Recent Developments in High Temperature Shape Memory Alloys

Abstract

AbstractThe functional properties of Shape Memory Alloys (SMA's) are used succesfully at present in a variety of industrial and medical applications. The use of these materials in smart structures is now emerging in the field of aeronautic/space technology. Many applications require higher operating temperatures than available to date, or higher cooling rates and/or a higher number of cycles. For this purpose the properties and fabricability of commercial alloys as Ni-Ti-(X), Cu-Al-Ni or Cu-Zn-Al are being adjusted and improved. Other feasible alloys are being developed. The research and development is directed towards the control of the stress, strain, temperature and time dependence of shape memory properties for a stable in-service behaviour. In this paper the various approaches taken up in recent years by academic and industrial laboratories for developing high temperature SMA's are reviewed.