Micromechanical modelling of stress-induced martensitic transformation and detwinning in shape memory alloys

Abstract
The paper is concerned with modelling of stress-induced martensitic transformations in single crystals of shape memory alloys. The transformation is assumed to proceed by the formation and growth of parallel martensitic plates within an austenite matrix, as commonly observed in experiments. Phase transition is governed by a time-independent thermodynamic criterion. Martensite variant rearrangement (detwinning) is accounted for in case of internally twinned martensites. The examples illustrate the effect of deformation constraints on the microstructure evolution and overall response. Instability of macroscopically uniform transformation is predicted due to the softening behaviour at the material point scale.