Micromechanics model of martensitic transformation-induced plasticity

A micromechanics model was introduced to predict macroscopic deformation behavior of a material undergoing non-thermoelastic martensitic phase transformation. Considering the characteristics of ferrous alloys, the elliptic martensitic variants inclusion within a representative volume element of an austenite parent phase was built, where the transformation strain was determined by Wechsler-Lieberman and Read theory (WLR) accounting to dilatation and shear components of the transformation strain. Undergoing a macroscopic shear, the effects of interaction parameters between the different internal variables and the geometrical characteristics parameters of martensitic inclusion such as sizes, shapes and orientations on both the mechanical response and martensitic volume fraction were discussed. The result of this study provides a guideline for development of realistic stress-dependent transformation evolution laws for steels. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.