D. W. Norwich, Memry Corporation, Bethel, CT
High temperature 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) shape and austenitic structure at a temperature above ambient. For this study, a NiTi wire, Ti-55.3 wt %Ni in composition and heat treated to an Af ≈ 75°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 paper will summarize the properties of the material along with the affects of multiple strains on key material performance characteristics.
Summary: The research presented in this paper characterizes the properties of a high temperature(shape memory) binary Nitinol alloy. The effects of different ambient temperatures as well as multiple strains on the key material performance characteristics are demonstrated.
