PNNL

Abstract

Observations, obtained by in-situ straining and conventional TEM, of the Mullner-King mechanism of transformation by coordinated secondary twinning are presented. The material studied is the martensitic phase of a non-modulated Ni-Mn-Ga alloy, which exhibits a microstructure comprising domains of lamellar matrix/twin composites. Straining these specimens induced lamellar domains to transform into their conjugate counterparts. In this process, secondary twinning generates a change of misorientation between the matrix and twin lamellae of the initial domain by nearly23°. The orientation evolves over a region behind the transformation front about 100 nm in extent.