First-Order Phase Transitions and Hysteresis

A simple phase-field model for first-order phase transitions with hysteresis is proposed. It describes both temperature- and stress-induced transitions between austenitic and (oriented) martensitic regimes in a shape memory alloy (SMA). Finally, numerical simulations of local paths of the system are performed in the strain-stress and strain-temperature planes, respectively, when either stress or temperature cyclic processes are considered and phase diffusion is neglected.