The Pseudoelasticity of a Ni45Ti50Cu5 Alloy

The pseudoelastic behavior of Ni45Ti50Cu5 is investigated as a function both of different thermal treatments and of the maximum applied strain. The minimum hysteresis width of the pseudoelastic cycle appears for a thermal treatment of 450 C and decreases with stress cycling. The stress-induced transformation involves, however, a single process whenever the maximum applied strain is smaller than the transformation strain. When the attained strain exceeds the transformation strain, another transformation sets in as supported by electrical resistance measurements performed concomitantly with stress-strain tests. (Author)