Modelling of laminated microstructures in stress-induced martensitic transformations

This paper is concerned with micromechanical modelling of stress-induced martensitic transformations in crystalline solids, with the focus on distinct elastic anisotropy of the phases and the associated redistribution of internal stresses. Micro-macro transition in stresses and strains is analysed for a laminated microstructure of austenite and martensite phases. Propagation of a phase transformation front is governed by a time-independent thermodynamic criterion. Plasticity-like macroscopic constitutive rate equations are derived in which the transformed volume fraction is incrementally related to the overall strain or stress. As an application, numerical simulations are performed for cubic beta(1) (austenite) to orthorhombic gamma(1)' (martensite) phase transformation in a single crystal of Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloy. The pseudoelasticity effect in tension and compression is investigated along with the corresponding evolution of internal stresses and microstructure. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.