TiNi SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY TENSION AT VARIOUS TEMPERATURES - INFRARED IMAGING OF SHAPE MEMORY EFFECT AND PSEUDOELASTICITY

Abstract

The mechanical characteristics and the infrared imaging of stress-induced martensite transformation developing in TiNi shape memory alloy (SMA) subjected to tension in various conditions with respect to the SMA austenite finish parameter have been presented. Based on the mechanical curves and their related temperature changes it was found that onset of the martensitic transformation appears at the end of the elastic part of the stress-strain curve, since the temperature starts to increase before the knee in the curve. The uniform temperature distribution observed on the specimen surface at this stage confirms that the initial martensite transformation is macroscopi-cally homogeneous. For the shape memory effect behavior the uniform temperature distribution on the specimen surface was observed during the complete process of the SMA loading which means that the transformation process is macroscopically homogeneous. For the shape memory alloy pseudoelasticity behavior bands of higher temperature have been recorded during the specimen loading and bands of lower temperature during its unloading, manifesting localized Luders-like deformation, caused by the transformation process. As the transformation advances, the higher temperature changes have been recorded. Taking advantages from the infrared technique a new results concerning nucleation and development of the martensite forward and reverse transformation have been obtained. Finally, some examples of the SMA new applications due to the SMA shape memory effect have been presented and discussed.