A Study of the Properties of a Room Temperature Martensitic Binary Nitinol Alloy Above and Below its Martensite to Austenite Transformation Temperature

Room temperature martensitic Nitinol alloys provide a challenge to end users of the material because they are martensitic and soft at room temperature. These are commonly referred to as Shape Memory alloys as they revert to their superelastic (pseudoelastic) form and austenitic structure at a temperature above ambient. For this study, a NiTi wire, Ti-55.3 wt.%Ni in composition (Alloy-B) and heat-treated to an Af ?? 60 °C was used. Tensile testing was performed to fully characterize the performance of the material at a series of temperatures above and below its transformation temperature. This article will summarize the properties of the material along with the effects of multiple strains on key material performance characteristics.