Dent Resistance and Effect of Indentation Loading Rate on Superelastic TiNi Alloy

Abstract

The large recoverable deformation associated with reversible stress-induced martensitic transformation for superelastic TiNi alloys has been widely exploited in many applications. However, to employ superelastic TiNi in applications where high impact loading is expected, as in bearings, the effect of loading rate on superelasticity needs to be understood. In the current article, the effect of indentation loading rate on dent resistance and superelasticity of TiNi is studied. Indentation tests are performed, at different loading rates on superelastic TiNi alloy and correlated to tensile stress–strain data. It is found that the reversible deformation drops as loading rate is increased and superelasticity diminishes. Based on data collected and results analysis it is proposed that the loss in superelastic behavior under high indentation loading rate is related to retardation of the stress-induced martensitic transformation. Furthermore, a simple heat model was proposed and showed that the temperature rise during indentation is not significant.