Variant organization and mechanical detwinning of modulated martensite in Ni–Mn–In metamagnetic shape-memory alloys

Abstract Based upon microstructural and crystallographic characterizations, the variant organization and mechanical detwinning of 6M modulated martensite in Ni–Mn–In alloys have been studied. In the stress-free circumstance, each martensite colony is composed of four distinct orientation variants that are related to one another in three twin relations. Adjacent variants with type-I twin relation possess straight interfaces, whereas those with type-II or compound twin relation have stepped interfaces at atomic scale. Schmid factor (SF) calculations show that under uniaxial compression condition, the loading orientation zones with high SFs for the type-I and type-II detwinning systems are close to each other, being at about 90° away from those of the compound detwinning system. The detwinning resistances of the different types of twins are considered to be associated with their twinning shears and twin boundary structures. Type-I twin possesses much larger detwinning resistance than that of type-II twin, though they have the same amount of twinning shear (0.2392). Compound twin has the smallest detwinning resistance, which is benefited from its tiny twinning shear (0.0277) and stepped twin interface. Under external loading, martensite variants react locally within colonies through detwinning if the loading orientation is favorable. It is possible to obtain single variant state in some colonies when the loading orientation is located in the common positive SF zone of the three detwinning systems. This study is expected to provide fundamental information on local variant reorientation of 6M Ni–Mn–In martensite during deformation.