Shape Memory Alloys (SMA)

Martensitic transformation

Superelastic effect

Memory effect

SMA applications

Damping systems

SMA production & design

NiTi SMA
 Crystallography of NiTi SMA
(Micro)structural aspects (Micro)structural aspects

AUSTENITE: AUSTENITE:
High (Micro)structural aspects Cubic (B2) Cubic (B2)
Temperature high simmetry
AUSTENITE: high simmetry

Cubic (B2)
high simmetry

MARTENSITE: MARTENSITE:
Low Monoclinic (B19) Monoclinic (B19)
Temperature lowMARTENSITE:
simmetry low simmetry
SMAs
Monoclinic (B19)
low simmetry
SMAs
(Micro)structural aspects
Microstructural aspects

SMAs
 Martensitic transformation

• Displasive transformation involving only atom shifts and

bond rotations (no diffusion = fast transformation)

Martensite/
austenite
Martensite/ interface
austenite
interface
 Martensitic transformation and properties

• Monitoring the properties, an hysteresis loop appears

 Thermodynamic of the transformation
Thermodynamic issues

• First order
• Athermic
• Non
Ms diffusive
• Reversible

Mf Ms

DSC
measurement
As Af
Thermodynamic issues Other alloys
 Martensitic transformation

• Displasive transformation involving only atom shifts and

bond rotations (no diffusion = fast transformation)

Martensite/
austenite
Martensite/ interface
austenite
interface
 Matrix constraint

• The matrix constraint force the grain to maintain its

original shape. To accommodate the large required strain it
may undergo slip or twinning:

Accommodation by slip Accommodation by twinning

 Twinning
Self accommodation modes

TWINNING: Thermally reversible strain!

Some features of twins:

•  Low energy
•  High mobility
•  No break of chemical bonds
 Twinning characteristics

• Twinning are obtained by shear stresses

• A mirror plane dividing two symmetric parts defines the
twin boundary
• Only bond rotations are involved
 Detwinning

• The detwinning permits a considerable deformation

without any plane slip. It is a plastic deformation.
 Detwinning
Detwinning
winning
Stress-strain curve for martensite

T<Mf T < Mf
Detwinning & stress-strain curve

Martensite
 Shape memory

• Starting from austenite, cooling, deforming the martensite

(detwinning), heating and coming back to austenite.
• The cell rotations force the grains to recuperate their
original shapes.
Summary of shape memory
One-way shape memory effect
Shape memory
Stress-strain curve for austenite (superelasticity)
 Superelasticity (or Pseudoelasticity)

T>Af
Shape memory & superelasticity
 Changes with temperature

• The detwinning plateau rise with temperature

 Shape memory, superelasticity & temperature
Superelasticity – One-way shape memory effect
Superelasticity
The stress-temperature diagram

Superelasticity

T>Af
Temperature-stress and phase stability
 Two-way memory

• One-way shape memory: heating over A the deformed

f
martensitic phase recuperate its original shape
• Two-way shape memory: an alloy that has undergone the
proper training may assume two different shapes at high
and low temperature
 Training for 2-way memory effect

• The alloy is subjected to a thermal-stress cycling where

two different shapes are imposed at high and low
temperature
• The thermal-stress cycling is performed until the piece
stabilizes the 2 shapes
• This effect is used normally for actuator that perform a
certain work between two different temperatures over
and below the final transformation temperatures
• The total number of cycles the piece may perform is
limited and depends on maximum deformation, texture,
microstructure, type of alloy
 2-way memory effect:
Two-way shape memory effect: decay of the effect
decay with cycles
1.6

1.4

1.2
Allungamento %

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100
Num ero cicli term ici

4.5

3.5
Allungamento %

240
3
210
2.5
180
2
150
Sforzo (MPa)

1.5
120

90 1

60 0.5
30 0
0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Allungamento % Num ero cicli term ici
Shape memory alloys, types of
NiTi SMA properties
Others SMA
Comparison NiTi-Steel
NiTi phase diagram
 SMA applications: one way memory

• The simplest actuator: at low temperature the weight

elongate the spring in the martensite state (Emart < Eaust).
At high temperature it come back to austenite
recuperating the original shape.
 Applications with SMA

• Fasteners, bolt systems, pipe couplings

• Actuators
• Smart materials
• Biomedical systems
• MEMS
• Damping systems
 Applications with SMA

• Fasteners, bolt systems, pipe couplings

• Actuators
• Smart materials
• Biomedical systems
• MEMS
• Damping systems
 Fasteners

• SMA fasteners

• Electrical connectors
 Pipe couplings

• Enlarged by pressure
• Insertion
• Shrink by heating
• ZIF (Zero Insertion Force)
 Clamps and sealing rings

• Clamps

• Sealing rings
 Applications with SMA

• Fasteners, bolt systems, pipe couplings

• Actuators
• Smart materials
• Biomedical systems
• MEMS
• Damping systems
Thermostatic valve
Designing the bias spring system
High speed trains
Frangibolt system
Frangibolt specifications
 For improved reliability

In series In parallel
Mounting systems
 Actuators in the consumer market

• Airbag

• Hot water security

 Actuators in aerospace
Rotary motor from solar
energy used on Mars

SOC (Solar
Occultation
Channel),
Instrument Persi
Alice on Pluton

Pinpuller, 10 gr, Load 2.3 Kg,

used on Mars mission
 Actuators in SMA: advantages

• Simplicity, few pieces:

• the system does not require additional components, more
often may substitute both sensor and motor

• No wear, no sparks, clean and without noise

• no gears required ➙ no powder generation
• no vibrations, no noise
• can be used with hazardous compounds (inflammable)

• High power to weight ratio (and power to volume)

• ideal for small actuators
 Actuators in SMA: disadvantages

• Poor energy efficiency

• this depends strongly on configuration and kind of deformation;
the more favorable case is with wires in uniform tension
• non uniform load distributions cause a non optimal use of the
material and hence poor efficiency

• Only low frequency applications

• this is due to the relative slowness of the SMA that requires a
temperature change to exploit the movement

• Limited number of cycles and fatigue life

• to use the SMA for higher cycles the maximum deformation
must be reduced
 Applications with SMA

• Fasteners, bolt systems, pipe couplings

• Actuators
• Smart materials
• Biomedical systems
• MEMS
• Damping systems
 Smart materials applications

• Active composites with SMA fibers:

• the matrix is loaded with SMA fibers/wires; if under vibration
the element enter resonance the fibers heat up and transform
to austenite introducing a compression in the element and
changing its resonance frequency

• Self-repairing material or more resistance to impact,

fracture:
• the SMA fibers embedded in the matrix deform on matrix
fracture, but on heating regain the original shape

• Active wings:
 Applications with SMA

• Fasteners, bolt systems, pipe couplings

• Actuators
• Smart materials
• Biomedical systems
• MEMS
• Damping systems
Medical probes: 2 way memory SMA
 Other biomedical applications

Microsurgery probe
Stents
Orthodontic wires
 Tooth displacement and necrosis

Bone necrosis (resorption)

No displacement of tooth

Working range for SMA

Working range for Steel
Applications Superelasticity
Applications Constrained recovery
Applications Constrained recovery
Applications Superelasticity
 Applications with SMA

• Fasteners, bolt systems, pipe couplings

• Actuators
• Smart materials
• Biomedical systems
• MEMS
• Damping systems
Robotic components
 Applications with SMA

• Fasteners, bolt systems, pipe couplings

• Actuators
• Smart materials
• Biomedical systems
• MEMS
• Damping systems
 Damping systems
Sistemi di smorzamento?
Applications Damping

Damping and internal friction

1.  Exploiting shape memory effect
2.  Exploiting superelastic behaviour
 Superelasticity
Comportamento superelastico e damping
2660 M. Dolce, D. Cardone / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 43 (2001) 2657–2677

Fig. 1. Schematic stress–strain curve of superelastic shape memory alloy, showing the phenomena associated with
 Maximum
Effetto deformationmassima
della deformazione effect
Maximum Dissipated
•
deformation
Dampingil damping cresce e quindi
Con la massima deformazione
energy x cycle
2668l’energia dissipata per ciclo
M. Dolce, D. Cardone / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 43 (2001) 2657–2677

Fig. 6. Cyclic loading–unloading tensile tests on austenite superelastic wire: in!uence of strain amplitude.
26702670/ International
Cardone
M. Dolce,
M. Dolce, D. D. Cardone
Cardone
Journal of
/ International
/Mechanical
International Journal
Journal
Sciences
of Mechanical
of(2001)
43 Mechanical Sciences
Sciences
2657–2677
43 (2001)
43 (2001) 2657–2677
2657–2677
26702670 M.Journal
one / International M. Dolce,
Dolce, of D. Cardone
D. Mechanical
Cardone / International
/ International
Sciences Journal
43 Journal
(2001) of of Mechanical
Mechanical
2657–2677 Sciences
Sciences 43 (2001)
43 (2001) 2657–2677
2657–2677
Effetto
Effetto
Effetto della
della
della configurazione
configurazione
. Cardone / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 43 (2001) 2657–2677
configurazione
Configuration effect
• •• Sipossono
Si Si possono
possono
Itconfigurazioni
avere
avere
is possibleedto
configurazioni
differenti
differenti
avere differenti
utilize
ed effetti
configurazioni edeffetti
effetti sulsul
sul
damping
different
damping
damping totale
configurations
totale
totale
to customize damping
 M. Dolce, D. Cardone / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 43 (2001) 2657–2677 2671
Effetto della temperatura
Temperature effect on sul damping
damping
M. Dolce, D. Cardone / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 43 (2001) 2657–2677 2671

Fig. 9. Austenite wire in tension: (a) stress–strain curves at di!erent temperatures; and (b) starting and completing
transformation stresses as a function of temperature.

Fig. 9. Austenite wire in tension: (a) stress–strain curves at di!erent temperatures; and (b) starting and completing
transformation stresses as a function of temperature.

Fig. 10. Austenite wire in tension: energy loss per unit weight (left) and equivalent damping (right) as a function
 M. Dolce, D. Cardone / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 43 (2001) 2657–2677 2

Temperature-
Effetto
frequency effect
temperatura-
frequenza

Higher frequencies
• Frequenze più alte
permettono un
recupero inferiore e
Less recovery
diminuisce la quantità
Less energy dissipated
di energia dissipata

Fig. 11. E!ects of repeated cyclic deformation on stress–strain curves at various temperatures and two di!e
 2674 M. Dolce, D. Cardone / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 43 (2001) 2

Effetto
temperatura-frequenza
Effect temperature-
frequency-cycles
 Smorzatori di vibrazione
Damping systems
• Studio smorzatori di Baratta e Corbi. Hanno mostrato
Damping system by Baratta & Corbi. It shows how the SMA
come il sistema in SMA mostrava minori spostamenti in
reduces
risposta displacements
a vibrazioni respect
rispetto to aperfettamente
ad uno perfectly elastic one.
elastico
 Sistemi smorzatori di De Roches
De Roches damping systems
• De Roches ha studiato diversi sitemi per smorzare le
vibrazioni e rinforzare
Bridge le strutture
damping system againstcontro i sismi
earthquakes
Sstema di rinforzo sismico di De Roches
Seismic reinforce by De Roches
 Damping
Sistema system by
di rinforzo Dolce eetaltri
di Dolce al.
 Beam reinforce (De Roches)
Rinforzo travi con SMA (De Roches)

Smart beam connection Smart beam connection

• In figura una connessione smart di trave e pilone in SMA
using SMA rods (after deformation at
prima e dopo applicazione di carichi in frequenza elevati. Si
(before deformation) high frequency and load)
veda la deformazione elevata dei tondini in SMA. Dopo
riscaldamenti i tondini recuperano la forma originale.
 Reinforce system for S. Francesco in Assisi
Sistema rinforzo sismico per la basilica di S. Francesco in Assisi
church
S,S.Giorgio
Giorgio in
inTrignano
Trignano
Superelasticity applications (summary)
Shape memory applications (summary)
Shape memory applications (summary cont.)
Designing Application with SMA
Applications Actuators
Applications Actuators
Main design parameters
Transformation temperatures [Ms,Mf,As,Af, Md]
“Stress rate” [ds/dT]
Suitable recovery force (stress)
Applications Actuators
Applications Actuators

Gas safety valve

Applications Actuators
Applications Actuators

Air diffuser for air

conditioning
Applications Actuators
Applications Constrained recovery

SMA

At T<Mf , the SMA ring is deformed and placed in

the connection region.

Ring in SMA with inner diameter

smaller (≈4%) external diameter of
the two pipes to connect. T>Af: the joint is
This is the shape the SMA part will connecting the two
“remember” pipes with a contact
stress.
Applications Constrained recovery
Applications Constrained recovery

Td<Mf
Applications Constrained recovery
Applications Constrained recovery

εt = 9%
Strain hardened

Fully annealed
Applications εc = 2% Constrained recovery

Main design parameters

Transformation temperatures [Ms,Mf,As,Af, Md]
“Stress rate” [ds/dT]
Recovery (contact) stress
Residual plastic deformation.