Microstructure of Martensite: Why it forms and how it gives rise to the shape-memory effect [Kõva köide]

Bhattacharya (mechanics and materials science, California Institute of Technology) shares what he has learned and found interesting about materials, mostly metal alloys, that after being deformed, revert to their original shape under certain conditions. (He includes a wire with the book that exhibits the behavior under the conditions he describes.) Here he explores why certain materials form the intricate patterns in their microstructure that characterize martensites, what kinds of materials form such a microstructure, and what if any is the link between the microstructure and the shape-memory effect. He assumes only a college-level knowledge of mathematics. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Martensites are crystalline solids that display dazzling patterns at the microscopic scales. This microstructure gives rise to unusual macroscopic properties like the shape-memory effect. Starting with the crystalline structure, this book describes a theoretical framework for studying martensites and uses the theory to explain why these materials form microstructure. The macrostructure consequences of the microstructure are subsequently discussed. Complete with a piece of shape-memory wire and numerous examples from real materials, this book represents a successful case study in multiscale modeling, giving a clear understanding of the link between microstructure and macrostructure properties. Beautifully written, in a most clear and pedagogical manner, it holds appeal for a broad audience. On the one hand, it introduces modern modeling techniques to those trained in materials science, mechanics and physics and shows how these techniques can be used in real-world problems. On the other hand, it introduces physical phenomena to those trained in mathematics, and demonstrates how such phenomena give rise to interesting mathematical problems.