Coherent Precipitates as a Condition for Ultra-Low Fatigue in Cu-Rich Ti53.7Ni24.7Cu21.6 Shape Memory Alloys
Lars Bumke, Niklas Wolff, Christoph Chluba, Torben Dankwort, Lorenz Kienle, Eckhard Quandt
Abstract
Abstract Sputtered Ti–rich TiNiCu alloys are known to show excellent cyclic stability. Reversibility is mostly influenced by grain size, crystallographic compatibility and precipitates. Isolating their impact on cyclic stability is difficult. Ti 2 Cu precipitates for instance are believed to enhance reversibility by showing a dual epitaxy with the B2 and B19 lattice. Their influence on the functional fatigue, if they partly lose the coherency is still unknown. In this study, sputtered Ti 53.7 Ni 24.7 Cu 21.6 films have been annealed at different temperatures leading to a similar compatibility (λ 2 ~ 0.99), grain size and thermal cyclic stability. Films annealed at 550 °C exhibit a superior superelastic fatigue resistance but with reduced transformation temperatures and enthalpies. TEM investigations suggest the formation of Guinier–Preston (GP) zone-like plate precipitates and point towards a coherency relation of the B2 phase and finely distributed Ti 2 Cu precipitates (~ 60 nm). Films annealed at 700 °C result in the growth of Ti 2 Cu precipitates (~ 280 nm) with an irregular distribution and a partial loss of their coherency. Thus, GP zones are assumed to cause the reduction of transformation temperatures and enthalpies due to increased internal stresses, whereas the coherency relation of both, Ti 2 Cu and GP zones, help to increase the superelastic stability, well beyond 10 7 cycles.