On an elastically induced splitting instability

We show that a morphological instability driven by deviatoric applied stres ses can generate elastically induced particle splitting during diffusional phase transformations. The splitting instability occurs when the elastic fi elds are above some critical value. For subcritical elastic fields, one obs erves a small perturbation of the particle shape consistent with splitting, but this perturbation is stabilized by surface tension. Both the onset of the splitting instability and the nonlinear evolution of the particle towar ds splitting depend on the precise form of the applied stress, the elastic constants of the precipitate and matrix, and the initial shape of the preci pitate. We also investigate whether non-dilatational misfit strains can gen erate splitting instabilities in the absence of an applied stress. (C) 2001 Acta Materialia Inc. published by, Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv ed.