An elastoplastic phase field model was employed for simulations to investigate the influence of external loading on the martensitic phase transformation kinetics in steel. The phase field model incorporates external loading and plastic deformation. During the simulation process, the authenticity of the phase field model is ensured by introducing the relevant physical parameters and comparing them with experimental data. During the calculations, loads of various magnitudes and loading conditions were considered. An analysis and discussion were conducted concerning the volume fraction and phase transition temperature during the phase transformation process. The simulation results prominently illustrate the preferential orientation of variants under different loading conditions. This model can be applied to the qualitative phase transition evolution of Fe-Ni alloys, and the crystallographic parameters adhere to the volume expansion effect. It is concluded that uniaxial loading promotes martensitic phase transformation, while triaxial compressive loading inhibits it. From a dynamic perspective, it is demonstrated that external uniaxial loading accelerates the kinetics of martensitic phase transformation, with uniaxial compression being more effective in accelerating the phase transformation process than uniaxial tension. When compared to experimental data, the simulation results provide evidence that under the influence of external loading, the martensitic phase transformation is significantly influenced by the applied load, with the impact of external loading being more significant than that of plastic effects.
Keywords: martensitic phase transformation; martensitic variant; phase field model; phase field simulation; phase transition kinetics.