Influence of Heat Treatments on a NiTi Shape Memory Alloy Obtained Using Vacuum Induction Melting and Reprocessed by Plasma Skull Push-Pull

Abstract

ABSTRACTShape memory alloys (SMA) are metallic attractive engineering materials due to their capacity to store pre-defined shapes through a thermally induced phase transition from a solid state. This paper aims to evaluate the influence of solubilization thermal treatments on a NiTi shape memory alloy originally fabricated by vacuum induction melting and then reprocessed by plasma melting followed by injection molding (Plasma Skull Push Pull process) into different metal molds (steel, aluminum, brass and copper) in order to compare the thermal properties regarding to its raw state. The thermal treatments of solubilization were carried out at 850°C in different times (2n function, n = 0, 1, 2 and 3, in hours). The influence of solubilizing treatments in the NiTi shape memory alloy was analyzed using the following characterization techniques: Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Electrical Resistance as a function of Temperature (ERT). The results demonstrate that the solubilization heat treatments applied on the reprocessed NiTi shape memory alloy through the plasma skull push pull process, provides important changes in the phase transformation of the material. Therefore, it was demonstrated that it is necessary to solubilize the material after melting or remelting the NiTi shape memory alloy via this process to obtain mini-actuators products with homogeneous properties.