Running head: SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS 1

Shape Memory Alloys

MANASSE MAYIZO
University at Buffalo
SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS 2

Abstract
Metals have significantly contributed to the growth of manufacturing industries. Metals have
a wide range of applications, from manufacturing to construction industries. Due to their
different physical properties, such as being hard, various metals have their own field of
application. Some metals possess unique characteristics and this makes them have a wide range
of applications. However, there are some attributes which cannot present in pure metals. As a
result, engineers had to combine two or more metals to produce an alloy with the desired
attributes. These alloys have been useful in most industries as they have significantly contributed
to both the manufacturing and the construction industries. One of the most critical alloys is the
Shape Memory Alloys (SMA). These are alloys that are known to possess ability to lose their
shape and gaining it back when they are subjected to different temperatures. Upon heating and
cooling beyond certain degrees, these alloys transform from one shape to another. The most
common SMA is a product of Nickel and Titanium. Shape memory alloys have a wide range of
applications ranging from applications by aircraft manufacturers to applications in the
manufacture of pulley systems.
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1. Introduction

Metals have played an essential role as structural materials over the past centuries. Smelting,

alloying, forging and smelting techniques have been applied since the age of iron and bronze.

Advancement of science and technology has enabled technicians to develop an in-depth

knowledge of the processing techniques and microstructure of different materials. The capability

of varying engineering materials for various applications allows engineers to come up with new

composites of metals (Stoeckel, 2003). As technology advances and users increase their

knowledge of metals, the demand for stronger and lighter materials has increased. Shape

memory alloy is one of the latest products, produced following this demand.

Shape memory alloy is a unique class of metals with an ability to recover from permanent

strains when subjected to heat that is above certain temperatures. The shape memory is found in

two stable phases – martensite (low-temperature phase) and the austenite (high-temperature

phase). Since their discovery, Shape Memory Alloys (SME) have been of much help to the

people. Some of its advantages are; biocompatibility, a property that makes the allows applicable

in a wide area (Stoeckel, 2003). To add on that, the alloys also have excellent mechanical

properties, which include resistant to corrosion. Furthermore, shape memory alloys are also

durable which makes them preferable to other metals and alloys. This paper aims to discuss the

composition and synthesis, applications, and limitations of shape alloys.

2. Composition of Shape Alloys

Most of the shape allows either made up of Nickel and Titanium (NiTi) or Copper, Aluminum,

and Nickel. However, some shape alloys can still be created by combining gold, copper, iron,

and zinc. The most commonly available shape memory alloys are iron based, and they include
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Fe-Mn-Si, Cu-Al-Ni, and Cu-Zi-Al. They are also cheaper compared to NiTi. However, despite

being relatively expensive compared to iron-based alloys, NiTi based alloys are the most

preferred. This is because they exhibit a more stable, practical, and superior thermo-mechanic

performance (Kumar & Lagoudas, 2008). The different phases that the alloy can exist in have

different structures with six possible transformations. When cooled down, NiTa alloys change

form austenite to martensite

3. Superplastic and Shape Effects of SMA

Shape memory alloys exhibit several useful properties, which include their superelastic effects.

In the low-temperature phase, shape memory alloys exhibit memory and superelastic effects. In

the original martensitic phase, the shape memory alloy can readily deform to several percent

strain. Heating a specimen of the allow above certain temperatures make the alloy to transform

from one phase to another and hence recovering the shape initially lost (Kumar & Lagoudas,

2008). While in high-temperature form, shape memory alloy also exhibits superelastic. In the

austenitic phase, martensite is achieved by subjecting the alloy a certain level of stress and

therefore resulting in a stress plateau. When uploaded, martensite turns to an unstable state and

thus transforms back to austenite hence recovering the original shape of the alloy.

Nitinol is one of the most commonly used types of shape memory alloys. This is because

it is relatively cheap compared to other shape memory alloys. Furthermore, Nitinol has also been

found to exhibit several useful mechanical behaviors that are not present in other shape allow

memories (Kumar & Lagoudas, 2008). Several studies carried out to examine the general

properties of alloys and the optimal one, which can be applied in various fields. The studies have

since concluded that Koval and Monastyrsky are the most applicable in the seismic applications.
SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS 5

Shape memory alloys also exhibit some mechanical properties. However, the mechanical

properties in these alloys usually vary from one condition to the other. Some of the most

common physical properties of the shape memory alloys are; cyclical properties, strain rate

effects, and the temperature effects.

To begin with, the cyclical properties of the shape memory alloys are widely used in

seismic applications. Repeated cyclical eventually leads to a gradual increase in the strain level

in the alloy. The accumulation of strain in the alloy triggers the martensitic transformation,

therefore, causing internal stresses and residual strains as well (Hiltz, 2002). To add on that,

when the cycling is increased, the forward transformation stress tends to reduce significantly.

Furthermore, this property also occurs due to microstructural slips, which trigger the formation

of stress into the alloy following the increase in cycling. This, therefore, causes a reduction in the

forward transformation stress. Using the same logic, the reverse transformation stress is also

significantly reduced. However, more stress is reduced in the forward phase transformation as

compared to the reverse transformation phase.

Fatigue in the alloy, which in this context can be defined as the degradation of the

cyclical properties, and can be improved by annealing at low temperatures, cycling at faster rates

and at lower tress, and cold working (Hiltz, 2002). To add on that, training which involves the

precycling of the alloy can also be used to reduce the effects brought about by stress.

Secondly, the temperature effects are also an essential property in the applications of the

alloys. Temperature acts as one of the most critical factors when predicting the behavior of the

alloy metal (Awan et at, 2018). The shape of the alloy is a thermoelastic process which means an

increase in temperature provides an equivalent increase in the stress of the alloy. Furthermore,
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apart from the superelastic effects, there are other two types of memory effects; one way and

two-way memory effects.

One-way memory effect is experienced when an alloy is in a state of martensite state and

is deformed through the application of mechanical load and unloading it to make it remain

deformed. If the alloy is then heated again to a temperature above the austenite temperatures, it

reverts to the microscopic shape. The entire process is called a one-way memory effect. During

these effects, several changes take place in the internal structure of the alloy. When the load is

applied to the allow, the structure becomes deformed through from variant rearrangement of

particles. If the let is then heated again above certain degrees, the original shape of the alloy is

restored (Awan et at, 2018). The shape restoration process is possible because regardless of the

effect brought by the post deformation, there exists one reverse pathway through which the alloy

follows to revert. When the allow is then cooled below certain temperatures, martensite

microstructure is formed, and the original form before deformation is reformed and therefore

achieving the one-way memory effect.

In the two-way effect, the alloy only remembers one shape. The remembered phase is the

hot or parent phase. The composites can be programmed to remember both the hot and the old

shapes by cycling them between two distinct phases without subjecting them to any structural

stress. In this effect, the changes only depend on the microstructural changes that take place

during martensitic tress as a result of normal stress.

4. Limitations

Since their discovery, shape alloy memories have brought a significant impact on various

industries. Through multiple applications, the alloys have solved numerous problems. However,
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there are numerous practical limitations of the alloys that limit the success of the alloys. Some of

the practical limitations of these are unwanted actuation, structural and functional fatigue, and

the response to symmetry and time.

a. Response to Symmetry and Time

Shape memory alloys are always electrically actuated, and this makes electric current to result in

heating of Joule. Typically, deactivation occurs by the free convective transfer of heat to the

ambient environment. As a result, shape memory alloys are asymmetric in nature. To add to that,

the asymmetric nature of the alloys makes them have a slow deactivation time and a fast

actuation time. To solve the limitation of high deactivation time, several methods have been

proposed (DesRoches & Smith, 2004). These methods include lagging the shape memory allow

with a different favorable material to manipulate the rate at which the heat is transfer. To add to

that, the forced convection method has also been suggested.

Other methods to enhance the feasibility of the shape memory alloys actuators include the use of

a conductive lagging. This approach applies a thermal paste, which immediately takes the heat

from the shape memory alloys through the conduction mode of heat transfer. Through the

convention, the heat from the alloy is transferred to the environment as there exists a temperature

difference between SMA and the air(DesRoches & Smith, 2004). This method ensures that

deactivation time is significantly reduced. To add, the technique also provides symmetric

activation of the alloy. As a result, the rate of heat transfer that is enough to achieve a certain

actuation is reached and the force of actuation increased.

b. Unintended Fatigue
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Shape memory alloys are generally actuated by the heating of Joules. If the alloys are used are

applied in an environment where it is impossible to control the ambient temperatures,

unintentional actuation may occur. This is caused by ambient heating in the system.

c. Functional and Structural Fatigue

Shape memory alloys are vulnerable to structural fatigue. In this context, fatigue mode is brought

by the cycling of loads, which results in propagation and initiation of a crack, which is capable of

causing a catastrophic loss of a function through the fracture (DesRoches & Smith, 2004). To

add to that, the force behind this fatigue is the accumulation of microstructure’s damage during

the process of cycling. Fatigue is also experienced in other materials and not just the shape

memory alloys.

Shape memory alloys are also vulnerable to functional fatigue, which is a typical limitation

found in most engineering materials. Functional fatigue, the shape memory alloys, does not fail

in terms of structure bur loses its characteristics over a period of time. Functional fatigue,

therefore, makes the shape memory alloys to their ability to undergo the transformations. For

instance, when the cycle numbers increase, the working displacement in an actuator decreases

significantly (DesRoches & Smith, 2004). This is due to the gradual microstructural change and

often accompanied by changes in temperatures. Actuators based on shape memory alloy are

designed to reduce the accumulation of both structural and functional fatigue in the system. Such

configurations are applied in the pully system made up of alloys.

These limitations have necessitated new and complicate inventions aimed at enhancing the

equipment and machinery make of alloys. As people continue to gain more knowledge on the

alloys, more enduring and strong alloys are being brought in to counter the limitations of the
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former. For example, an SMA-Pulley system is enhanced to reduce structural and functional

failures in the system.

5. Conclusion and Applications of Shape Memory Alloys

Since their discovery, Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) have been beneficial in various industries.

Due to their unique characteristics of losing and regaining their shape, SMAs have helped solve

multiple problems in the community. Some of the standard applications of Shape Memory

Alloys includes medical applications, aerospace applications, and transport applications. To

begin with, SMAs have been widely applied in the automobiles from sensing to impact

absorption. The superelastic effect of the alloy is utilized to make a system that can absorb

impact such as armor vehicles used by the military. The alloys enable the cars to absorb and

reduce the impact of the bullets and other weapons in the war. This concept is used by the US

military when manufacturing their war vehicles. To add on that, an actuation system is used in

the gearbox of a bullet train (Hartl & Lagoudas, 2007). In the gearbox, the temperatures are

controlled and monitored while SMA spring is used to actuate a valve for the purpose of

adjusting the level of the oil in the gearbox. The two applications use the shape memory effect of

the alloys.

The superelastic and shape memory effects of the alloys make them suitable to be applied

in the medical. Combinations od these unique attributes have primarily contributed to the

development of various equipment such as filters, orthodontic wires, and stents. These devices

have mostly added to the minimum invasion surgery (Hartl & Lagoudas, 2007). Further, most of

the shape memory alloys are biochemical compatible. Therefore, this means that they can be

planted in the human body to facilitated medical activities such as surgery. Following a wide
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range of applications of shape memory alloys in various fields, the impact of SMAs in the

society cannot be overlooked.

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