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Abstract BackgroundSuperelastic shape memory alloys (SMAs) such as nickel-titanium, also known as Nitinol, recover large deformations via a reversible, stress-induced martensitic transformation. ObjectivePartitioning the deformation into the contributions from superelasticity and plasticity and quantifying the interaction between these mechanisms is key to modeling their fatigue behavior. MethodsWe capture these microscopic interactions across many grains using a combination of scanning electron microscopy digital image correlation (SEM-DIC) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Modeling our data as a statistical distribution, we employ a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) soft clustering framework to understand how these mechanisms interact and evolve as a function of global strain. ResultsOur findings show that, under globally-applied uniaxial tensile loading, plasticity bridges deformation in regions where competing positive and negative martensitic shear bands intersect. Early stage transformation-induced plasticity is concentrated at these intersections and forms concurrently with the Lüders-like martensitic transformation front, often appearing with a zig-zag pattern that is linked to compound twinning at the martensite-martensite interface. At higher strains, austenite slip is activated as a second mechanism of plastic deformation. ConclusionsWe propose that this plastic bridging mechanism underpins the prestrain effects previously reported in the literature, where higher prestrains can enhance the fatigue strength of superelastic materials within a given loading mode.