Suggestions for Applying a Phenomenological Approach to Investigations of Mechanical Behavior in SME Alloys

Significant progress in understanding SME alloys has been made in recent years, a fact clearly illustrated by the work presented in recent reviews (1–3) as well as by the research presented at this symposium. Most of this work has been quite basic in nature, aimed at microscopic, crystallographic or thermodynamic interpretation of the observed phenomena. A major success of these efforts lies in the emergence of certain generalities regarding potential alloy systems or the anticipated behavior of known alloy systems. It is generally accepted, for example, that SME systems have in common 1) a thermoelastic martensitic transformation and 2) ordering in both parent and martensite phases. Basic research to further delineate such generalities must of course continue.