A consideration of curved interfaces in stress-assisted martensite formation

A purely mechanical, sharp interface model is developed to consider curved interfaces that have been observed between martensite phase variants. The approach is based on a theory of small strains as distinct from small displacement gradients. It admits a realistic characterization of each phase with standard elasticity tensors and allows for inhomogeneous states of strain within each phase including inhomogeneous, finite rotations. The model indicates that any significant interface curvature must be due to material rotation because interfaces cannot be finitely curved with respect to the material lattice. It is also found that the interface driving traction is not influenced by local lattice rotations unless inertia affects the reaction.