Date

2006

Author

Yaşar, Fatih

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Titanium-nickel is a unique class of material known as Shape Memory Alloy (SMA). A thermoelastic martensitic phase transformation is responsible for its extraordinary properties such as shape memory effect and superelasticity. The near equiatomic Ti-Ni alloys are the commercially most exploited SMAs because of the unique combination of these properties and superior ductility, strength, fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance. The properties of Ti-Ni SMAs are very sensitive to composition and the processing parameters. The properties of Ti-Ni SMAs can be modified to a great extent by choice of composition, mechanical working and heat treatment. Thermo-mechanical treatments are required to strengthen the matrix and improve the shape memory characteristics. Plastic deformation and subsequent annealing is the common way to improve shape memory properties. In the present study, Ti- 50 at% Ni wire specimens are produced and used for the investigation of the effect of different heat treatment and cold working processes on shape memory characteristics. To investigate the thermomechanical behavior of differently processed wire specimens, a fully computerized servo hydraulic thermomechanical testing machine was designed and constructed. Testing machine was capable to perform different types of tests that are selected by the user. It can both heat and cool the specimen automatically according to the testing sequence by applying DC current directly through the SMA wire or by sending liquid nitrogen into the cooling chamber. Temperature is measured by a K-type thermocouple directly mounted on the wire specimen with a glass tape. Force that is applied to the specimen is produced by hydraulic power unit with a double action cyclinder and it is controlled by a controller which takes the feedback from the loadcell and LVDT (Linear Variable Distance Transducer). During performig thermomechanical-tests all the data of loadcell, LVDT and thermocouple are collected by a data acqusition system integrated with a host computer that operates the program XPC Target. Ti-Ni alloy with equiatomic composition is prepared in vacum induction furnace. Specimen cast in the form of rod was then hot swaged. Subsequent to swaging, cold wire drawing, intermediate annealing at 500 C and water quenching was applied to obtain SMA wire with a diameter of 1.52 mm. Ti-Ni wires produced were subjected to four different processes. All the samples were initially solution heat treated at 925 C for 30 minutes prior to water quenching. Some of the samples were further treated by an intermediate anneal at 500 C. To see the effect of cold working; prior to intermediate annealing, 20 % or 40 % cold work was applied to another group of specimens. To study the shape memory characteristics of specimens subjected to the above mentioned processes, four types of test, namely constant stress free recovery test, constant strain free recovery test, constant stress constrained recovery test and constant strain constrained recovery test, were designed and applied cyclically. The tests have shown that the stress plateau observed in the first cycle of the tests disappear upon cycling and the shape memory characteristics improve and stabilize with cycling. Once trained by cycling, fractional free recovery was observed to reach to 100 % and recovery stress to reach 120% of the applied stress if shape recovery is prevented.

Subject Keywords

Metallurgy.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/2/12607835/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/16031

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis