Effect of the Magnetic Transition of Austenite Phase on Austenite-to-epsilon Martensitic Transformation in Fe Mn Binary Alloys

The effect of the magnetic transition of gamma austenite phase on gamma -> epsilon martensitic transformation in Fe-Mn binary alloys was investigated to calm a longstanding controversy over whether or not gamma -> epsilon martensitic transformation is terminated at the Neel temperature of gamma phase (T-N(gamma)), where the paramagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic transition occurs during cooling. Literature review on both martensite start (M-s) temperature and T-N(gamma), experiments, and thermodynamic calculation clearly revealed that the gamma -> epsilon martensitic transformation in Fe-Mn binary alloys is not terminated at T-N(gamma), but suppressed at temperatures below T-N(gamma) due to the high stability of antiferromagnetic gamma phase.