Experimental training of shape memory alloy fibres under combined thermomechanical loading

In this article, experimental training of the commercial available shape memory alloy fibre (SMA) fibre under the combined thermomechanical loading is reported. SMA has the ability to sense a small change in temperature (>_10oC) and activated under the external loading and results in shape change. The thermomechanical characteristics of SMA at different temperature and mechanical loading are obtained through an own lab-scale experimental setup. The analysis is conducted for two types of the medium using the liquid nitrogen (cold cycle) and the hot water (heat cycle). The experimental data indicate that SMA act as a normal wire for Martensite phase and activated behavior i.e., regain the original shape during the Austenite phase only. To improve the confidence of such kind of behavior has been verified by inspecting the composition of the wire. The study reveals interesting conclusion i.e., while SMA deviates from the equiatomic structure or consist of foreign materials (carbon and oxygen) except nickel and titanium may affect the phase transformation temperature which shifted the activation phase temperature. Also, the grain structure distortion of SMA wire has been examined via the scanning electron microscope after the thermomechanical cycle loading and discussed in details.