Local stress analysis in an SMA during stress-induced martensitic transformation by Kossel microdiffraction

The Kossel microdiffraction in a scanning electron microscope allows for local stress determination. This technique has been applied to monitor stress evolution within grains of austenite in the course of martensitic transformation in a shape memory alloy. Kossel diffraction patterns were recorded during in situ tensile straining of Cu-Al-Be alloy. These innovative measurements show large stress heterogeneities between grains, with the stress ratio exceeding two. As martensite variants are stress-induced, shear stress components appear in individual grains of austenite