Carlos Augusto do Nascimento Oliveira

Thermoelastic properties on Cu-Zn-Al shape memory springs

This paper present a thermomechanical study of actuators in form of helical springs made from shape memory alloy wires that can work as actuator and/or as sensor. These abilities are due to the martensitic transformation. This transformation is a diffusionless phase transition that occurs by a cooperative atomic rearrange mechanism. In this work, helical spring actuators were manufactured from Cu-Zn-Al shape memory alloy wires. The springs were submitted to constant tensile loads and thermal cycles. This procedure allows to determine thermoelastic properties of the shape memory springs. Thermomechanical properties were analyzed during 50 thermal cycles in the temperature range from 20 to 130 °C. Results of variations in critical transformation temperatures, thermoelastic strain and thermal hysteresis are discussed based on defects rearrangement and martensitic transformation theory.

Thermomechanical Analysis on Ti-Ni Shape Memory Helical Springs Under Cyclic Tensile Loads

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) present some characteristics, which make it unique material to be use in applications that require strength and shape recovery. This alloys was been used to manufacture smart actuators for mechanical industry devices and several other applications in areas as medicine, robotics, aerospace, petroleum and gas industries. However it is important to know the actuators response to external stimulus (heat source, electrical current and/or external stress) in these technological applications. This work investigated the thermomechanical behaviors of helical actuators produced from Ti-Ni alloy commercial wires. Initially, the wire was subjected to some heat treatment and characterized by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy (OM) and Energy dispersive spectroscopy. Then two heat treatments were selected to obtain the helical actuators. The actuators were tested in an apparatus developed to apply an external traction stress in helical actuators during thermal cycles. Two wires were tested in a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). The results were analyzed in comparison with thermoplastic properties obtained in thermomechanical tests. The analysis took into consideration the wiring forming process, the precipitates formation, the stress fields generated by dislocations and reorientation of martensite variants during the actuators training process.

Precipitates Formation in Ti-Ni Equiatomic Alloys due to Annealing Heat Treatment

The use of smart material such as Ti-Ni in actuators application requires an intense mechanical and metallurgical investigation to understand its behavior. This paper studies martensitic transformation using DSC and X-ray diffraction techniques to compare shape memory parameters in Ti-50.2%Ni (A1) and equiatomic Ti-50.0%Ni (A2) Alloys. The as as-received samples were submitted to annealing at 400°C and 500°C for 24 hours then quenched in at 25°C. The influence of heat treatment on martensitic transformations temperatures and the appearance of R-phase were analyzed using DSC and X-ray diffraction.

Influence of Heat Treatment on Martensitic Transformations in Copper-Based Alloys with Shape Memory Effect

In the present work the copper base alloys with shape memory effects were characterized. The alloys were subjected to three different heat treatments that promoted changes in characteristics of thermoelastic martensitic transformation (transformation temperatures, thermal hysteresis and enthalpies of transformation). The alloys have their microstructures characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Microhardness tests were performed. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to evaluate the transformation critical temperatures of alloy and the transformation enthalpies for each heat treated sample. Thermoelastic properties have changed for each heat treatment. In the micrographs of the heat-treated samples was possible to observe the microstructure of the martensitic phase characteristic. They show the presence of martensite platelets (needles) self-accommodation.

Analysis of the transformations temperatures of helicoidal Ti-Ni actuators using computational numerical methods

The development of shape memory actuators has enabled noteworthy applications in the mechanical engineering, robotics, aerospace, and oil industries and in medicine. These applications have been targeted on miniaturization and taking full advantage of spaces. This article analyses a Ti-Ni shape memory actuator used as part of a flow control system. A Ti-Ni spring actuator is subjected to thermomechanical training and parameters such as transformation temperature, thermal hysteresis and shape memory effect performance were investigated. These parameters were important for understanding the behavior of the actuator related to martensitic phase transformation during the heating and cooling cycles which it undergoes when in service. The multiple regression methodology was used as a computational tool for analysing data in order to simulate and predict the results for stress and cycles where the experimental data was not developed. The results obtained using the training cycles enable actuators to be characterized and the numerical simulation to be validated.

Electro-thermomechanical properties of superelasticity in single crystals shape memory alloys

In this work, superelastic behavior of single crystals shape memory alloys has been investigated by the electric resistivity (ER) measure technique coupled simultaneously during traction tests. Samples in austenitic phase were submitted to stress induced martensite (SIM) under several conditions such as: different temperatures, different deformation rate, throughout successive martensitic transformations and different crystallographic orientation axes. ER vs. deformation curves presented a linear relation without hysteresis and independence on temperature. In the case on the increasing of deformation rate, these curves show a little hysteresis due to adiabatic transformations. For samples submitted to successive transformations, ER curves showed changes with induced martensite types. In samples of the same alloy with different crystallographic orientations was observed that single variant martensite nucleation presented distinct values, this characterizes martensite electric resistivity anisotropy.