Harshad M. Paranjape

Texture and grain neighborhood effects on Ni–Ti shape memory alloy performance

This work demonstrates how the statistical pseudoelastic performance of individual grains is affected by the local grain neighborhood in polycrystalline shape memory alloys (SMAs). This is achieved using a microstructural finite element (FE) model calibrated to homogenized Ti-50.9 at% Ni SMA. The results show a three-fold variation in the grain level axial transformation strain pT in randomly textured polycrystals, and a ~20–30% reduction in average pT if plastically predeformed. A key outcome is a performance function to predict pT of a grain, based on the orientations of the grain and its neighbors. Two key strategies to improve polycrystalline SMA performance are identified. The first is to minimize the number of grain boundaries between high-and low-performing grains: plate and bamboo geometries achieve this. The second is to employ high-symmetry orientation relationships between these grains. The results draw on recent experimental studies of grain level performance and provide a theoretical framework to interpret future diffraction tomography studies.

Influences of granular constraints and surface effects on the heterogeneity of elastic, superelastic, and plastic responses of polycrystalline shape memory alloys

Abstract Deformation heterogeneities at the microstructural length-scale developed in polycrystalline shape memory alloys (SMAs) during superelastic loading are studied using both experiments and simulations. In situ X-ray diffraction, specifically the far-field high energy diffraction microscopy (ff-HEDM) technique, was used to non-destructively measure the grain-averaged statistics of position, crystal orientation, elastic strain tensor, and volume for hundreds of austenite grains in a superelastically loaded nickel-titanium (NiTi) SMA. These experimental data were also used to create a synthetic microstructure within a finite element model. The development of intragranular stresses were then simulated during tensile loading of the model using anisotropic elasticity. Driving forces for phase transformation and slip were calculated from these stresses. The grain-average responses of individual austenite crystals examined before and after multiple stress-induced transformation events showed that grains in the specimen interior carry more axial stress than the surface grains as the superelastic response “shakes down”. Examination of the heterogeneity within individual grains showed that regions near grain boundaries exhibit larger stress variation compared to the grain interiors. This intragranular heterogeneity is more strongly driven by the constraints of neighboring grains than the initial stress state and orientation of the individual grains.

Influence of hydration on fiber geometry in electrospun scaffolds.

Finite element models of tissue engineering scaffolds are powerful tools to understand scaffold function, including how external mechanical signals deform the scaffold at the meso- and microscales. Fiber geometry is needed to inform finite element models of fiber-based tissue engineering scaffolds; however, the accuracy and utility of these models may be limited if they are informed by non-hydrated geometries. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy, coupled with Fourier analysis of the resulting images, were used to quantify how hydration alters fiber geometry in electrospun collagen and polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds. The results also quantify how image size affects fiber geometry. Hydration is demonstrated to increase fiber tortuosity, defined as the ratio of actual fiber length:end-to-end fiber length. For collagen scaffolds, hydration increased the mean tortuosity from 1.05 to 1.21, primarily from large ∼2- to 10-fold) increases in smaller (<40μm) wavelength amplitudes. For PCL fibers, the mean tortuosity increased from 1.01 to only 1.04, primarily from modest ∼2-fold) increases in larger (>100μm) wavelength amplitudes. The results demonstrate that mechanical simulations of electrospun scaffolds should be informed with hydrated scaffold geometries of at least 200μm scale, in order to capture geometrical effects associated with fiber straightening.

Myths and Truths of Nitinol Mechanics: Elasticity and Tension–Compression Asymmetry

Two prevalent myths of Nitinol mechanics are examined: (1) Martensite is more compliant than austenite; (2) Texture-free Nitinol polycrystals do not exhibit tension–compression asymmetry. By reviewing existing literature, the following truths are revealed: (1) Martensite crystals may be more compliant, equally stiff, or stiffer than austenite crystals, depending on the orientation of the applied load. The Young’s Modulus of polycrystalline Nitinol is not a fixed number—it changes with both processing and in operando deformations. Nitinol martensite prefers to behave stiffer under compressive loads and more compliant under tensile loads. (2) Inelastic Nitinol martensite deformation in and of itself is asymmetric, even for texture-free polycrystals. Texture-free Nitinol polycrystals also exhibit tension–compression transformation asymmetry.

Influence of Structure and Microstructure on Deformation Localization and Crack Growth in NiTi Shape Memory Alloys

Porous NiTi shape memory alloys have applications in the biomedical and aerospace fields. Recent developments in metal additive manufacturing have made fabrication of near-net-shape porous products with complicated geometries feasible. There have also been developments in tailoring site-specific microstructures in metals using additive manufacturing. Inspired by these developments, we explore two related mechanistic phenomena in a simplified representation of porous shape memory alloys. First, we computationally elucidate the connection between pore geometry, stress concentration around pores, grain orientation, and strain-band formation during tensile loading of NiTi. Using this, we present a method to engineer local crystal orientations to mitigate the stress concentrations around the pores. Second, we experimentally document the growth of cracks around pores in a cyclically loaded superelastic NiTi specimen. In the areas of stress concentration around holes, cracks are seen to grow in large grains with [1 1 0] oriented along the tensile axis. This combined work shows the potential of local microstructural engineering in reducing stress concentration and increasing resistance to propagation of cracks in porous SMAs, potentially increasing the fatigue life of porous SMA components.