Abstract
The thermal-elastic martensitic transformation from high-temperature Ni2In-type hexagonal structure to low-temperature TiNiSi-type orthorhombic structure has been widely studied in MnMX(M=Ni or Co,and X=Ge or Si)alloys.However,the answer to how the orthorhombic martensite nucleates and grows within the hexagonal parent is still unclear.In this work,the hexagonal-orthorhombic martensitic transformation in a Co and Ge co-substituted Mn-NiSi is investigated.One can find some orthorhombic laths embedded in the hexagonal parent at a temperature above the martensitic transformation start temperature(Ms).With the the sample cooing to Ms,the laths turn broader,indicating that the martensitic transformation starts from these pre-existing orthorhombic laths.Microstructure observation suggests that these pre-existing orthorhombic laths do not originate from the hexagonal-orthorhombic martensitic transformation because of the difference between atomic occupations of doping elements in the hexagonal parent and those in the pre-existing orthorhombic laths.The phenomenological crystallographic theory and experimental investigations prove that the pre-existing orthorhombic lath and generated orthorhombic martensite have the same crystallography relationship to the hexagonal parent.Therefore,the orthorhombic martensite can take these pre-existing laths as embryos and grow up.This work implies that the martensitic transformation in MnNiSi1-x(CoNiGe)x alloy is initiated by orthorhombic embryos.