Interrelationships of stress-induced martensitic phase transformation and pitting corrosion in iron-based shape memory alloys

Orientation dependence of stress-induced martensitic transformation under compression and the influence of a corrosion attack on superelastic properties were investigated for Fe42.7Mn34.7Al13.4Ni7.7Cr1.5 (at.-%) single crystals. The results of incremental strain tests show that the crystallographic orientation has a considerable impact on the superelastic performance, eventually resulting from the formation of twinned or detwinned martensite to accommodate strain as well martensite variant interaction. In order to investigate the effect of a corrosive environment on the mechanical performance and martensitic transformation, compression specimens were immersed in a 5.0 wt.-% NaCl solution for 24 h before tested in incremental strain tests. The immersion of the compression specimens revealed a partial surface corrosion attack including localized pitting corrosion. The localized corrosion attack increased the number of active martensite plates, most probably due to an induced multiaxial stress state. Further investigations on specimens subjected to -6% compressive strain revealed that areas with retransformed martensite serve as nucleation zones for corrosion damage. Stress-induced corrosion cracks developed, which eventually deteriorate functional response.