POSITRON ANNIHILATION STUDY OF THERMOELASTIC MARTENSITE STABILIZATION IN A THERMALLY CYCLED CuZnAl ALLOY--A DISCUSSION OF ORIGIN OF THERMOELASTIC MARTENSITE STABILIZATION

The thermally cycled samples of Cu-23at%Zn-10at%Al have been studied by means of positron annihilation. It is shown that vacancies and their movement seem to be the leading factors resulting in thermoelastic martensite stabilization based on the fact that stabilization was no longer present and the great decrease of positron parameters after the samples in martensite were thermally cycled.