upon cooling is accompanied by the formation of 14M modulated martensite. Crystallographic analysis of the martensite structure has been performed. The orientation relationships between the high-temperature austenitic phase and martensite and habit planes of the martensite plates have been determined.     

Structure of tetragonal martensite in the In<Subscript>95.42</Subscript>Cd<Subscript>4.58</Subscript> cast alloy

The structure of martensite in the In_95.42Cd_4.58 alloy has been studied by metallography, X-ray diffraction, dilatometry, and transmission electron microscopy. It has been shown that a massive structure built of colonies of tetragonal lamellar plates divided by a twin boundary {101}FCT is formed in the alloy under cooling below the martensite FCC → FCT transition temperature. The alloy recrystallizes after a cycle of FCT → FCC → FCT transitions with a decrease in the grain size by several times compared with the initial structure such fashion that the size of massifs and individual martensite lamella in the massif correlates with the change in the size of the alloy grain. Using thermal cycling, it has been revealed that the alloy tends to stabilize the high-temperature phase.     

Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy of ultra-fine wires of AISI 316L stainless steel

Starting with 190?µm diameter wire of 316L stainless steel, ultra-thin wire just 8?µm in diameter has been made and characterized. There was no intermediate heat treatment used in the process of drawing, and the amount of true stain was about 6.3. A specimen preparation method for the cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of ultra-fine wires of 316L stainless steel has been developed. The ultra-fine wire was sandwiched between silicon chips and the bonded assembly then sliced to produce longitudinal and transverse sections of the wire in a form suitable for further processing into electron transparent samples. TEM reveals that the heavily deformed wire consists of nanoscale fine elongated structures along the drawing direction. The diffraction patterns indicate that a substantial amount of austenite has transformed into martensite. The TEM dark field images show nanosized patches of martensite distributed among the debris of austenite along the drawing direction. The evidence strongly suggests that severe deformation leads to mechanical stabilization of austenite against the growth of martensite.     

Effect of Martensite Volume Fraction on Strain Partitioning Behavior of Dual Phase Steel

Monotonic deformation behavior of ferrite-martensite dual phase steels with martensite volume of 13-43% have been analyzed in the current investigation using micromechanics based finite element simulation on representative volume elements. The effects of martensite volume fraction on the strain partitioning behavior between soft ferrite matrix and hard martensite islands in dual phase steels during tensile deformation have been investigated. As a consequence of strain incompatibility between hard martensite and soft ferrite phases, inhomogeneous deformation and finally deformation localization occur during tensile deformation. Restricted local deformation in ferrite phase caused by the adjacent martensite islands triggers the local stress triaxiality development. As the martensite volume fraction increases, the local deformation restrictions in ferrite phase also increases and which results in higher stress triaxiality development. Similarly the strain partitioning behavior between ferrite matrix and martensite island is also influenced by the volume fraction of martensite. The strain partitioning coefficient increases with increasing martensite volume fraction.     

13C NMR study of carbon distribution in Fe−C,Fe−Ni−C and Fe−Mn−C martensite

The distribution of carbon atoms in martensite have been studied by NMR. It was established that in virgin martensite metalloid was located only in octahedral intersticies. The analysis of hyperfine fields on¹³C nuclei for various types of martensite local arrangement was carried out. Comparison of analysis results with experimental data let to determine the possible models of carbon clustering in martensite at steel aging.     

Isothermal martensitic transformation in a 12Cr–9Ni–4Mo–2Cu stainless steel in applied magnetic fields

This work concerns an in situ study of the isothermal formation of martensite in a stainless steel under the influence of magnetic fields up to 9 T at three different temperatures (213, 233 and 253 K). It is shown that the presence of a constant applied magnetic field promotes the formation of martensite significantly. The activation energy for the nucleation of martensite has been derived using a semi-empirical kinetic model. The experimental results have been analyzed using the Ghosh and Olson model. While this model describes the time and field dependences of the experimental data well, the thermal frictional energy and the defect size values are much lower than those expected from earlier work.     

Crystallographic patterns of the shape memory effect in non-ordered solid solutions

A method is proposed to estimate the possibility of achieving shape memory effects in martensite alloys with disordered lattices. The analysis of orientational relationships between the lattices of austenite and martensite allows one to detect those which are able to form self-accommodation complexes, an important part of the memory effect mechanism. This method has been applied to the Ti₄₈Zr₄₈Nb₄ alloy in which two martensite phases are formed: hexagonal α′ and orthorhombic α″ martensites.     

Martensite and hydride transformations in the V-N-H and V-O-H systems

Optical metallography has been applied to vanadium containing traces of oxygen and nitrogen on electrolytic saturation with hydrogen; a martensite phase is formed near room temperature and above (formation controlled by the H/V concentration), and hydrides segregate, which suppress further martensite growth.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 3, pp. 39–42, March, 1990.     

Identification of epsilon martensite in a Fe-based shape memory alloy by means of EBSD

Ferrous shape memory alloys (SMAs) are often thought to become a new, important group of SMAs. The shape memory effect in these alloys is based on the reversible, stress-induced martensitic transformation of austenite to epsilon martensite. The identification and quantification of epsilon martensite is crucial when evaluating the shape memory behaviour of this material. Previous work displayed that promising results were obtained when studying the evolution of the amount of epsilon martensite after different processing steps with Electron BackScatter Diffraction (EBSD). The present work will discuss in detail, on the one hand, the challenges and opportunities arising during the identification of epsilon martensite by means of EBSD and, on the other hand, the possible interpretations that might be given to these findings. It will be illustrated that although the specific nature of the austenite to epsilon martensite transformation can still cause some points of discussion, EBSD has a high potential for identifying epsilon martensite.     

Study on the softening in overlapping zone by laser-overlapping scanning surface hardening for carbon and alloyed steel

Softening in overlapping passes by laser-overlapped scanning surface hardening is a difficult problem of laser surface modification. Despite the advantage of laser quenching, softening in overlapping zone limits its practical application. In this paper, 45, 9Cr2Mo and W18Cr4V steel were hardened by laser-overlapping quenching. Softening occurred in all overlapping zones. The results of hardness testing indicated the softening width of 45 steel was the broadest and that of W18Cr4V steel was the narrowest. Different mixed microstructures composed the overlapping zone for three steels, i.e., tempered sorbite and a little tempered martensite in 45 steel, tempered martensite, tempered sorbite and a small amount of carbides in 9Cr2Mo steel, tempered martensite and a little carbide in W18Cr4V steel. The effect of activation energy of diffusion for carbon in steel and cooling rate on the decomposition of martensite have been investigated by developing a diffusion model based on the principle of carbon diffusion in martensite. The results indicated that action energy for diffusion of carbon in steel plays a main role in hindering decomposition of carbide and cooling rate has a limited action in reducing temper softening during laser-overlapping scanning.     

CEMS of Sb+ implanted stainless steels

Martensitic transformations have been analysed in a series of antimony implanted austenitic stainless steels using CEMS. The implanted samples contain about 70 vols martensite, which is considerably more than can be formed conventionally by plastic deformation or cooling below the martensite start temperature. CEM spectra from implantation induced martensite and from martensite formed in conventional processes are virtually identical. In both cases the hyperfine field is ≈ 25T.     

Intermartensitic transformation and magnetic field effect in NiMnInSb ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

Partially substituting Sb for In, we found an irreversible transformation of martensite to intermartensite at 90 K in Ni₅₀Mn₃₄In₁₂Sb₄ alloy during heating. The reverse transformation of martensite and intermartensite to the parent phase induced by a magnetic field has been investigated. The results indicate that, if a sufficiently high magnetic field is applied, the intermartensite state is no longer necessary as an intermediate state. Thus, a difference of the transformation originating from magnetic and from thermal energies has been found. In this competition, lattice distortions play an important role to promote the occurrence of the intermediate intermartensitic path.     

Mesoscopic defects in the two-phase α + γ state of Fe–32 at % Ni alloy

An extreme discrepancy in the observed martensite structure when studying by means of optical and scanning microscopes in the same sample has been found. The results have been compared with data from the literature. An assumption on the effect of sample heating on the process of transformation of elastic spreads of fragments in the peripheral region of martensitic laminae into plastic spreads has been put forward.     

Fracture mechanism of a Ni–Mn–Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloy single crystal

Ni–Mn–Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (FSMAs) have shown large magnetic-field-induced strains up to 10%. The fracture behavior of these materials under thermal and magnetic cycling has not been reported so far. An Ni–Mn–Ga single crystal exhibiting both thermal and magnetic shape memory effect was investigated in the present study. Coexistence of differently oriented martensite twinned variants and its effect on the magnetization and fracture mechanism were studied. Fracture behavior of this alloy was found to be strongly related to the martensitic transformation while the fracture surface was parallel to one of the {1 1 2} martensite twin planes. Different orientations of martensite variants were responsible for the formation of the crack network leading to fracture.     

Relaxation in Ni–Mn–Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

Evidence of relaxation has been observed in ferromagnetic Ni–Mn–Ga single crystals. The relaxation may be explained by a change in symmetry-conforming short-range ordering according to Ren and Otsuka in this off-stoichimetric ordered alloy. Martensite stabilization has also been found after martensite ageing.     

Surface influence on the behavior of stabilized zirconia nanoparticles under pressure

The surface state of partially stabilized zirconia with nanoparticles of sizes 10–30 nm after temperature and pressure treatments was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering. It is shown that the synthesized nanoparticles are surface fractals and the fractal dimensions non-monotonically change with nanoparticles size change. The martensite tetragonal-to-monoclinic transition of the partially stabilized zirconia nanoparticles under hydrostatic pressure (100–1000 MPa) was investigated. It was shown that the character of the martensite transition in nanoparticles’ system depends on the pressure values. Three ranges of pressures were revealed. It was shown that the stability of martensite tetragonal–monoclinic transition decreases with the increase in size of the nanoparticles only for the pressures range of 300–500 MPa. Below 200 MPa, the character of the martensite transition is extreme and has a maximum for the particle size of 17 nm. In pressure range of 600–1000 MPa, the degree of martensite transition is dependent on the fractal dimension of the surface.     

Estimation of martensite feature size in a low-carbon alloy steel by microtexture analysis of boundaries

A methodology for classifying the hierarchy of martensite boundaries from the EBSD microtexture data of low-carbon steel is presented. Quaternion algebra has been used to calculate the ideal misorientation between product α variants for Kurdjumov–Sachs (KS) and its nearby orientation relationships, and arrive at the misorientation angle-axis set corresponding to packet (12 types), block (3 types) and sub-block boundaries. Analysis of proximity of experimental misorientation between data points from the theoretical misorientation set is found to be useful for identifying the different types of martensite boundaries. The optimal OR in the alloy system and the critical deviation threshold for identification of martensite boundaries could both be ascertained by invoking the ‘Enhancement Factor’ concept. The prior-γ grain boundaries, packet, block and sub-block boundaries could be identified reasonably well, and their average intercept lengths in a typical tempered martensite microstructure of 9Cr–1Mo–0.1C steel was estimated as 31 μm, 14 μm, 9 μm and 4 μm respectively.