Papers by Author: Toshio Sakuma

Abstract: Ti-Ni-Cu shape memory alloy by elemental powders was fabricated by using a pulse-current pressure sintering method, and it was subjected to solid-solution heat treatment after sintering to homogenize the microstructure of the alloy. The influence of the thermo-mechanical cyclic deformation on the shape memory and thermo-mechanical characteristics of Ti-Ni-Cu alloy was investigated. The thermo-mechanical cyclic deformation improved the deformation behavior of the sintered alloy and made the thermo-mechanical behavior of the alloy stable caused by the introduction of dislocations. As a result, the recovery stress of the alloy after the cyclic deformation fairly increased. The transformation temperatures of the alloy after the cyclic deformation became lower than those of the alloy before the cyclic deformation. Therefore, the superelastic-like behavior of the alloy after the cyclic deformation appeared in an isothermal tensile test at lower holding temperature.

Abstract: Thermo-mechanical characteristic of shape memory alloy depends on cold working and heat treatment, because these processes can control the amount of defects including dislocation and precipitation [1]. In this study, the influence of cold working on the deformation behavior and the transformation characteristics was investigated on the Ti-Ni-Nb shape memory alloy (SMA). Both the tensile test and the shape recovery test were performed for the wire specimens of 1mm in the diameter with some different rates of cold working. The shape recovery tests were performed for the wire specimens of different cold working rates until the various levels of maximum applied strain, and the reverse-transformation characteristics on the process of heating after unloading were studied. It is clarified that the higher cold-working rate improves the shape memory properties of the alloy.

Abstract: Ti-Ni-Nb shape memory alloy has a wide transformation hysteresis, and has been used as coupling devices and so on. However systematic researches of the influence of the amount of Nb addition on transformation temperatures are few. The purpose of this work is to clarify the influences of pre-strain and Nb content on transformation temperatures in Ti-Ni-Nb shape memory alloys. The specimens were Ti-Ni-Nb alloys (Ni/Ti=1.0, Nb=0-15at%), annealed at 1223 K for 0.3 ks. The variation of transformation temperatures with pre-strain and Nb content were investigated experimentally. The variation of As, Ms and transformation temperature hysteresis with pre-strain and Nb content will be discussed in relation to the elastic strain energy and the volume fraction of slip-deformed martensite.