Effect of Fe Composition and Heat Treatment Temperature on the Transformation Temperature of R-Phase of Ti-Ni-Fe Alloy

Abstract

R-phase transformations in TiNi shape memory alloys (Nitinol) have various applications because of their small thermal hysteresis and low fatigue resistance. Adding a third element such as Fe or Al is one of the useful ways to induce R-phase transformation. Controlling the R-phase transformation temperature is crucial for industrial and bio-field applications. However, the effects of adding Fe have rarely been reported. In this study, the effects of Fe addition and heat treatment temperature on the R-phase transformation temperature of TiNiFe shape memory alloys were systematically investigated. Results showed that increasing Fe composition decreases the R-phase and martensitic transformation temperatures of 19K/1at%Fe and 51 K/1at%Fe, respectively. Additionally, in the Ti–49Ni–1Fe alloy, rather than a martensite transformation, the R phase transformation temperature was constant irrespective of heat treatment temperature and increasing number of thermal cycles. This means that the R-phase transformation temperature is not affected by dislocation density resulting from the heat cycling or cold working processes. This allows practical applications of R-phase transformation to be easily realized. Furthermore, this means that the R-phase transformation temperature is only affected by the Ni content of the matrix.