In situstudy of the self-accommodating process during the martensitic transformation of A Cu-Zn-Al single crystal by synchrotron X-Ray topography—II. dynamics of the process and role of crystalline defects

The martensitic transformation of Cu-Zn-Al single crystals has been followed in situ and in real time by synchrotron X-ray topography. We have shown that at the Mstemperature, the transformation proceeds by nucleation and growth of transformation variants associated by self-accommodating pairs. The nucleation of these variants is triggered by the crystal substructure. When the martensitic transformation is multivariant the behaviour of the crystal substructure and the development of elastic stresses inducing a reversible curvature of lattice planes has been displayed.