Effect of minor alloying additions and its variation on properties affecting shape memory behaviour of Cu-12Al-4Ni alloy

Copper based shape memory alloys seem lucrative due to its low cost of production, easy manufacturing and high transformation temperatures (above 100°C) but their thermal stability at high temperature is still a significant issue which inhibit the practical application of these alloys [1-4]. Among the copper based shape memory alloys, three alloy systems are more popular from the research point of interest: Cu-Al-Ni, Cu-Al-Mn and Cu-Zn-Al alloy systems. Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys have shown improved mechanical properties and better shape memory effect than others though are found to be brittle which hinder the cold workability of these alloys, thereby limiting their commercial applications [5-8]. Since in these alloys, it is known that a slight change in composition results in significant change in the transformation temperature their compositions can be so designed to make them as per required temperature of transformation depending on its application [8-10].