Hideki Hosoda

Composition dependent crystallography of α″-martensite in Ti–Nb-based β-titanium alloy

Composition dependence of crystallographic features of α″-martensite in Ti–Nb-based alloy was systematically examined in Ti–Xmol%Nb–3mol%Al alloy, where X is 10–30. One of the lattice deformation strains, η3, became 0 at the critical Nb concentration of 23 mol% and the sign of η3 changed across the composition. The phenomenological theory of martensite crystallography (PTMC) predicted that the lattice invariant shear (LIS) would vanish at the critical composition. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that non-twinned martensite was formed with a habit plane of {755}b when η3 = 0, and that martensite with an internal twin of {111}o type I was formed with a {443}b habit plane for η3 = +0.008. Subscript b and o indicate β and α″ lattice, respectively. The crystallography of these two α″-martensites were well explained by the PTMC. On the other hand, non-twinned martensite with {111}b–{775}b habit plane was formed even when η3 was not zero. It was found that there is a critical value of |η3| for the formation of twinned martensite and that class B transformation, in which LIS is a {011}o compound twin, hardly occurs in β-titanium alloys.

Material design and shape memory properties of smart composites composed of polymer and ferromagnetic shape memory alloy particles

Abstract Ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (FSMAs) such as NiMnGa are expected to be new practical actuator materials with high driving frequency by magnetic field and large strain due to the shape memory effect (SME). However, the brittleness and poor workability of FSMAs, especially at a polycrystalline state, are serious problems and should be improved for a practical use. From this viewpoint a smart composite has been designed by a combination of a polymer matrix and FSMA particles (FSMAP), and a systematic investigation has been done for a NiMnGa-FSMAP/epoxy smart composite. This paper summarizes the design concept and some experimental results of the smart composite. It is pointed out that the single-crystal NiMnGa-FSMAP are easily made by mechanical crush due to the brittleness of FSMAs, and microstructural control is also possible by applying magnetic field during curing. Experimental study revealed that the NiMnGa-FSMAP/epoxy smart composites exhibit both tensile ductility and SME, and that shape memory properties become improved by decreasing particle size of FSMAP. It is concluded that the FSMAP/polymer smart composite has a large potential to be a new practical actuator material.

Novel Ti-base superelastic alloys with large recovery strain and excellent biocompatibility

In this study, a new Ti-Zr-Nb-Sn alloy system was developed as Ni-free biomedical superelastic alloys with a large recovery strain and excellent biocompatibility. Ti-18Zr-(9-16)Nb-(0-4)Sn alloys were prepared by an Ar arc melting method and the effect of composition on the crystal structure and superelastic properties was investigated. A large superelastic recovery strain of 6.0% was observed in Ti-18Zr-12.5Nb-2Sn, Ti-18Zr-11Nb-3Sn, and Ti-18Zr-9.5Nb-4Sn alloys subjected to cold-rolling and solution treatment. XRD results showed that the large recovery strain of Sn-added alloys is due to a combination effect of a large transformation strain and a strong recrystallization texture. The Ti-18Zr-11Nb-3Sn alloy exhibited excellent cyclic stability with an extremely narrow stress hysteresis about 20MPa. Cytocompatibility was also examined using three types of cell lines, murine fibroblast L929, human osteosarcoma SaOS-2, and human umbilical vein endothelial cell HUVEC and the results showed that the Ti-18Zr-11Nb-3Sn alloy exhibited larger cell covering ratios when compared with those of the Ti-50.5Ni alloy for all kinds of cells.

Superelastic properties of biomedical (Ti–Zr)–Mo–Sn alloys

A new class of Ti-50Zr base biomedical superelastic alloys was developed in this study. The (Ti-Zr)-Mo-Sn alloys exhibited a shape memory effect and superelastic property by adjusting Mo and Sn contents. The (Ti-Zr)-1.5Mo-3Sn alloy revealed the most stable superelasticity among (Ti-Zr)-(1-2)Mo-(2-4)Sn alloys. The superelastic recovery strain showed a strong dependence on heat treatment temperature after cold working in the (Ti-Zr)-1.5Mo-3Sn alloy. The superelastic recovery strain increased as the heat treatment temperature increased although the critical stress for slip decreased. The (Ti-Zr)-1.5Mo-3Sn alloy heat treated at 1073K exhibited excellent superelastic properties with a large recovery strain as large as 7% which is due to the strong {001}β<110>β recrystallization texture.

Antiphase boundary-like stacking fault in α″-martensite of disordered crystal structure in β-titanium shape memory alloy

The ordering and antiphase boundary (APB)-like fault found in the α″-martensite of β-Ti shape memory alloys are studied. Long-range chemical ordering was not found, but APB-like faults were observed in every martensite plate studied by transmission electron microscopy. These faults have morphology similar to the APBs observed in ordered phases. The superlattice reflections observed in some previous works were a consequence of multiple diffractions. APB-like faults were not observed in the parent phase, leading to the conclusion that the faults were introduced by the martensite transformation. The fault took the form of a wavy tube running perpendicular to the habit plane. The fault was a ‘transformation-induced APB’ with an additional small displacement due to the pre-existing athermal ω phase. The displacement vector was determined to be [–3/50, −23/50, 1/2]. Geometrical aspects of the formation of APB-like faults are also discussed.

Wide-range temperature dependences of Brillouin scattering properties in polymer optical fiber

We investigate the temperature dependences of the Brillouin scattering properties in a perfluorinated graded-index (PFGI-) polymer optical fiber (POF) in a wide temperature range from −160 to 125 °C. The temperature dependences of the Brillouin frequency shift, linewidth, and Stokes power are almost linear at lower temperature down to −160 °C; while they show nonlinear dependences at higher temperature. These behaviors appear to originate from the partial glass transition of the polymer material.

Orthodontic buccal tooth movement by nickel-free titanium-based shape memory and superelastic alloy wire.

OBJECTIVE To examine the mechanical properties and the usefulness of titanium-niobium-aluminum (Ti-Nb-Al) wire in orthodontic tooth movement as compared with nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) wire. MATERIALS AND METHODS The load deflection of expansion springs was gauged with an original jig. The gradient of the superelastic region was measured during the unloading process. Expansion springs comprising the two types of alloy wires were applied to upper first molars of rats. The distance between the first molars was measured with micrometer calipers. RESULTS The force magnitude of the Ti-Nb-Al expansion spring was lower than that of the Ni-Ti expansion spring over the entire deflection range. The initial force magnitude and the gradient in the superelastic region of the Ti-Nb-Al expansion springs were half those of the Ni-Ti expansion springs. Thus, Ti-Nb-Al expansion springs generated lighter and more continuous force. Tooth movement in the Ni-Ti group proceeded in a stepwise fashion. On the other hand, tooth movement in the Ti-Nb-Al group showed relatively smooth and continuous progression. At 17 days after insertion of expansion springs, there were no significant differences between the Ti-Nb-Al and Ni-Ti groups in the amount of tooth movement. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that Ti-Nb-Al wire has excellent mechanical properties for smooth, continuous tooth movement and suggest that Ti-Nb-Al wire may be used as a practical nickel-free shape memory and superelastic alloy wire for orthodontic treatment as a substitute for Ni-Ti wire.

Self-accommodation of B19′ martensite in Ti–Ni shape memory alloys. Part III. Analysis of habit plane variant clusters by the geometrically nonlinear theory

Competition between the invariant plane (IP) condition at the habit plane, the twin orientation relation (OR) and the kinematic compatibility (KC) at the junction plane (JP) of self-accommodated B19′ martensite in Ti–Ni was investigated via the geometrically nonlinear theory to understand the habit plane variant (HPV) clusters presented in Parts I and II of this work. As the IP condition cannot be satisfied simultaneously with KC, an additional rotation Q is necessary to form compatible JPs for all HPV pairs. The rotation J necessary to form the exact twin OR between the major correspondence variants (CVs) in each HPV was also examined. The observed HPV cluster was not the cluster with the smallest Q but the one satisfying Q = J with a { 1}B19′ type I twin at JP. Both Q and J are crucial to understanding the various HPV clusters in realistic transformations. Finally, a scheme for the ideal HPV cluster composed of six HPVs is also proposed.

SHAPE MEMORY EFFECT AND CYCLIC DEFORMATION BEHAVIOR OF Ti–Nb–N ALLOYS

The effect of 1 at.% N addition on the shape memory effect of Ti–Nb alloys was investigated. The shape memory effect and superelasticity were observed in Ti–(18–20)Nb–1.0N and Ti–(21–25)Nb–1.0N alloys, respectively. The Ti–23Nb–1.0N alloy exhibits the best superelastic properties with almost perfect recovery and small stress hysteresis among N added ternary alloys. The effect of cyclic deformation on the stability of superelasticity was investigated for the Ti–23Nb–1.0N alloy by loading and unloading cyclic tensile tests up to 500 cycles with a constant maximum applied strain of 2.5%. It was confirmed that the stability of superelasticity was improved by the addition of N due to the increase of the critical stress for slip.

Pseudoelastic Properties of Cold-Rolled TiNbAl Alloy

Microstructures and pseudo-elasticity of as-rolled Ti-24mol%Nb-3mol%Al, a newly developed functional biomedical β-Ti alloy (bcc), at room temperature were characterized. The material was homogenized at 1273K after arc-melting and quenched into water to obtain single phase of β. Cold-rolling of 99% reduction in thickness was carried out and then, microstructures and pseudo-elastic properties were examined. θ-2θ XRD measurement revealed that the as-rolled material was consisted with the parent β phase and martensite phase (α’’, C-center orthorhombic). X-ray pole figure measurements revealed that the rolling texture was a mixture of <110>β{001}β-type and <112>β{111}β-type textures. Shape recovery strain of 4% appeared along TD without any intermediate annealing after the cold-rolling.