Kinetics of the α →γ ′ stress-induced martensitic transformation in a Fe - Mn - Al - Ni shape memory bicrystal

The Fe-Mn-Al-Ni pseudoelastic system has garnered interest for diverse engineering applications owing to its promising characteristics. The poor pseudoelasticity in polycrystals is generally attributed to activation of new martensite variants and the high density of dislocations close to austenite/martensite interface. High-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction and microscopy studies on a Fe-Mn-Al-Ni bicrystal reveal the sequence of transformation, deformation mechanisms, and grain boundary effects on martensite nucleation, shedding light on its limited pseudoelasticity in polycrystalline configurations. The results highlight challenges in achieving pseudoelasticity in polycrystalline configurations due to disparities in deformation between grains and at grain boundaries.