Effect of electron density on the martensitic transition in Ni–Mn–Sn alloys

Abstract

The structure and martensitic transition (MT) temperatures of Ni 44Mn 45Sn 10R (R = Al, Ga, In and Sn) alloys were investigated. Valence electron concentration and cell volume are two main factors affecting the MT temperatures in Ni–Mn based Heusler alloys. Our results indicated that the MT temperatures do not vary monotonously with either of the two factors, but increase with the increasing of electron density. Combining the two factors, electron density might be a more appropriate parameter to describe the variations of MT temperatures.