Abstract The martensitic tetragonal-to-monoclinic ( t → m ) phase transformation is the primary inelastic deformation mechanism in zirconia ceramics. In this study, a Ginzburg-Landau type phase-field model is utilized to simulate phase transformations in MgO-partially stabilized zirconia, clearly distinguishing between the effects of undercooling and stress. The simulation results reproduce characteristic lamellar microstructures observed in experiments. Our study shows distinctive differences in microstructure and evolution path between undercooling-induced and stress-induced t → m transformations. In the latter case, sequential growth of monoclinic lamellae is observed, whereas undercooling induced microstructure evolution is characterized by an almost homogeneous and simultaneous nucleation of the monoclinic phase. We show that the different behavior can be explained by the presence of an energy barrier in the Gibbs free enthalpy. It is found that the presence of residual stresses in the tetragonal phase provides such a barrier and contributes to the stability of the tetragonal phase at low temperatures.

中文翻译：

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过冷与应力诱导的马氏体相变：MgO 的情况 - 部分稳定的氧化锆

摘要 马氏体四方-单斜( t → m ) 相变是氧化锆陶瓷的主要非弹性变形机制。在这项研究中，使用 Ginzburg-Landau 型相场模型来模拟 MgO 部分稳定氧化锆中的相变，清楚地区分过冷和应力的影响。模拟结果再现了实验中观察到的特征层状微观结构。我们的研究表明，过冷诱导和应力诱导的 t → m 转变在微观结构和演化路径上存在显着差异。在后一种情况下，观察到单斜片晶的连续生长，而过冷诱导的微观结构演变的特征是单斜相几乎均匀且同时成核。我们表明，不同的行为可以通过吉布斯自由焓中能量势垒的存在来解释。发现四方相中残余应力的存在提供了这样的障碍并且有助于四方相在低温下的稳定性。