Shape memory effect associated with the martensite transformation in 304 type stainless steel

Achievements and Perspectives on Fe-Based Shape Memory Alloys for Rehabilitation of Reinforced Concrete Bridges: An Overview

Reinforced concrete (RC) bridges often face great demands of strengthening or repair during their service life. Fe-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMAs) as a kind of low-cost smart materials have great potential to enhance civil engineering structures. The stable shape memory effect of Fe-SMAs is generated by, taking Fe-Mn-Si alloys as an example, the martensite transformation of fcc(γ) → hcp(ε) and its reverse transformation which produces considerable recovery stress (400~500 MPa) that can be used as prestress for reinforcement of RC bridges. In this work, the mechanism, techniques, and applications of Fe-SMAs in the reinforcement of RC beams in the past two decades are classified and introduced in detail. Finally, some new perspectives on Fe-SMAs application in civil engineering and their expected evolution are proposed. This paper offers an effective active rehabilitation alternative for the traditional passive strengthening method of RC bridges.

Effect of Thermomechanical Cycling on Martensitic Transformation and Shape Memory Effect in 304 Austenitic Steel

To improve the shape memory effect (SME) of 304 austenitic steel effectively and efficiently, thermomechanical cycling, comprising deformation at room temperature and annealing, was applied. The influences of cycle number and annealing temperature on the SME and microstructures in 304 austenitic steel were investigated by light microscope (LM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The shape recovery ratio was remarkably improved from 16% to 40% after two thermomechanical cycles. The optimum annealing temperature was 833 K in the process of thermomechanical cycling. The improved SME by thermomechanical cycling was mainly related to stress-induced ε martensite rather than stress-induced α’ martensite. The reason is that thermomechanical cycling can not only promote the occurrence of the stress-induced γ→ε martensitic transformation, but also suppress the subsequently stress-induced ε→α′ transformation.

Thermomechanical study of Ni-Ti alloys

A preliminary study was conducted to demonstrate the usefulness of the combined technique of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and mechanical testing for the shape memory metals of 54NiTi and 53NiTiCo(3%) alloys. The DSC technique was used to measure precise transformation temperatures and the amount of thermal energy required for the corresponding phase transformation. The degree of plastic deformation by bending and the effect of alloying (such as Co) were studied with combined DSC and mechanical property measurements.

Potential applications of certain nickel-titanium (nitinol) alloys

The mechanical behavior ("shape memory") associated with martensitic solid-state transformation in nearly equiatomic Ni-Ti alloy (55-Nitinol) has been studied. Potential dental and medical applications for 55-Nitinol (55% Ni, 1.5% Co, balance Ti, by weight) and for 60-Nitinol (60% Ni, by weight) have been suggested.