Vibration mitigation by the reversible fcc/hcp martensitic transformation during cyclic tension–compression loading of an Fe–Mn–Si-based shape memory alloy

The present work concerns the damping behavior of an Fe–28Mn–6Si–5Cr–0.5NbC (mass%) shape memory alloy determined by low cycle fatigue tests, and the corresponding deformation mechanism under cyclic tension–compression loading. The specific damping capacity increases with increasing strain amplitude and reaches saturation at 80%, above the strain amplitude of 0.4%. Quantitative X-ray diffraction analyses and microstructural observations using atomic force microscopy revealed that a significant amount of the tensile stress-induced ε martensite is reversely transformed into the austenite by subsequent compression; in other words, the stress-induced ‘reverse’ martensitic transformation takes place in the alloy.