Papers by Keyword: Shape Memory TiNi Alloy

Abstract: Transmission electron microscopy and mechanical testing were employed to investigate the evolution of microstructure and functional superelastic properties of 0.1mm diameter as-drawn Ni-Ti wires subjected to a non-conventional heat treatment by controlled electric pulse current. This method enables a finer control of the recovery and recrystallisation processes taking place during the heat treatment and accordingly a better control on the final microstructure. The best functional properties were obtained for heat-treated Ni-Ti wires having a nanograined microstructure (20-50 nm) partially recovered through polygonization and partially recrystallized. Such microstructure is highly resistant against dislocation slip upon cycling, while microstructures annealed for longer time and showing mostly recrystallized grains were prone to dislocation slip, particularly as the grain size exceeds 100 nm. The density of dislocation defects increased significantly with increasing grain size of the microstructure. The activity of three <100>/{011} slip systems was identified in the largest grains of 500-1200 nm. An additional mode of plastic deformation, {114} compound austenite twinning, was observed in the largest grains of fully recrystallized microstructures. It is proposed that dislocation slip (and possibly deformation twinning) occurring in superelastic cycling is coupled with the stress-induced martensitic transformation.

Abstract: Amorphous-nanocrystalline Ti49.4Ni50.6 alloy in the shape of a disc 20 mm in diameter has been successfully produced using high pressure torsion (HPT). Application of HPT and annealing at temperatures of 300–550°C resulted in formation of a nanocrystalline (NC) structure with the grain size (D) about 20–300 nm. The HPT samples after annealing at Т = 400°C with the D= 20 nm possess high yield stress and high ultimate tensile strength (more than 2000 MPa). There is an area of strain-induced transformation B2-B19’ on the tensile curve of the samples with the grain size D =20 nm. The stress of martensitic transformation (σm) of samples is 450 MPa, which is three times higher than σm in the initial coarse-grained state (σm ≈ 160 MPa). The HPT samples after annealing at Т = 550°C with the D= 300 nm possess high ductility (δ>60 %) and high ultimate tensile strength (about 1000 MPa).