Shape memory characteristics and superelasticity of Ti-Ni-Cu alloy ribbons with nano Ti2Ni particles.

Microstructures and deformation behaviour of Ti-45Ni-5Cu and Ti-46Ni-5Cu alloy ribbons prepared by melt spinning were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, thermal cycling tests under constant load and tensile tests. Spherical Ti2Ni particles coherent with the B2 parent phase were observed in the alloy ribbons when the melt spinning temperature was higher than 1773 K. Average size of Ti2Ni particles in the ribbons obtained at 1873 K was 8 nm, which was smaller than that (10 nm) in the ribbons obtained at 1773 K. Volume fraction of Ti2Ni phase in the ribbons obtained at 1873 K was 40%, which was larger than that (20%) in the ribbons obtained at 1773 K. The stress required at temperatures of Af + 10 K for the stress-induced martensitic transformation increased from 93 MPa to 229 MPa and apparent elastic modulus of the B2 parent phase increased from 56 GPa to 250 GPa with increasing the melt spinning temperature from 1673 K to 1873 K in Ti-45Ni-5Cu alloy ribbons. The critical stress for slip deformation of the ribbons increased by coherent Ti2Ni particles, and thus residual elongation did not occur even at 160 MPa, while considerable plastic deformation occurred at 60 MPa in the ribbons without Ti2Ni particles. Almost perfect superelastic recovery was found in the ribbons with coherent Ti2Ni particles, while only partial superelastic recovery was observed in the ribbons without coherent Ti2Ni particles.