On transformation shear of precipitated zirconia particles

A model is proposed to investigate the transformation shear of the precipitated zirconia particles which undergo a stress-induced lattice transformation from tetragonal to monoclinic symmetry. Kinematically admissible twinning planes and the corresponding twinning elements are determined according to the continuum theory of dispacive phase transformation. It is postulated that only one twinning mode prevails in each transformed particle and that the minimization of elastic strain energy change dictates the morphology of the transformed variants. The transformation shear is determined by the twinning mode and the volume fraction of the corresponding variant. Numerical calculations show that each of the six kinematically admissible twinning modes may be kinematically favorable and therefore operate in constrained particle. The actual transformation shear in a transformed particle is shown to be dependent on the transformation stress, on the particle shape as well as on the lattice orientation relative to the principal axes of the ellipsoidal particle