Burst Martensitic Transformations in a Steel and in a Pu-Ga Alloy

摘要

Upon cooling a Pu-2.0 at% Ga alloy from the ambient temperature, the metastable delta phase partially transforms martensitically to the alpha-prime phase. Because this transformation involves a 25% volume contraction, plastic accommodation by the delta matrix must occur. When the material is isochronally heated or isothermally annealed above ambient temperatures, the reversion of alpha-prime to delta is likely to occur by the alpha-prime/delta interface moving to consume the alpha-prime particles. This reversion exhibits a burst martensitic mode and is observed as sharp spikes in differential scanning calorimetry data and as steps in resistometry data. These large bursts appear to be the result of an interplay between the autocatalytically driven transformation of individual alpha-prime particles and self-quenching caused by small changes in temperature and/or stress accompanying each burst. The behavior of this Pu-Ga alloy is compared to that of a steel referred to as a 'burst martensite' in the literature, which also exhibits bursts during both thermal cycling and isothermal holds.