Stress-induced martensitic transformations in NiTi and NiTi-TiC composites investigated by neutron diffraction

Superelastic NiTi (51.0 at.% Ni) specimens reinforced with 0, 10 and 20 vol.% TiC particles were deformed under uniaxial compression while neutron diffraction spectra were collected. The experiments yielded in-situ measurements of the thermoelastic stress-induced transformation. The evolution of austenite/martensite phase fractions and of elastic strains in the reinforcing TiC particles and the austenite matrix were obtained by Rietveld refinement [1] during the loading cycle as the austenite transforms to martensite (and its subsequent back transformation during unloading). Phase fractions and strains are discussed in terms of load transfer in composites where the matrix undergoes a stress-induced phase transformation.