Publications Details

Coherent phase transformation under nonhydrostatic stress-wave loading

Grady, D.E.

Coherent phase transformation occurs under conditions of stress wave loading and there are indications that transformation is dependent on the nonhydrostatic state of stress in the body. Studies under static loading show transformation proceeds at lower confining pressure when combined with shearing stress and similar effects appear to occur under stress-wave loading. Nonlinearities in the stress-strain behavior due to the transformation strain lead to complicated wave propagation, including wave separation and rarefaction shock waves. In the present study a thermodynamic theory of the combined elastic and phase transformtion deformation is developed which incorporates the interrelation of pressure and shear effects. The theory is focused on wave propagation in solids and is compared with earlier experimental work on Oakhall limestone. A thermodynamic Gibbs potential is derived for the material and a phase equilibrium relation identified, which constrains the volume and shape change through the transformation. The theory is extended to account for the effect of microstructural heterogeneities on the transformation process which has been observed experimentally.