High Throughput Development of Cu-Al-Mn-Ni Based Elastocaloric Materials

Elastocaloric effect is the result of the reversible solid-to-solid martensitic phase transformation. The current state-of-the-art elastocaloric materials are Ni-Ti-based alloys. Although nitinol exhibits exceptional thermo-mechanical performance, it is expensive to manufacture and requires a stress >600 MPa to induce a phase transformation. Industrial adoption of elastocaloric cooling requires a more cost-effective material. Copper-based SMAs have shown promise demonstrating competitive properties while accessible at low cost and less energy-intensive fabrication methods. However, the material’s properties have limitations, such as low latent heat, high austenite-finish (Af) transformation temperature, and inherent brittle character. To tune these properties, we carried out a series of high throughput experiments, focusing on the Cu-Al-Mn-Ni quaternary compositional space. In this talk, we discuss the experimental design rationale, the method, the data analysis, and the final findings.