Minimization of Atomic Displacements as a Guiding Principle of the Martensitic Phase Transformation

We present a unifying description for the martensitic transformation of steel that accounts for important experimentally observable features of the transformation, namely, the Neumann bands, the interfacial (habit) plane between the transformed and untransformed phases and their orientation relationship. It is obtained through a simple geometric minimization of the total distance traveled by all the atoms from the austenite (fcc or gamma) phase to the martensite (bcc or alpha) phase, without the need for any explicit energy minimization. Our description unites previously proposed mechanisms but it does not rely on assumptions and experimental knowledge regarding the shear planes and directions, or external adjustable parameters. We show how the Kurdjumov-Sach orientation relationship between the two phases and the {225}(gamma) habit plane, which have both been extensively reported in experiments, naturally emerge from the distance minimization. We also propose an explanation for the occurrence of a different orientation relationship (Pitsch) in thin films.