The cyclic stress-strain response of polycrystalline,pseudoelastic Cu-14.5 wt pct Al-3 wt pct Ni alloy

Limited results on the fatigue of pseudo-elastic material indicate that, as a class, these materials should have truly outstanding fatigue properties. To check this, the mechanisms of cyclic deformation and fracture have been studied in Cu−Al−Ni chosen because its transformation behavior is well understood. Since this alloy is notoriously brittle, pulsating compression fatigue tests were carried out in polycrystalline material. The details of the stress-induced martensite behavior were studied byin situ video observations. The alloy was found to undergo cyclic hardening and failure eventually occurred by multiple nucleation of cracks at grain boundaries, by a mechanism similar in principle to that which occurs in regular metals cycled at high plastic strains. The Coffin-Manson law was obeyed.