Enhanced superelasticity and reversible elastocaloric effect in nano-grained NiTi alloys with low stress hysteresis

Solid-state cooling technologies have been considered as potential alternatives for vapor compression cooling systems.The search for refrigeration materials displaying a unique combination of pronounced caloric effect,low hysteresis,and high reversibility on phase transformation was very active in recent years.Here,we achieved increase in the elastocaloric reversibility and decrease in the friction dissipation of martensite transformations in the superelastic nano-grained NiTi alloys obtained by cold rolling and annealing treatment,with very low stress hysteresis(6.3 MPa)under a large applied strain(5%).Large adiabatic temperature changes(△T_(max)=16.3 K atε=5%)and moderate COP_(mater)values(maximum COP_(mater)=11.8 atε=2%)were achieved.The present nano-grained NiTi alloys exhibited great potential for applications as a highly efficient elastocaloric material.

Characteristics of shape memory and superelasticity for TiNi thin films

TiNi shape memory alloy thin films were deposited by using a RF magnetron sputtering apparatus. The transformation and shape memory characteristics of the thin films have been investigated by using DSC and tensile tests. After aging, perfect shape memory effect and superelasticity were achieved in TiNi thin films.

Superelasticity of NiTi Shape Memory Alloy Thin Films

The superelastic properties of NiTi thin films prepared with sputtering were studied. To characterize their superelasticity, tensile and bulging and indentation tests were performed. The measured mechanisms using these three methods were compared, and the factors that influence superelasticity were described.

Effects of aging treatment on the microstructure and superelasticity of columnar-grained Cu71Al18Mn11 shape memory alloy

The effect of aging treatment on the superelasticity and martensitic transformation critical stress in columnar-grained Cu_（71）Al_（18）Mn_（11） shape memory alloy（SMA） at the temperature ranging from 250°C to 400°C was investigated. The microstructure evolution during the aging treatment was characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the plate-like bainite precipitates distribute homogeneously within austenitic grains and at grain boundaries. The volume fraction of bainite increases with the increase in aging temperature and aging time, which substantially improves the martensitic transformation critical stress of the alloy, whereas the bainite only slightly affects the superelasticity. This behavior is attributed to a coherent relationship between the bainite and the austenite, as well as to the bainite and the martensite exhibiting the same crystal structure. The variations of the martensitic transformation critical stress and the superelasticity of columnar-grained Cu_（71）Al_（18）Mn_（11） SMA with aging-temperature and aging time are described by the Austin-Rickett equation, where the activation energy of bainite precipitation is 77.2 kJ ·mol1. Finally, a columnar-grained Cu_（71）Al_（18）Mn_（11） SMA with both excellent superelasticity（5%-9%） and high martensitic transformation critical stress（443-677 MPa） is obtained through the application of the appropriate aging treatments.

Influence of α Phase on Shape Memory Effect and Superelasticity of CuZnAI Alloy

The influence of a small amount of α phase in β′ matrix on shape memory effect and superelasticity of CuZnAl shape memory alloy has been studied systematically.It has been found that transformation temperature can be adjusted in a large scale by controlling the amount of α phase, meanwhile,shape memory effect and superelasticity do not decrease obviously when there exists a small amount of α phase.Based on the optical and trans- mission electron microscopy observation,the influ- ence of α phase on shape memory effect and superelasticity has been discussed.

Effect of chemical ordering annealing on superelasticity of Ni-Mn-Ga-Fe ferromagnetic shape memory alloy microwires

Ni50Mn25Ga20Fe5 ferromagnetic shape memory alloy microwires with diameters of^30-50μm and grain sizes of^2-5μm were prepared by melt-extraction technique.A step-wise chemical ordering annealing was carried out to improve the superelasticity strain and recovery ratio which were hampered by the internal stress,compositional inhomogeneity,and high-density defects in the as-extracted Ni50Mn25Ga20Fe5 microwires.The annealed microwires exhibited enhanced atomic ordering degree,narrow thermal hysteresis,and high saturation magnetization under a low magnetic field.As a result,the annealed microwire showed decreased superelastic critical stress,improved reversibility,and a high superelastic strain(1.9%)with a large recovery ratio(>96%).This kind of filamentous material with superior superelastic effects may be promising materials for minor-devices.

Superelasticity of TiPdNi Alloys with and without Rare Earth Ce Addition

Ti50.6Pd30Ni19.4 and Ti51Pd28Ni21 (Ce) alloys have been prepared under various temperatures for long time annealing. Differential scanning calorimetery (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and tensile test were employed to investigate the phase transformation behavior and superelasticity of the alloys. It has been found that the phase transformation temperature of Ti50.6Pd30Ni19.4 is about 40C higher than that of Ti51Pd28Ni21(Ce), and do not change much with different annealed temperature. Obvious superelasticity is retained in Ti50.6Pd30Ni19.4 alloy annealed at 400C for 18 h, and annealing at higher temperature shows a deterioration of this property. The Ce addition in TisiPd28Ni2i alloy significantly delays recrystallization, increases yied strength and elastic modulus, but the superelasticity is poor.

Superelasticity of Cu–Ni–Al shape-memory fibers prepared by melt extraction technique

In the paper, a melt extraction method was used to fabricate Cu–4Ni–14Al（wt%） fiber materials with diameters between 50 and 200 μm. The fibers exhibited superelasticity and temperature-induced martensitic transformation. The microstructures and superelasticity behavior of the fibers were studied via scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and a dynamic mechanical analyzer（DMA）, respectively. Appropriate heat treatment further improves the plasticity of Cu-based alloys. The serration behavior observed during the loading process is due to the multiple martensite phase transformation.

Gyroid Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Lattice Structure Enables Improved Superelasticity of CuAlMn Shape Memory Alloy

Improving the shape memory effect and superelasticity of Cu-based shape memory alloys(SMAs)has always been a research hotspot in many countries.This work systematically investigates the effects of Gyroid triply periodic minimal surface(TPMS)lattice structures with different unit sizes and volume fractions on the manufacturing viability,compressive mechanical response,superelasticity and heating recovery properties of CuAlMn SMAs.The results show that the increased specific surface area of the lattice structure leads to increased powder adhesion,making the manufacturability proportional to the unit size and volume fraction.The compressive response of the CuAlMn SMAs Gyroid TPMS lattice structure is negatively correlated with the unit size and positively correlated with the volume fraction.The superelastic recovery of all CuAlMn SMAs with Gyroid TPMS lattice structures is within 5%when the cyclic cumulative strain is set to be 10%.The lattice structure shows the maximum superelasticity when the unit size is 3.00 mm and the volume fraction is 12%,and after heating recovery,the total recovery strain increases as the volume fraction increases.This study introduces a new strategy to enhance the superelastic properties and expand the applications of CuAlMn SMAs in soft robotics,medical equipment,aerospace and other fields.

Improved stability of superelasticity and elastocaloric effect in Ti-Ni alloys by suppressing Lüders-like deformation under tensile load

Functional stability of superelasticity is crucial for practical applications of shape memory alloys.It is degraded by a Lüders-like deformation with elevated local stress concentration under tensile load.By increasing the degree of solute supersaturation and applying appropriate thermomechanical treatments,a Ti-Ni alloy with nanocrystallinity and dispersed nanoprecipitates is obtained.In contrast to conventional Ti-Ni alloys,the superelasticity in the target alloy is accompanied by homogeneous deformation due to the sluggish stress-induced martensitic transformation.The alloy thus shows a fully recoverable strain of 6%under tensile stress over 1 GPa and a large adiabatic temperature decrease of 13.1 K under tensile strain of 4.5%at room temperature.Moreover,both superelasticity and elastocaloric effect exhibit negligible degradation in response to applied strain of 4%during cycling.We attribute the improved functional stability to low dislocation activity resulting from the suppression of localized deformation and the combined strengthening effect of nanocrystalline structure and nanoprecipitates.Thus,the design of such a microstructure enabling homogeneous deformation provides a recipe for stable superelasticity and elastocaloric effect.

Improvement of tensile superelasticity by aging treatment of NiTi shape memory alloys fabricated by electron beam wire-feed additive manufacturing

For the first time,this work comprehensively studied the effectiveness of precipitation hardening achieved by aging treatment in improving the tensile superelasticity of NiTi alloys fabricated by elec-tron beam wire-feed additive manufacturing(EBAM),which possesses inherent advantages in producing dense and oxidation-free structures.Aging treatments under three temperatures(450,350,and 250℃)and different durations were conducted,and the resultant performance of tensile superelasticity,together with the corresponding evolution of precipitation and phase transformation behavior were investigated for the EBAM-fabricated NiTi alloys.Results showed that by appropriate aging treatment,EBAM fabricated NiTi alloys could achieve excellent recovery rates of approximately 95%and 90%after the 1st and 10th load/unload cycle for a maximum tensile strain of 6%,which were almost the highest achieved so far by AM processed NiTi alloys and close to those of some conventional NiTi alloys.The improvement of tensile superelasticity benefited from the fine and dispersive Ni4Ti3 precipitates,which could be introduced by aging at 350℃ for 4 h or at 250℃ for 200 h.Moreover,the large amount of Ni4Ti3 precipitates would promote the intermediate R-phase transformation and bring a two-stage or three-stage transformation sequence,which depended on whether the distribution of the precipitation was homogeneous or not.This work could provide guidance for the production of NiTi alloys with good tensile superelasticity by EBAM or other additive manufacturing processes.

Cyclic Stability of Superelasticity in[001]‑Oriented Quenched Ni_(44)Fe_(19)Ga_(27)Co_(10)and Ni_(39)Fe_(19)Ga_(27)Co_(15)Single Crystals

The study of the influence of the cobalt content on the cyclic stability of superelasticity(SE)was carried out in quenched Ni_(44)Fe_(19)Ga_(27)Co_(10)and Ni_(39)Fe_(19)Ga_(27)Co_(15)(at.%)single crystals under compression.It is shown that an increase in the cobalt content leads to embrittlement of the material and a decrease in the cyclic stability of SE.In Ni_(44)Fe_(19)Ga_(27)Co_(10)single crystals,during the first 20 loading/unloading cycles,the elastic energy relaxation occurs along with the formation of dislocations and residual martensite,which leads to a decrease in critical stress of martensite formation and in stress hysteresis.During the next 80 cycles,SE becomes more stable.Stabilization is accompanied by a slight change in the parameters.On the contrary,Ni_(39)Fe_(19)Ga_(27)Co_(15)single crystals are characterized by high-strength characteristics,which lead to high SE stability during the first 20 loading/unloading cycles.However,after 20 cycles,a strong degradation of the SE is observed through the formation of microcracks,which ultimately leads to the destruction of the sample.The results of work are replicable for cycling at different temperatures from all temperature ranges of superelasticity.

Additive manufacturing of Cu-AI-Mn shape memory alloy with enhanced superelasticity

The Cu-based shape memory alloy(SMA)with highly oriented columnar crystals is an ideal candidate for the commercial application,especially the ones obtained through rapid cooling via additive manufacturing method.In this work,Cu_(71)Al_(18)Mn_(11)(at%)shape memory alloy with strong<001>texture columnar grains was successfully prepared by selective laser melting(SLM).An L27(313)orthogonal array was designed to systematically investigate the effects of laser power,scanning speed,scanning spacing,layer thickness and their interactions on the forming quality of Cu_(71)Al_(18)Mn_(11)alloys.Cu_(71)Al_(18)Mn_(11)alloys with density of 7.3204 g·cm^(-3)and relative density of 99.18%were successfully prepared when the laser power,scanning speed,scanning distance and layer thickness were 240 W,1000 mm·s^(-1),0.11 mm and 25μm,the transformation onset temperature(Ms),martensite phase transformation termination temperature(Mf),austenite phase transformation onset temperature(AS)and austenite phase transformation termination temperature(Af)are-21.84,-26.04,-15.75 and-12.36℃,respectively.The compression strength and fracture strain along the building direction(BD)were significantly superior to the scanning direction(SD),while the superelasticity of compression along the SD reached 2.50%,which was better than that of2.32%along BD.The mechanical property and superelasticity anisotropy due to the formation of columnar grains and texture were discussed.This study shows that SLM is a proposed method for the preparation of Cu-Al-Mn SMAs with high superelasticity,which provides a new strategy for enhancing the shape memory alloy superelasticity.

Martensitic transformation,shape memory effect and superelasticity of Ti-xZr-(30-x)Nb-4Ta alloys

Martensitic transformations,mechanical properties,shape memory effect and superelasticity of Ti-xZr-(30-x)Nb-4Ta(x=15,16,17 and 18;at%) alloys were investigated.X-ray diffraction(XRD),optical microscopy(OM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) results indicated that the Ti-16Zr-14Nb-4Ta,Ti-17Zr-13Nb-4Ta and Ti-18Zr-12Nb4Ta alloys were mainly composed of α″-martensite,while the Ti-15Zr-15Nb-4Ta alloy was characterized by predominant p phase.The reverse martensitic transformation temperatures increased when Nb was replaced by Zr,indicating stronger p-stabilizing effect for the former.The Ti-15Zr-15Nb-4Ta alloy displayed superelasticity during tensile deformation with a recovery strain of 3.51%.For the other three alloys with higher Zr content,the martensitic reorientation occurred during tensile deformation,resulting in shape memory recovery upon subsequent heating.The maximum shape memory effect was 3.46% in the Ti-18Zr-12Nb-4Ta alloy.

Multifunctional protective aerogel with superelasticity over−196 to 500℃

Protective materials that possess superelasticity and multifunctionality over a broad temperature range are urgently needed in various advanced applications.However,under harsh work conditions,the performance of current materials may largely deteriorate to lose protective functionality.Herein,we report a bidirectionally oriented multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)-reinforced chitosan carbon aerogel(CS-MWCNT)that possesses superelasticity,high electromagnetic interference shielding,thermal insulation,and infrared stealth at both low temperatures(such as liquid nitrogen)and high temperatures(such as alcohol flames).Highly oriented lamellar arch structures combined with an MWCNTs-reinforced carbon skeleton act as elastic segments to disperse the stress during compression and endow CS-MWCNT with the ability to recover to almost the original size after being compressed at−196-500℃.The lamellar structures make CS-MWCNT thermally insulating and infrared stealth with a low thermal conductivity of~0.03 W/(m·K).Furthermore,a high electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding effect of 64 dB is realized via an absorption-dominant EMI shielding mechanism derived from the successive inherently conductive carbon lamella,and the EMI shielding performance is largely maintained after treatment under extreme conditions like low temperature,high temperature,as well as cyclic compression.This work provides a new strategy for the development of temperature-invariant multifunctional aerogels for harsh environment applications.

Microstructure evolution and superelasticity behavior of Ti-Ni-Hf shape memory alloy composite with multi-scale and heterogeneous reinforcements

In the present study,the in-situ TiB whisker was introduced into the Ti-Ni-Hf shape memory alloy composite by the in-situ reaction of the Ti-Ni-Hf alloy powder and TiB2 powders.The(Ti,Hf)2 Ni phase also precipitated,accompanied with the formation of TiB phase.Moreover,the residual TiB2 particles can be observed,as the TiB2 content was higher than 0.7 wt%.Thereinto,the larger scale reinforcements constituted the quasi-continuous network structure.The smaller scale reinforcements distributed in the interior of the network structure.The two-scale reinforcements showed the uniform distribution at macroscopic level and inhomogeneous distribution at microscopic level.The single stage B19?B2 martensitic transformation occurred in the Ti-Ni-Hf composites.In addition,the martensitic transformation temperatures continuously decreased with the increased TiB2 content owing to the compositional and mechanical effect.The moderate TiB2 addition not noly enhanced the matrix strength,but also significantly improved the superelasticity.The excellent superelaticity with the completely recoverable strain of 4%can be obtained in the Ti-Ni-Hf composite containing 0.7 wt%TiB2.

Superelasticity and Tunable Thermal Expansion across a Wide Temperature Range

Materials that undergo a reversible change of crystal structure through martensitic transformation （MT） possess unusual functionalities including shape memory, superelasticity, and low/negative thermal ex- pansion. These properties have many advanced applications, such as actuators, sensors, and energy conversion, but are limited typically in a narrow temperature range of tens of Kelvin. Here we report that, by creating a nano-scale concentration modulation via phase separation, the MT can be rendered continuous by an in-situ elastic confinement mechanism. Through a model titanium alloy, we demon- strate that the elastically confined continuous MT has unprecedented properties, such as superelasticity from below 4.2 K to 500 K, fully tunable and stable thermal expansion, from positive, through zero, to negative, from below 4.2 K to 573 K, and high strength-to-modulus ratio across a wide temperature range. The elastic tuning on the MT, together with a significant extension of the crystal stability limit, provides new opportunities to explore advanced materials.

Microstructure and superelasticity of porous NiTi alloy

The microstructure, porosity, phase composition and superelasticity (SE) in porous NiTi alloys produced by elemental powder sintering are examined by SEM, image analysis and XRD. It is found that it is feasible to produce porous NiTi alloy by elemental powder sintering, and the porosity of sintered porous NiTi alloy is in the range of 36.0 %-41.5 %. The pores are interconnected and the microstructure is sponge-like. Meanwhile, porous NiTi alloy has good SE. XRD patterns show that there is no pure Ni in alloy sintered at 1223 K-9 h. Compared with the biomedical criteria for choice of implanting materials, porous NiTi alloy is satisfying to a great degree.

Selective laser melted high Ni content TiNi alloy with superior superelasticity and hardwearing

TiNi alloys with high content Ni(52-55 at.%)are perfectly suitable for preparing wear-and corrosionresistant parts that service on the space station,spacecraft,and submarine,because of their superior superelasticity,high strength,and hardwearing.However,the fabrication of complicated Ni-rich TiNi parts by the traditional machining method often faces problems of poor precision,low efficiency,and high cost.In this work,we succeed in preparing an excellent Ti_(47)Ni_(53) alloy by selective laser melting(SLM),and thus,open a new way for the efficient and precise formation of complicated Ni-rich TiNi parts with superelasticity and hardwearing.An optimized processing window for compact parts without defects is reported.The elaborately fabricated Ti_(47)Ni_(53) alloy exhibited a breaking strain of 11%,a breaking stress of 2.0 GPa,a superelastic strain of 9%,and a better hardwearing than that of casting and quenched Ti_(47)Ni_(53) alloy.Besides,the microstructure,phase transformation,and deformation,as well as their influence mechanisms are investigated by in situ transmission electron microscope(TEM)and high-energy X-ray diffraction(HE-XRD).The results obtained are of significance for both fundamental research and technological applications of SLM-fabricated high Ni content TiNi alloys.

Enhanced superelasticity of Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys with strong orientation prepared by horizontal continuous casting

The preparation of large-scale Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys with excellent microstructure and texture is a significant challenge in this field.In this study,large-scale Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloy(SMA)slabs with good surface quality and strong orientation were prepared by the horizontal continuous casting(HCC).The microstructure and mechanical properties were compared with the ordinary casting(OC)Cu-Al-Ni alloy.The results showed that the microstructure of OC Cu-Al-Ni alloy was equiaxed grains with randomly orientation,which had no obvious superelasticity.The alloys producedby Hcchad herringbone grains withstrong orientation near(100)and the cumulative tensile superelasticity of 4.58%.The superelasticity of the alloy produced by HCC has been improved by 4-5 times.This work has preliminarily realized the production of large-scale Cu-Al-Ni SMA slab with good superelasticity,which lays a foundation forexpanding the industrial production and application of Cu-based SMAs.