Be shape memory alloys • The joints exhibit excellent superelastic properties. • Superelasticity is preserved between −40 and 100°C. • The joints can be used as energy absorptions devices.

During conventional shot peening on metastable austenitic steels, martensitic transformation occurs in addition to plastic straining. In this work, the impact of a single spherical steel shot on a AISI 301LN steel was studied. The volume fraction of martensite, residual stresses in both phases were determined in the vicinity of the dent as a function of the shot velocity and diameter. An elasto-plastic two phase model that includes martensitic phase transformation was adapted to model mechanical and microstructural fields and implemented in Abaqus Explicit for the 2D simulation of a single shot impact. It was found, for instance, that the martensitic transformation takes place only under the dent and that martensite is in tension at the surface while austenite is in compression. Simulation results of stress levels showed a good agreement with experimental stresses determined by X-ray diffraction.