Abstract: Homogenised and quenched Ni65Al35 samples were heated and studied in situ in a CM20 electron microscope up to 900 degrees C. The Ni5Al3 phase first forming around 550 degrees C in the quenched L1(0) microtwinned martensite starts to decompose around 800 degrees C yielding B2 precipitates in a twinned L1(2) matrix. The latter twinning is a remainder of the microtwinning in the original room temperature martensite. Also the crystallographic relations between precipitates and matrix can be traced back to the original formation of twinned martensite plates within the austenite. Some aspects of the dynamics of the process are discussed on the basis of snap shots and video recordings.

Abstract: Two different kinds of experimental approaches yielding three-dimensional structural information on metastable semi-coherent precipitates are demonstrated. By combining high-resolution images from two independent viewing directions a full description of the strain field surrounding a nano-sized Ni4Ti3 precipitate in Ni-Ti can be obtained. The principal axes and strains correlate well with the transformation strain of the observed R-phase transformation close to the precipitate. Using a slice-and-view procedure in a FIB/SEM dual-beam instrument, a three-dimensional voxel dataset is produced from which morphological and distributional information on the same precipitates can be obtained yielding new insight into the particular transformation paths of these alloys, relevant for their functional behaviour.

Abstract: The properties of the shape memory behaviour of Ni-rich binary NiTi are strongly dependant on the thermal history of the material. In this respect the changing of transformation temperatures of the underlying martensitic transformation and the occurrence of multiple step transformations are the most important phenomena. Part of the explanation is found in the presence of Ni4Ti3 precipitates in the B2 matrix after particular heat treatments. The formation of these precipitates changes the Ni concentration of the matrix and induces a strain field, with both of these aspects expected to be of importance. In this work atomic resolution and analytical TEM (transmission electron microscopy) techniques are used to obtain quantitative information concerning these two main features. Furthermore, the known structure of Ni4Ti3 is refined by a least squares optimization of quantitative electron diffraction data. The high-resolution TEM results show that there are strains up to 2% in the matrix surrounding the precipitates and they gradually increase until a maximum is reached when moving away from the interface. Analytical results reveal a global decrease of Ni content in the matrix when sufficient precipitates are present and a gradient in their close vicinity. The refinement of the structure shows atomic displacements, thereby increasing our understanding of the shrinking of the precipitate lattice with respect to the matrix.

Abstract: Microtwin sequences in Ni66Al34 martensite plates of different size were investigated by electron microscopy. Although mostly irregular sequences were observed an average twin width w can be determined which increases with twin length L following the expected relation w ~ sqrt(L). High resolution electron microscopy was used to study the twin branching close to the plate boundaries and an atomic model for the branching of a microtwin and the changes in twin thickness is suggested