The atomic structure and mechanisms of formation of some geometrically incompatible interfaces within cubic B2 austenite – monoclinic B19′ martensite shape memory alloy microstructures

Microstructures of aged nickel‑titanium‑hafnium shape memory alloys (SMAs) Ni50.3Ti41.2Hf8.5 and Ni50.3Ti43.7Hf6 (at.%) are examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques. Characterizations of the structures of austenite-martensite, martensite-martensite, and martensite-precipitate interfaces provide new insights into cubic B2 austenite–monoclinic B19′ martensite phase transformation and martensite reorientation mechanisms. Specifically, in the absence of external load, theoretically unfavorable (001) compound martensite twins nucleate at H-phase precipitate interfaces. At the interface of these twins and the austenite matrix, a zig-zag-rise structure follows an extension of superdislocation theory previously developed to explain analogous zig-zag structured interfaces in non-shape-memory martensitic alloys. Additionally, 〈011〉 type II martensite twins that are theoretically favorable to form were also observed within the austenite matrices. However, instead of forming defect-free habit planes accommodated by elastic strains as predicted by theory, misfit dislocations worked in cooperation with elastic strain fields to accommodate atomic misfits between the austenite and martensite phases, and the elastic strain fields were smaller at the interfaces. Finally, the atomic scale thermoelastic mechanism of <011> type II twins reorienting to form (001) compound twins within the martensite is proposed in a manner consistent with direct observations of such interfaces. In total, connections with previous work on other binary and ternary NiTi base alloys show that these new mechanistic understandings generalize to other B2 - B19′ SMAs that should not perform well according to the elasticity-based Phenomenological Theory of Martensite Crystallography, yet still exhibit robust cyclic thermomechanical performances due to transformation-plasticity interactions.