Chapter 48: Shape Memory Analysis of a Stent

Shape Memory Analysis of

48 a Stent


Summary 985

Introduction 986

Modeling Details 987

Solution Procedure 990

Results 990

Modeling Tips 991

Input File(s) 992

Reference 992
 CHAPTER 48 985
Shape Memory Analysis of a Stent

Summary
Title Chapter 48: Shape Memory Analysis of a Stent
Features Shape memory material model, both mechanical and thermo-mechanical.
Geometry

Material properties AS
E a = E m = 50000Mpa ,  a =  m = 0.33 ,  s = 1631.7Mpa ,
AS SA SA
f = 1931.4Mpa , C a = 8.66 ,  s = 1688.7Mpa ,  f = 1558.8Mpa ,
C m = 6.66

Analysis characteristics Quasi-static analysis using: fixed time stepping and material nonlinearity due to plastic
or thermoelastic behavior
Boundary conditions Tangential displacement is fixed
Applied loads Prescribed displacements at the end nodes of the stent
Element type 8-node solid elements
FE results History plots of stress versus strain (z-components) for a specific node for both the
mechanical and thermo-mechanical model

Stress Strain Relation for Thermo-Mechanical Model Stress Strain Relation for Mechanical and Thermo-Mechanical Model

800 800

T=-150 Vol_mart=100% Therm-Mech T=0

T=-150 Therm-Mech T=30
700 700
T=-70 Thermo-Mech T=50
T=0 Mech T=0
T=10 Mech T=30
600 T=30 600 Mech T=50
T=50

500 500

400
400
Stress ZZ

Stress ZZ

300
300

200
200

100
100

0
0
0 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.012 0.014 0.016 0.018
0 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.012 0.014 0.016 0.018

-100
-100

-200
-200
Strain ZZ
Strain ZZ
986 MD Demonstration Problems
CHAPTER 48

Introduction
This problem demonstrates the ability of MD Nastran SOL 400 to model shape memory materials. The most common
materials which have shape memory properties are alloys of nickel and titanium. The shape memory effect is due to a
phase change between martensite and austenite phases in the alloy. These phases have identical chemistry but different
crystalline structures; body-centered-tetragonal for martensite and face-centered-cubic for austenite. Transitioning
between these two phases requires only a small amount of activation energy giving the transformation. A cold
collapsed stent sheathed in a catheter can be deployed in a plaque lined blood vessel by the self-expansion caused by
the change in room to body temperature, with the stent expansion keeping the vessel open and blood flowing properly.
In other words, the stent’s “remembered” shape keeps the blood vessel open.The martensite phase forms when the
material is cooled down, or it can form when stress is applied to a hot material. In this phase extensive deformation
can occur as a thermoelastic martensitic shear mechanism. This deformation can be undone when the material is re-
heated, or at simple unloading of a hot material. When a hot (unstrained) specimen is cooled it is initially in the
austenite phase. Upon cooling between martensite start M s and martensite finish M f temperature the specimen will
change to the martensite phase. Conversely starting from a cold specimen which is in a martensic phase upon heating
between austenite start A s and austenite finish A f temperatures, the specimen will change to the austenite phase.
Different temperature ranges can be distinguished T  M s , M s  T  A f , A f  T  T c , where T c is defined as the
temperature above which the yield strength of the austenite phase is lower than the stress required to induce the
austenite-martensite transformation. Uniaxial tensile tests will show the following responses. For T  M s , the
specimen is completely in the martensite phase. The stress versus strain curves will display a smooth parabolic type
behavior, the deformation is caused by the movement of defects such as twin boundaries and the boundaries between
variants. Unloading occurs nearly elastically and the accumulated deformation caused by the reorientation of the
existing martensite and the transformation of any pre-existing austenite, remains after the specimen is completely
unloaded. Note that the deformation is entirely due to oriented martensite and this would be recoverable upon heating
to temperatures above the ( A s – A f ) range. This would show the shape memory effect. For A f  T  T c , the specimen
shows pseudo elastic behavior. In this range the specimen is in the austenite phase, and stress induced martensite is
formed, along with the associated deformation; upon unloading the martensite is unstable and reverts to austenite
thereby undoing the accumulated deformation. For T  T c when the stress is higher than the yield stress no phase
transition takes place, and the austenite phase will deform plastically which cannot be undone. Figure 48-1 shows
thermo-mechanical response of NiTi, the data is of Miyazaki et al. (1981). In this case, M s = 190K , M f = 128K ,
A s = 188K , and A f = 221K . Two different models are available to simulate the shape memory behavior: a
mechanical model, and a thermo-mechanical model. The thermo-mechanical model describes the complete behavior
as discussed before. The mechanical model only describes the super elastic behavior, and thus can only be used at
higher temperatures. In this example, a stent will be analyzed at different ambient temperatures. Simple loading and
unloading is applied. Stress-strain graphs will show the response at the different ambient temperatures.
 CHAPTER 48 987
Shape Memory Analysis of a Stent

(a) 77K (b) 153K (c) 164K

300
200
100

0 0 0
400
(d) 224K (e) 232K (f) 241K
Tensile Stress (MPa)

300
200
100

0 0 0
(h) 273K (i) 276K
600 (g) 263K

400

200 Ms = 190K
AF = 221K

0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4
Strain (%)

Figure 48-1 Thermal history

Modeling Details
Figure 48-2 shows a representation of the stent which is modeled. At a prescribed ambient temperature the stent is
loaded and unloaded by prescribing the displacement in the z-direction. For modeling reasons isotropic material is
chosen at the end parts of the stent. In this way no local effects will occur where the displacements are prescribed.
Smaller steps are chosen during the unloading part. Small steps are also needed to capture the shape memory behavior.

Figure 48-2 Model of the Stent

988 MD Demonstration Problems
CHAPTER 48

The case control section of the input file contains the following options for nonlinear analysis:
ENDC
TEMPERATURE(INITIAL) = 1
DISPLACEMENT(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
SPCFORCES(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
STRESS(SORT1,plot,REAL,VONMISES,BILIN)=ALL
NLSTRESS(SORT1,plot,REAL,VONMISES,BILIN)=ALL
SUBCASE 1
STEP 1
TITLE=Loading.
ANALYSIS = NLSTATIC
NLPARM = 1
SPC = 2
LOAD = 3
STEP 2
TITLE=Unloading.
ANALYSIS = NLSTATIC
NLPARM = 2
SPC = 4
LOAD = 3
Two STEPS are defined to do the loading and the unloading. It is possible to obtain extra post quantities to examine
the behavior of the shape memory material. To do this, the NLOUT option should be used in combination with the
NLSTRESS option in the following way:

NLSTRESS(NLOUT=10)=ALL
BEGIN BULK
NLOUT 10 VOLFMART CPHSTRN
See the MD Nastran Quick Reference Guide for which output quantities can be selected. In this case the volume
fraction of martensite and the phase transformation strain tensor will be printed in the .f06 file and can be
postprocessed in SIMX..
Large displacement effects are included in the nonlinear analysis using the large strain option:
NLMOPTS LRGS 1
For the mechanical model the multiplicative decomposition formulation is used, this is set automatically for the
elements using this material behavior. It can be activated for the whole model using
NLMOPTS LRGS 2

Element Modeling
Besides the standard options to define the element connectivity and grid coordinate location, the bulk data section
contains various options which are especially important to do nonlinear analysis, and are needed to be able to use shape
memory material. The nonlinear extensions to lower-order solid element, CHEXA can be activated by using the
PSLDN1 property option to the regular PSOLID property option in the manner shown below:

PSOLID 1 1 0
PSLDN1 1 1 1 +
+ C4 SOLI L +
 CHAPTER 48 989
Shape Memory Analysis of a Stent

The PLSLDN1 option allows the element to be used with different kinds of inelastic material models, one being the
shape memory model. This element is also used in both large displacement and large strain analyses and has no
restrictions on the kinematics of deformation unlike the regular CHEXA elements with only PSOLID property entry.

Material Modeling
The material properties for the thermo-mechanical model is given using the MATSMA option. The mechanical model
uses a subset of these properties. The following material properties for the shape memory material are used:

E a = E m = 50000Mpa Young’s modulus

 a =  m = 0.33 Poisson’s ratio

AS
s = 1631.7Mpa Starting tensile stress in austenite-to-martensite transformation

AS
f = 1931.4Mpa Finishing tensile stress in austenite-to-martensite transformation

C a = 8.66 Slope of the stress dependence of austenite

SA
s = 1688.7Mpa Starting tensile stress in martensite-to-austenite transformation

SA
f = 1558.8Mpa Finishing tensile stress in martensite-to-austenite transformation

C m = 6.66 Slope of the stress dependence of martensite

This data corresponds to temperature ranges where the martensite  austenite phase transformations take place at
o o o o o
M s = – 45 C , M f = – 90 C , and A s = 5 C , A f = 20 C , where T 0 = 200 C . The initial volume fraction of
o
martensite is taken M f ra c = 0 for all cases except for the case where T i n it = – 150 C , then the volume fraction of
martensite is M f ra c = 1 .

The corner parts of the stent are modeled using isotropic material properties using the MAT1 option.
MATSMA 1 2 200. 0.008573
50000. 0.33 1.E-05 1.E+20 1631.7 1931.4 8.66
50000. 0.33 1.E-05 1.E+20 1688.7 1558.8 6.66
0. 0. 100. 1.E+20
300. -4. 2. 0. 2.75 0. 3. 1.

MAT1 2 50000. .33 1.

990 MD Demonstration Problems
CHAPTER 48

Loading and Boundary Conditions

The loading is prescribed by a displacement of 0.008m in the z-direction. For unloading, the displacement goes back
to zero. To improve stability, the nodes are only allowed to move in the radial and axial direction. To obtain this, a
cylindrical coordinate system is applied to each node using the CORD2R option, and the tangential movement is fixed.
The ambient temperature is prescribed on all nodes using the TEMP option, and is activated in the case control file
using TEMPERATURE(INITIAL)=1.

Solution Procedure
The nonlinear procedure used is defined through the following NLPARM entry:
NLPARM 1 30 PFNT PV ALL
NLPARM 2 60 PFNT PV ALL
30 Increments are used for the loading and 60 increments for the unloading. Two STEPS are defined to do the loading
and unloading. The analysis is performed at different ambient temperatures to study the material behavior,
respectively.

Results
Analyses are performed for the thermo-mechanical and mechanical models at different temperatures. Figure 48-3
shows the stress-strain relationship for one node (node number 1292) at different ambient temperatures for the thermo-
mechanical model. The z-component of the stress and strain of this node is collected during the loading and unloading
o
and plotted in the figure. At T = – 150 C an analysis is performed with a martensite volume fraction of 0% and an
analysis with a volume fraction of 100%. Note that for 0% martensite no plastic behavior occurs. If no martensite is
present no plastic behavior can occur, and due to the low temperature no martensite can form due to stress. Physically
this would however be an unstable situation, and the martensite volume fraction should be set. This is different for
o
T = – 75 C where martensite will form if none is present, and the material will show plastic behavior. Also note that
o
since these are temperatures below A f = 20 C the plastic deformation cannot be undone. This only happens for the
o o o
case where T = 30 C , and T = 50 C . The simulation for T = 10 C stops prematurely, because it cannot find
convergence. The material behavior can be sensitive during unloading, in this case reducing the timestep further did
not help. What would help to get convergence in this case is to refine the mesh.
Figure 48-4 compares the results of the mechanical model with the thermo-mechanical model. The mechanical model
is designed to simulate the super-elastic behavior, so it should be used for higher temperatures. The results show a
similar response.
 CHAPTER 48 991
Shape Memory Analysis of a Stent

Modeling Tips
The behavior of the shape memory material can be quite sensitive to the loading. Therefore, the user must use
sufficiently small timesteps, and the mesh should be fine enough. It is best to use the PFNT option of NLPARM for
stability.

Stress Strain Relation for Thermo-Mechanical Model

800

T=-150 Vol_mart=100%
T=-150
700
T=-70
T=0
T=10
600 T=30
T=50

500

400
Stress ZZ

300

200

100

0
0 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.012 0.014 0.016 0.018

-100

-200
Strain ZZ

Figure 48-3 Results for the Thermo-Mechanical Model (Node Number 1292)

Stress Strain Relation for Mechanical and Thermo-Mechanical Model

800

Therm-Mech T=0
Therm-Mech T=30
700
Thermo-Mech T=50
Mech T=0
Mech T=30
600 Mech T=50

500

400
Stress ZZ

300

200

100

0
0 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.012 0.014 0.016 0.018

-100

-200
Strain ZZ

Figure 48-4 Comparison of the Mechanical and Thermo-mechanical Model (Node Number 1292)
992 MD Demonstration Problems
CHAPTER 48

Input File(s)
File Description
nug_48a.dat o
Mechanical model with ambient temperature of T = 0 C

nug_48b.dat o
Mechanical model with ambient temperature of T = 30 C

nug_48c.dat o
Mechanical model with ambient temperature of T = 50 C

nug_48d.dat o
Thermo-mechanical model with ambient temperature of T = – 150 C

nug_48e.dat o
Thermo-mechanical model with ambient temperature of T = – 70 C

nug_48f.dat o
Thermo-mechanical model with ambient temperature of T = – 0 C

nug_48g.dat o
Thermo-mechanical model with ambient temperature of T = 10 C

nug_48h.dat o
Thermo-mechanical model with ambient temperature of T = 30 C

nug_48i.dat o
Thermo-mechanical model with ambient temperature of T = 50 C

Reference
Miyazaki, S., Otsuka, K., Suzuki, S. 1981. Transformation pseudoelasticity and deformation behavior in a Ti-
50.6at%Ni alloy. Scripta Metallurgica, 15 (3); 287-292.