Characterization of the thermoelastic martensitic transformation in a NiTi alloy driven by temperature variation and external stress

Abstract

In order to test the concept of the physics of dissipation during first-order phase transitions in solids, we measured the internal friction (Q-1) and the relative shear modulus (μ) during a thermoelastic martensitic transformation in a NiTi alloy. We adopted two approaches: temperature variation and application of external stress. This investigation of internal friction was carried out with various vibration frequencies ω, temperature variation rates Ṫ, and strain variation rates ɛ̇. The index l (coupling factor between phase interface and oscillating stress) and index n (rate exponent for the effective phase transformation driving force) have been calculated from the experimental data for each case and the values of l and n are about the same in the two (doped) NiTi samples, irrespective of whether the phase transition is driven by a temperature variation or stress induced process. We compare the values of n and l for the NiTi samples with that of the other samples (VO2 ceramics and FeMn alloys), reinforcing the previous physical interpretations of these indices. We believe the indices n and l are indeed fingerprints of first-order phase transitions in solids.