Atomic force microscopy study on microstructural changes by 'training' in Fe-Mn-Si-based shape memory alloys

Microstructural changes after several cycles of the thermomechanical treatment consisting of a small deformation by stress-induced martensitic transformation (fcc to hcp) and subsequent reversion to austenite by heating (referred to as 'training') have been studied by atomic force microscopy in Fe-Mn-Si based shape memory alloys. Well-trained samples contain a uniform distribution of thin martensite plates of the same variant, the widths of which decrease with increasing number of the training cycles, and their distribution becomes more uniform. Such microstructural development by training originates mainly from extremely thin plates (about 1 nm thick) of hcp phase that are still retained together with stacking faults in the austenite even after heating far above the reverse transformation temperature. In the reverse transformation on heating, a martensite plate that looks as though it is apparently one plate is, in fact, split into very thin plates, which indicates that the plate actually consists of extremely thin martensite plates and these thin plates are reverse-transformed one after another by reverse movement of the Shockley partial dislocations at their tips. This mode of reverse transformation ensures a perfect shape memory effect.