Comparative topographic study of surface micro‐relief of primary martensite plates in shape memory alloys with different crystalline structures

The surface micro‐reliefs of primary martensite plates, representative for two shape memory alloys (SMAs) with different crystalline structures were compared from qualitative and quantitative point of view by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Qualitative evaluations revealed larger widths and heights of the primary plates of ε hexagonal close packed (hcp) martensite, in an Fe‐Mn‐Si‐Cr‐Ni SMA than those of β₂′ orthorhombic (9R) martensite, in a Cu‐Zn‐Al SMA. Quantitative evaluations were based on systematic dimensional measurements of the width and height of primary plate profiles. The measurements were performed on one hundred and twenty five profiles, five on each martensite plate belonging to five typical groups of primary plates, with length above 50 micrometers, of both ε hcp and β₂′ 9R martensites. In order to compare the topographies of the two types of plates a statistical evaluation of the dimensional intervals of width and height of measured plates was performed.     

Cooling rate effects on the structure and transformation behavior of Cu-Zn-Al shape memory alloys

Different fragments of a hot-rolled and homogenized Cu–Zn–Al shape memory alloy（SMA） were subjected to thermal cycling by means of a differential scanning calorimetric（DSC） device. During thermal cycling, heating was performed at the same constant rate of increasing temperature while cooling was carried out at different rates of decreasing temperature. For each cooling rate, the temperature decreased in the same thermal interval. During each cooling stage, an exothermic peak（maximum） was observed on the DSC thermogram. This peak was associated with forward martensitic transformation. The DSC thermograms were analyzed with PROTEUS software： the critical martensitic transformation start（Ms） and finish（Mf） temperatures were determined by means of integral and tangent methods, and the dissipated heat was evaluated by the area between the corresponding maximum plot and a sigmoid baseline. The effects of the increase in cooling rate, assessed from a calorimetric viewpoint, consisted in the augmentation of the exothermic peak and the delay of direct martensitic transformation. The latter had the tendency to move to lower critical transformation temperatures. The martensite plates changed in morphology by becoming more oriented and by an augmenting in surface relief, which corresponded with the increase in cooling rate as observed by scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and atomic force microscopy（AFM）.     

Thermal Behavior of Mechanically Alloyed Powders Used for Producing an Fe-Mn-Si-Cr-Ni Shape Memory Alloy

In order to produce shape memory rings for constrained-recovery pipe couplings, from Fe-14 Mn-6 Si-9 Cr-5 Ni (mass%) powders, the main technological steps were (i) mechanical alloying, (ii) sintering, (iii) hot rolling, (iv) hot-shape setting, and (v) thermomechanical training. The article generally describes, within its experimental-procedure section, the last four technological steps of this process the primary purpose of which has been to accurately control both chemical composition and the grain size of shape memory rings. Details of the results obtained in the first technological step, on raw powders employed both in an initial commercial state and in a mixture state of commercial and mechanically alloyed (MA) powders, which were subjected to several heating-cooling cycles have been reported and discussed. By means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), the thermal behaviors of the two sample powders have been analyzed. The effects of the heating-cooling cycles, on raw commercial powders and on 50% MA powders, respectively, were argued from the point of view of specific temperatures and heat variations, of elemental diffusion after thermal cycling and of crystallographic parameters, determined by DSC, SEM, and XRD, respectively.     

Factors Influencing the Reversion of Stress-induced Martensite to Austenite in a Fe-Mn-Si-Cr-Ni Shape Memory Alloy

It is well known that one way shape memory effect (SME) in Fe-Mn-Si-based shape memory alloys (SMAs) is related to the thermally induced reversion of ε (hexagonal close packed, hcp) stress-induced martensite (SIM) to γ (face centered cubic, fcc) austenite. In the case of a Fe-Mn-Si-Cr-Ni SMA, this reverse martensitic transformation was analyzed in regard to the critical temperature for the beginning of austenite formation (A _s) in different states characterized by quenching temperature and permanent tensile strain. For this purpose, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), dilatometry (DIL), differential thermal analysis (DSC), and optical microscopy (OM) were employed to determine the influence of quenching temperature and permanent tensile straining on SIM reversion to austenite during heating.     

Loading Mode and Environment Effects on Surface Profile Characteristics of Martensite Plates in Cu-Based SMAs

The present work reports the influence of the loading mode provided during training under constant stress, in bending, applied to lamellar specimens of Cu-Zn-Al shape memory alloys (SMAs). During training, the specimens were bent by a load fastened at their free end, while being martensitic at room temperature and they lifted the load by one-way effect (1WE), during heating up to austenitic field. On cooling to martensite field, the lower concave surface of bent specimens was compressed, and during heating it was elongated, being subjected to a series of tension-compression cycles, during heating-cooling, respectively. Conversely, the upper convex surface of bent specimens was elongated during cooling and compressed during heating, being subjected to compression-tension cycles. Furthermore, 2WE-trained actuators were tested by means of a hydraulic installation where, this time heating-cooling cycles were performed in oil conditions. Considering that the lower concave surface of the specimens was kept in compressed state, while the upper convex surface was kept in elongated state, the study reveals the influence of the two loading modes and environments on the width of martensite plates of the specimens trained under various numbers of cycles. In this purpose, Cu-Zn-Al specimens, trained under 100-300-500 cycles, were prepared and analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) as well as optical and scanning electron microscopy (OM and SEM, respectively). The analysis also included AFM micrographs corroborated with statistical evaluations in order to reveal the effects of loading mode (tension or compression) in different environmental conditions of the specimens, on the surface profile characteristics of martensite plates, revealed by electropolishing.     

Effects of hot working procedure on surface relief characteristic in an Fe–Mn–Si–Cr shape memory alloy

The paper reports the evolution of surface relief and shape memory behavior in an Fe–28Mn–6Si–5Cr (mass%) shape memory alloy (SMA) as a function of the applied hot working procedure. The objective of this paper is to discuss the relationship between surface relief characteristic, structural changes and the type of hot working processing. Particular aspects concerning the relief of martensite plates were reported after the alloy was subjected to two types of hot working procedures, namely hot rolling and hot forging at 1273 K. The observations were performed by means of optical (OM) and atomic force (AFM) microscopy, on bi‐dimensional and three‐dimensional micrographs, corroborated with statistical evaluations. Aiming to reveal the presence of solid phase transitions enabled by hot working, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements were performed between room temperature and 673 K.     

Improved Shape Memory Characteristics of Fe-14Mn-6Si-9Cr-5Ni Alloy Via Mechanical Alloying

In this work, the aim was to investigate how the deformation by cold rolling affects the microstructure and transformation temperatures of Fe-14Mn-6Si-9Cr-5Ni alloy prepared by powder metallurgy route. The characteristic of the martensitic transformation in the given alloy composition was investigated in terms of the amount of deformation via cold rolling. Mechanical alloying was applied for reaching better chemical homogenization level in powder state and for this purpose the as-blended powder mixture having target composition was mechanical alloyed for 4 h under protective atmosphere. Compacted samples were sintered at 1150 °C for 2 h under Ar atmosphere. After applying different amounts of cold deformation to the sintered samples, the changes in microstructure of the shape memory alloys were characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. With increasing amount of cold deformation, shape memory recovery ratios increased remarkably and ε-martensite phase was simultaneously detected during phase analysis.