Athermal transformation behaviour and thermal hysteresis at the SiO2-α/β-cristobalite phase transition

Schmahl, Wolfgang W. (1993): Athermal transformation behaviour and thermal hysteresis at the SiO2-α/β-cristobalite phase transition. In: European Journal of Mineralogy, Vol. 5, No. 2: pp. 377-380

Abstract

The α/β-phase-transition of cristobalite (SiO2) shows a stable and reproducible hysteresis loop with phase coexistence on both slopes. The transition proceeds as a function of temperature rather than isothermally. The non-thermally-activated (athermal) behaviour is analogous to martensitic transformations in metals and alloys, and similar to the hysteresis of ferroics in an applied field. The observations suggest that self-pinning by coherency-strain is the cause of the \"thermal’ hysteresis of non-quenchable structure phase transitions. -from Author

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Geosciences > Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences > Crystallography and Materials Science
• Subjects: 500 Science > 550 Earth sciences and geology
• Language: English