A multi-scale model for structure-property relations of materials exhibiting martensite transformation plasticity

The remarkable mechanical properties of many advanced steels, e.g. metastable austenitic stainless steels, are related to their complex microstructural behaviour, resulting from the interaction between plastic deformation of the phases and the austenite to martensite phase transformation during thermomechanical loading. In this paper, a multi- scale physically-based model is presented for the prediction of such structure-property relations for materials exhibiting a martensitic phase transformation during mechanical loading. The model is applied to investigate the dependence of the martensite transformation and the related material stress-strain response on the grain orientation.