This thesis aims to investigate both the two-dimensional and three-dimensional (sub)structure of the butterfly martensite (α’BF) morphology. In order to do this, multiple different types of heat treatments were applied to a Fe-25Ni alloy to find the optimal morphology consisting
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This thesis aims to investigate both the two-dimensional and three-dimensional (sub)structure of the butterfly martensite (α’BF) morphology. In order to do this, multiple different types of heat treatments were applied to a Fe-25Ni alloy to find the optimal morphology consisting of a low density of α’BF that is surrounded by austenite(γ). Two dimensional analyses were performed by applying a combination of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). The α’BF morphology was found to nucleate and grow as the first martensite (α’) morphology just below the martensite start temperature (Ms) within this 25Ni alloy. A decrease in austenisation time resulted in smaller γ grain sizes. This reduction in γ grain size resulted in a reduction of the Ms of the alloy which in its turn reduced the amount of undercooling applied to the material below Ms upon quenching towards room temperature, causing a decrease in the freshly formed α’ fraction. Upon observation of the freshly formed α’ it was found that the α’BF seemed to prefer formation near the centre of γ grains instead of near γ grain boundaries. When α’BF was formed near a γ grain boundaries, one wing tends to aligned itself with this boundary. Through trace analysis, it was found that the habit planes of α’BF were close to {557}γ, {225}γ and {3 10 15}γ, which are characteristic habit planes of lath, butterfly and lenticular α’, respectively. The orientation relationship (OR) between the γ and α’BF is found be a combination of both the Greninger-Troiano (G-T) and Nishiyama-Wasserman (N-W) OR. Three dimensional analysis was performed using both serial sectioning and 3D-EBSD. Serial sectioning showed that α’BF within this alloy was sensitive to formation upon mechanical polishing. 3D-EBSD gave insight on the three-dimensional morphology and substructure of the α’BF grains. It was observed that the junction plane could be non-continuous. Moreover, it is shown that the apparent wing angle greatly depends on the angle that the α’BF grain makes perpendicular to the sample surface and that the tail of the the α’BF grain can run along the entire length of the grain.