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.     

In situ synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction analysis of thermomechanically induced phase transformations in Cu–Al–Ni shape-memory alloy

Phase transformations in a single-crystal Cu–Al–Ni shape-memory alloy induced by thermomechanical effects were investigated in situ by high-resolution synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction. Contrary to the common belief, austenite texture maps revealed that austenite-to-martensite transformation occurred during heating of the partially transformed material under fixed specimen elongation. Twinned and detwinned types of martensite coexisted during this austenite-to-martensite phase transformation. Twinning and detwinning structures evolved to accommodate changes in stress and strain generated in the temperature-varying environment. Small amounts of austenite exhibiting distorted crystallographic orientation were detected in regions of stress-induced martensite during heating of the partially transformed material. The results of this investigation provide insight into intriguing stress rate-dependent phenomena intrinsic of shape-memory alloys and elucidate complex phase transformations due to thermal and mechanical stress effects.     

Grain boundary engineering: fatigue fracture

Abstract

Grain boundary engineering has revealed significant enhancement of material properties by modifying the populations and connectivity of different types of grain boundaries within the polycrystals. The character and connectivity of grain boundaries in polycrystalline microstructures control the corrosion and mechanical behaviour of materials. A comprehensive review of the previous researches has been carried out to understand this philosophy. Present research thoroughly explores the effect of total strain amplitude on phase transformation, fatigue fracture features, grain size, annealing twinning, different grain connectivity and grain boundary network after strain controlled low cycle fatigue deformation of austenitic stainless steel under ambient temperature. Electron backscatter diffraction technique has been used extensively to investigate the grain boundary characteristics and morphologies. The nominal variation of strain amplitude through cyclic plastic deformation is quantitatively demonstrated completely in connection with the grain boundary microstructure and fractographic features to reveal the mechanism of fatigue fracture of polycrystalline austenite. The extent of boundary modifications has been found to be a function of the number of applied loading cycles and strain amplitudes. It is also investigated that cyclic plasticity induced martensitic transformation strongly influences grain boundary characteristics and modifications of the material’s microstructure/microtexture as a function of strain amplitudes. The experimental results presented here suggest a path to grain boundary engineering during fatigue fracture of austenite polycrystals.     

3D DDD modelling of dislocation–precipitate interaction in a nickel-based single crystal superalloy under cyclic deformation

Strain-controlled cyclic deformation of a nickel-based single crystal superalloy has been modelled using three-dimensional (3D) discrete dislocation dynamics (DDD) for both [0?0?1] and [1?1?1] orientations. The work focused on the interaction between dislocations and precipitates during cyclic plastic deformation at elevated temperature, which has not been well studied yet. A representative volume element with cubic γ′-precipitates was chosen to represent the material, with enforced periodical boundary conditions. In particular, cutting of superdislocations into precipitates was simulated by a back-force method. The global cyclic stress–strain responses were captured well by the DDD model when compared to experimental data, particularly the effects of crystallographic orientation. Dislocation evolution showed that considerably high density of dislocations was produced for [1?1?1] orientation when compared to [0?0?1] orientation. Cutting of dislocations into the precipitates had a significant effect on the plastic deformation, leading to material softening. Contour plots of in-plane shear strain proved the development of heterogeneous strain field, resulting in the formation of shear-band embryos.     

Grain refinement and strengthening of austenitic stainless steels during large strain cold rolling

The microstructure/texture evolution and strengthening of 316?L-type and 304?L-type austenitic stainless steels during cold rolling were studied. The cold rolling was accompanied by the deformation twinning and micro-shear banding followed by the strain-induced martensitic transformation, leading to nanocrystalline microstructures consisting of flattened austenite and martensite grains. The fraction of ultrafine grains can be expressed by a modified Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov equation, while inverse exponential function holds as a first approximation between the mean grain size (austenite or martensite) and the total strain. The deformation austenite was characterised by the texture components of Brass, {011}<211>, Goss, {011}<100>, and S, {123}<634>, whereas the deformation martensite exhibited a strong {223}<110> texture component along with remarkable γ-fibre, <111>∥ND, with a maximum at {111}<211>. The grain refinement during cold rolling led to substantial strengthening, which could be expressed by a summation of the austenite and martensite strengthening contributions.     

Texture development and deformation mechanisms during uniaxial straining of U–Nb shape-memory alloys

The shape–memory effect is well documented in uranium–niobium alloys near the α″–γ^o metastable phase boundary. In situ neutron diffraction measurements during uniaxial loading indicate that U–14?at.%?Nb (in the α″ monoclinic phase field) deforms by stress–induced twin reorientation. Alternatively, U–16?at.%?Nb (initially γ^o tetragonal) undergoes a stress–induced phase transformation to the α″ monoclinic phase. The crystallographic texture of the monoclinic phase of both compositions has been measured and qualitatively interpreted by considering the orientation relationship between the most favoured α′′ variant and the parent phase. In addition, previously published observations of deformation structures within the shape–memory regime of a U–13?at.%?Nb alloy are discussed within the context of the same model.     

Exploring the origin of variant selection through martensite-austenite reconstruction

An approach of near neighbour correlation, with manual intervention, was developed for reconstructing parent austenite microstructure in a martensitic stainless steel. This was validated in a ferrite-austenite dual structure. Two-hundred and twenty randomly selected austenite grains were reconstructed from the experimental EBSD (electron backscattered diffraction) measurements. From these reconstructions, martensite variant selection was quantified as the number of variants (n_V) and the variant selection index (VSI: a statistical index for the relative area fractions of the variants). For each prior austenite grain, both n_V and VSI appeared to depend on the associated transformation (austenite-martensite) strain. Selection of common variants between two neighbouring austenite grains was related to the presence of 60°<111?>?or Σ3 boundary in the austenite phase and corresponding minimisation of the transformation strain.     

Crystallographic Analysis of FCC ? BCT Martensitic Transformation in the Alloy Fe-22% Ni-0.8% C

The infinitesimal deformation (ID) approach is applied to analyse the crystallography involved in the fcc to bct martensitic transformation for the case of (101)_γ[<formula><overline>1</overline>01</formula>]_γ twinning shear as LIS (lattice invariant shear) system in the alloy Fe-22% Ni-0.8% C. Analytical solutions are derived for habit plane orientation, orientation relationships between austenite and martensite phases, and the magnitude of the total shape deformation, etc. In order to compare numerical solutions with the ID approach and phenomenological crystallographic theory, the corresponding crystallographic parameters are calculated by using the Ledbetter and Dunn (L-D) theory. The numeric values obtained are compared with the predictions of the phenomenological crystallographic theories, and with experimental results.     

Formation mechanism of the hierarchic structure in the lath martensite phase in steels

Martensitic transformation is the phase transformation accompanying orderly shear deformation without atomic diffusion. The structures made by martensitic transformation are classified as thin plate, lens or lath in steels. The mechanism by which the hierarchic microstructure in the lath martensite phase forms has heretofore not been understood. We have made clear the mechanism by considering, independently, two plastic deformations using the slip deformation model proposed by Khachaturyan, and present herein a deformation matrix for each of the six crystallographic variants in a packet of the hierarchic structure. Our results are quantitatively consistent with experimental results for the Kurdjumov–Sachs (K-S) crystal orientation relationship and habit plane. Furthermore, the important points of our study are as follows: the origin of the sub-block structure and the specific combination of the sub-block structure are clarified; the laths existing in a block can be explained; and deviations between the directional parallel and plane parallel are obtained quantitatively, without any adjustable parameters.     

An Infinitesimal Deformation Approach to the Crystallographic Theory of the Martensite Phase Transformation: Application to Au-Cd,Fe-Ni AND In-Tl Alloys

Using the infinitesimal deformation approach, a crystallographic analysis of the austenite-martensite transformation from the cubic to orthorhombic phase - which predicts crystallographic parameters such as habit plane, orientation relationship between austenite and martensite, rotation matrix and total shape deformation matrix - is derived from a knowledge of the crystal structures of the initial and final phase only. The numerical values coming from orientation relationships obtained for Au-47.5 Cd Fe-Ni and In--Tl alloys are compared with predictions of the phenomenological crystallographic theory, infinitesimal deformation approach and experimental data.     

Phonon deformation potentials for the corundum structure of sapphire

A theoretical Raman polarization analysis is proposed for the corundum structure of sapphire (α‐Al₂O₃) and validation experiments conducted with the purpose of retrieving the full set of phonon deformation potentials (PDPs). From the theoretical side, the change in force constants under stress/strain has been expressed in matrix form, and close‐form solutions were obtained for the eigenvalues that take into account the local dependence of oblique phonons on crystallographic orientation (i.e. uncoupling the effects of local crystal orientation and stress tensor from the shifts of Raman bands). From the experimental side, controlled (uniaxial) stress fields were applied to sapphire parallelepiped bars (along known crystallographic axes) while Raman spectra were systematically recorded along the bar thickness. An untextured alumina polycrystal with fine grain size was also investigated according to the same procedure. As a result of this set of experiments, PDPs for both A_1g and E_g vibrational bands could be retrieved. Validation of PDP constants was obtained by measuring the steeply graded stress fields developed ahead of a surface crack propagated along an arbitrary crystallographic direction in the R‐plane of the sapphire crystal. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface martensite on plastically deformed austenite

The influence of the plastic deformation of austenite before grinding on the formation of surface martensite is studied. Plastic deformation was excited by compression. It was found that surface martensite, produced on plastically deformed austenite, is conformable with surface martensite on undeformed austenite. As compression increases, the particles of surface martensite are merely oriented at an angle of 45 to the axis of compression. The orientation is connected in the paper with the formation of fibrous texture in the samples during strong compression and the orientation of the austenite lattices connected with it, especially of the (100) planes with respect to the surface.     

The austenite microstructure evolution in a duplex stainless steel subjected to hot deformation

Abstract

The austenite microstructure evolution and softening processes have been studied in a 23Cr–6Ni–3Mo duplex stainless steel, comprising equal fractions of austenite and ferrite, deformed in uniaxial compression at 1000 °C using strain rates of 0.1 and 10 s^?1. The texture and microstructure evolution within austenite was similar in character for both the strain rate used. The observed large-scale subdivision of austenite grains/islands into complex-shaped deformation bands, typically separated by relatively wide transition regions, has been attributed to the complex strain fields within this phase. Organised, self-screening microband arrays were locally present within austenite and displayed a crystallographic character for a wide range of austenite orientations. The microband boundaries were aligned with the traces of {1?1?1} slip planes containing slip systems having high, although not necessarily the highest possible, Schmid factors. The slightly lower mean intercept length and higher mean misorientation obtained for the sub-boundaries at the higher strain rate can be ascribed to the expected more restricted dynamic recovery processes compared to the low strain rate case. Dynamic recrystallisation within austenite was extremely limited and mainly occurred via the strain-induced migration of the distorted original twin boundaries, followed by the formation of multiple twinning chains.     

Texture development and deformation mechanisms during uniaxial straining of U–Nb shape-memory alloys

The shape-memory effect is well documented in uranium–niobium alloys near the α″–γ^o metastable phase boundary. In situ neutron diffraction measurements during uniaxial loading indicate that U–14?at.%?Nb (in the α″ monoclinic phase field) deforms by stress-induced twin reorientation. Alternatively, U–16?at.%?Nb (initially γ^o tetragonal) undergoes a stress-induced phase transformation to the α″ monoclinic phase. The crystallographic texture of the monoclinic phase of both compositions has been measured and qualitatively interpreted by considering the orientation relationship between the most favoured α′′ variant and the parent phase. In addition, previously published observations of deformation structures within the shape-memory regime of a U–13?at.%?Nb alloy are discussed within the context of the same model.     

Crystallographic analysis of martensitic transformation in an iron-nickel alloy with twinned martensite

A variant of the crystallographic theory of martensitic transformations is proposed, based on a mechanism of lattice deformation in which the angle of rotation of a martensite plate is reduced to a minimum. In an iron-nickel alloy with twinned martensite, the least angle of rotation corresponds to the deformation of the austenite lattice by shear on the (111) plane in the $\left[ {11\bar 2} \right]$ direction proposed by Kurdyumov and Sachs as the first shear in the two-shear theory of martensite formation in steel.     

Micromechanical characterisation of TRIP-assisted multiphase steels by in situ neutron diffraction

The flow behaviour of the constitutive phases in multiphase steels, possibly exhibiting a mechanically-induced phase transformation (TRIP effect), is investigated using neutron diffraction conducted during uniaxial tensile loading. The BCC and FCC lattice strains of several specimens containing different amounts ferrite, bainite, martensite and metastable retained austenite are measured along elastic and plastic deformation. The validity of the measurements, as well as the strengthening resulting from the TRIP effect, are evaluated on the basis of overall mechanical equilibrium.     

Cyclic stress induced phase transformation in super-bainitic microstructure

The effects of cyclic stress loading on the microstructual evolution and tensile properties of a medium-carbon superbainitic steel were investigated. Experimental results show that the cyclic stress can induce the carbon gathering in austenite and phase transformation from film-like retained austenite to twin martensite, which will obviously enhance the tensile strength and the product of tensile strength and ductility. The higher the bainitic transformation temperature, the lower the transformation rate of the retained austenite. The amount and thickness of the film-like retained austenite play an important role during the cyclic stress induced phase transformation.     

In-situ strain localization analysis in low density transformation-twinning induced plasticity steel using digital image correlation

The effect of deformation temperature on the strain localization has been evaluated by an adapted digital image correlation (DIC) technique during tensile deformation. The progress of strain localization was traced by the corresponding strain maps. The electron backscatter diffraction analysis and tint etching technique were utilized to determine the impact of martensitic transformation and deformation twinning on the strain localization in both elastic and plastic regimes. In elastic regime the narrow strain bands which are aligned perpendicular to the tension direction were observed in temperature range of 25 to 180 °C due to the stress-assisted epsilon martensite. The strain bands were disappeared by increasing the temperature to 300 °C and reappeared at 400 °C due to the stress-assisted deformation twinning. In plastic regime strain localization continued at 25 °C and 180 °C due to the strain-induced alfa-martensite and deformation twinning, respectively. The intensity of plastic strain localization was increased by increasing the strain due to the enhancement of martensite and twin volume fraction. The plastic strain showed more homogeneity at 300 °C due to the lack of both strain-induced martensite and deformation twinning.     

Relationship between acoustic emission energy and the kinetics of martensite formation in plain carbon steels

The kinetics of the martensitic transformation in Fe-0.80C determined on the basis of dilatometry data is compared to the acoustic emission (AE) energy accompanying the transformation in the same steel reported in a previous study. The discrepancy between the AE energy and the volume fraction of martensite indicates that the mechanism for the generation of AE during the martensitic transformation is not solely dependent on the kinetics and the associated moving interfaces as suggested in previous studies. During the growth of martensite, slip takes place in order to relieve internal stresses, and dislocations are thought to be mainly introduced in the relatively soft austenite matrix. The quantitative analysis in this study demonstrates that the AE energy generated per unit time is a function of both the transformation kinetics and the volume fraction of remaining austenite. This strongly indicates that the moving dislocations associated with the plastic deformation of the austenite surrounding the as-formed martensite are the dominant sources of the generated acoustic waves. This improved AE source model is consistent with the well-accepted mechanism of AE during conventional plastic deformation due to an external load.