The near equiatomic NiTi alloy is the most successful shape memory alloy by a large margin. It is widely and increasingly used in biomedical devices. Yet, despite having a repeatable superelastic effect and excellent shape-memory, NiTi is very far from satisfying the conditions that characterize the most reversible phase transforming materials. Thus, the scientific reasons underlying its vast success present an enigma. In this work, we perform rigorous mathematical derivation and accurate DFT calculation of transformation mechanisms to seek previously unrecognized twin-like defects that we term involution domains, and we observe them in real space in NiTi by the aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Involution domains lead to an additional 216 compatible interfaces between phases in NiTi, and we theorize that this feature contributes importantly to its reliability. They are expected to arise in other transformations and to alter the conventional interpretation of the mechanism of the martensitic transformation.
Near-field and far-field high-energy diffraction microscopy and microcomputed tomography X-ray techniques were used to study a bulk single crystal nickel-titanium shape memory alloy sample subjected to thermal cycling under a constant applied load. Three-dimensional in situ reconstructions of the austenite microstructure are presented, including the structure and distribution of emergent grain boundaries. After one cycle, the subgrain structure is significantly refined, and heterogeneous Σ3 and Σ9 grain boundaries emerge. The low volume and uneven dispersion of the emergent Σ boundaries across…
Titanium is commonly added to nickel superalloys but has a well-documented detrimental effect on oxidation resistance. The present work constitutes the first atomistic-scale quantitative measurements of grain boundary and bulk compositions in the oxide scale of a current generation polycrystalline nickel superalloy performed through atom probe tomography. Titanium was found to be particularly detrimental to oxide scale growth through grain boundary diffusion.
Additive manufacturing has been adopted to process nickel-titanium shape memory alloys due to its advantages of flexibility and minimal defects. The current layer-by-layer method is accompanied by a complex temperature history, which is not beneficial to the final characteristics of shape memory alloys. In this study, a continuous directed energy deposition method has been proposed to improve microstructure uniformity. The spatial characterization of nickel-titanium shape memory alloy fabricated by continuous directed energy deposition is investigated to study the temperature history, phase co…
The effects of various heat treatments on the microstructure and hardness of new Ni56Ti41Hf3 and Ni56Ti36Hf8 (atomic %) alloys were studied to evaluate the suitability of these materials for tribological applications. A solid-solution strengthening effect due to Hf atoms was observed for the solution annealed (SA) Ni56Ti36Hf8 alloy (716 HV), resulting in a comparable hardness to the Ni56Ti41Hf3 alloy containing 54 vol.% of Ni4Ti3 precipitates (707 HV). In the Ni56Ti41Hf3 alloy, the maximum hardness (752 HV), achieved after aging at 300C for 12 h, was attributed to dense, semi-coherent precipit…
The tribological performance and underlying deformation behavior of Ni55Ti45, Ni54Ti45Hf1 and Ni56Ti36Hf8 alloys were studied using rolling contact fatigue (RCF) testing and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM results of the as-machined RCF rods, prepared using focus ion beam, revealed some damage very close to the surface. TEM results after initial RCF cycling showed that additional damage was mainly confined to deformation bands that propagated several microns into the sample. These bands formed via localized dislocation slip, possibly on multiple slip systems, within the B2 matrix a…
The electrochemical frequency modulation (EFM) technique can consider as a new tool for electrochemical corrosion monitoring. The calculation of corrosion rate with a non-destructive and rapid technique is a necessity to study corrosion behavior of metals under loading and thermal cycling. NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) is characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and uniaxial tensile testing. The corrosion behavior and reliability of technique have been examined for NiTi sample in artificial physiological solution. The results show the sensitivity of EFM technique to temperature…
Fabrication of nickel-titanium shape memory alloy through additive manufacturing has attracted increasing interest due to its advantages of flexible manufacturing capability, low-cost customization, and minimal defects. The process parameters in directed energy deposition (DED) have a crucial impact on its molten pool characteristics (geometry, microstructure, etc.), thus influencing the final properties of shape memory effect and pseudoelasticity. In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical model considering heat transfer, phase change, and fluid flow has been developed to simulate the cladd…
Additive manufacturing has been vastly applied to fabricate various structures of nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloys due to its flexibility to create complex structures with minimal defects. However, the microstructure heterogeneity and secondary phase formation are two main problems that impede the further application of NiTi alloys. Although post-heat treatment is usually adopted to improve or manipulate NiTi alloy properties, it cannot realize the spatial control of thermal and/or mechanical properties of NiTi alloys. To overcome the limitations of uniform post-heat treatment, this …
The porous titanium nickelide is very popular in various industries due to unique combination of physical and mechanical properties such as shape memory effect, high corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. The non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation was applied to study the influence of porosity degree on mechanical properties of porous amorphous titanium nickelide at uniaxial tension, uniaxial compression, and uniform shear. We have found that the porous amorphous alloy is characterized by a relatively large value of Young's modulus in comparison to its crystalline analogue. It has …
The corrosion property of Nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy is investigated during forward martensitic transformation between 40C and 0C. The Differential Scanning Calorimetry technique is used to find the forward and reverse martensitic transformation temperatures. NiTi shows the present of martensitic phase at near room temperature by cooling from 80C. The change in corrosion behavior is monitored by electrochemical Open Circuit Potential (OCP) during phase transformation. Cyclic potentiodynamic polarization method is used to identify the corrosion compound of NiTi. Corrosion rate at…
Fracture behavior in nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloys (SMAs) subjected to mode-I, isothermal loading is studied using finite element analysis (FEA). Compact tension (CT) SMA specimen is modeled in Abaqus finite element suite and crack growth under displacement boundary condition is investigated for plane strain and plane stress conditions. Parameters for the SMA material constitutive law implemented in the finite element setup are acquired from characterization tests conducted on near-equiatomic NiTi SMA. Virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) is implemented where crack is assumed to…
Three-dimensional (3D) X-ray diffraction methods were used to analyze the evolution of the load-induced rearrangements of monoclinic twin microstructures within bulk nickel-titanium specimens in 3D and across six orders of magnitude in length scales: changes in lattice plane spacings and orientations at the nanoscale, growth and nucleation of martensite twin variants at the microscale, and localization of plastic strain into deformation bands at the macroscale. Portions of the localized deformation bands were reconstructed in situ and in 3D. Analyses of the data elucidate the sequence of twin …
Influences of Granular Constraints and Surface Effects on the Heterogeneity of Elastic, Superelastic, and Plastic Responses of Polycrystalline Shape Memory Alloys
Elastocaloric cooling, which exploits the latent heat released and absorbed as stress-induced phase transformations are reversibly cycled in shape memory alloys, has recently emerged as a frontrunner in non-vapor-compression cooling technologies. The intrinsically high thermodynamic efficiency of elastocaloric materials is limited only by work hysteresis. Here, we report on creating high-performance low-hysteresis elastocaloric cooling materials via additive manufacturing of Titanium-Nickel (Ti-Ni) alloys. Contrary to established knowledge of the physical metallurgy of Ti-Ni alloys, intermetal…
NiTi Single Crystal Growth by Micro-Pulling-Down Method: Experimental Setup and Material Characterization
University of Duisburg-Essen（杜伊斯堡-埃森大学）；Research Center Future Energy Materials and Systems, Research Alliance Ruhr（鲁尔联盟未来能源材料和系统研究中心）；Bielefeld University（比勒费尔德大学）；University Osnabrück（奥斯纳布吕克大学）；Ruhr University Bochum（波鸿鲁尔大学）；Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE) and Nano Energie Technik Zentrum (NETZ)（杜伊斯堡-埃森纳米集成中心 (CENIDE) 和纳米能源技术中心 (NETZ)）
Phase discovery with active learning: Application to structural phase transitions in equiatomic NiTi
Harvard University（哈佛大学）；John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University（哈佛大学约翰·A·保尔森工程与应用科学学院）；Robert Bosch LLC, Research and Technology Center（罗伯特·博世有限公司研究与技术中心）
