Crystallographic theory of the martensitic transformation

Abstract

The martensitic transformation is one of the most researched topics in the materials science during the 20th century. The second half of this century was mainly remembered by the development of several theories related with the kinetics of phase transformation, the mechanisms involved in the nucleation phenomenon, and the way as the crystallographic change is produced. In this paper are described the fundamental concepts that are defined in the crystallographic framework of the martensitic transformation. The study is focused on the application of the most outstanding crystallographic models: the Bain; the Wechsler, Lieberman & Read; and the Bowles & Mackenzie. The topic is presented based upon the particular features of the martensitic transformation, such as its non-diffusional character, type of interface between parent (austenite) and product (martensite) phases, the formation of substructural defects, and the shape change; all of these features are mathematically described by equations aimed to predict how the transformation will take place rather than to explain the actual movement of the atoms within the structure. This mathematical development is known as the Phenomenological Theory of Martensite Crystallography (PTMC).