DSC calibration in the study of shape memory alloys

Abstract

Abstract The unusual mechanical properties (i.e. shape memory effect and superelasticity) of shape memory alloys (SMA) rely on the thermoelastic martensitic transformation (TMT) which is a first-order solid-solid, non-diffusive phase transition, athermal in character. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is often used as a convenient method of investigating the thermal properties ofSMAs. The common practice of standard temperature calibration, required for a correct instrument performance, is here critically discussed in relation to the study of both the direct exothermic transformation on cooling, and the reverse endothermic transformation on heating in a NiTiSMA. The DSC results show that, with the standard temperature calibration, the instrument is calibrated on heating but un-calibrated on cooling. A general method is advanced to overcome this problem, intrinsically related to the dynamic character of DSC.