Premartensitic phenomena and other phase transformations in Ni–Mn–Ga alloys studied by dynamical mechanical analysis and electron diffraction

Abstract

Ni–Mn–Ga ferromagnetic ordered shape memory alloys are known to exhibit phonon softening and soft mode condensation into a premartensitic phase prior to the martensitic transformation itself. In the present work, this unique behaviour of Ni–Mn–Ga system has been studied as a function of electron concentration (i.e., alloy composition) and a region on the phase transformations diagram which corresponds to the stability of the intermediate phase has been determined, being completely in the ferromagnetic zone. The results were mainly obtained by means of dynamical mechanical analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The two types of lattice instability which might occur in the parent phase driving it to either the soft mode condensed intermediate phase or to the martensitic phase are discussed in this work, together with precursor phenomena and the intermartensitic transformation observed in alloys with the highest electron concentration.