3D coupled thermo-mechanical phase-field modeling of shape memory alloy dynamics via isogeometric analysis

•Proposed isogeometric analysis for 3D phase-field modeling of shape memory alloys.•Numerical examples show geometrical flexibility, accuracy and robustness of our approach.•Microstructure morphology is in qualitative agreement with the literature.

The paper focuses on numerical simulation of the 3D phase-field (PF) equations for modeling cubic-to-tetragonal martensitic transformations in shape memory alloys (SMAs), their complex microstructures and thermo-mechanical behavior. The straightforward solution to the fourth-order diffuse interface 3D PF equations, based on the Landau–Ginzburg potential, is numerically solved using an isogeometric analysis. We present microstructure evolution in different geometries of SMA nanostructures under temperature-induced phase transformations to illustrate the geometrical flexibility, accuracy and robustness of our approach. The simulations successfully capture the dynamic thermo-mechanical behavior of SMAs observed experimentally.