Objective
Foreseen Results
In the project different variants of these three techniques will be used to produce the Cu and NiTi-based shape memory alloys. The relationship between the alloy structure and properties and the production conditions will be established in order to find out the best production and processing treatments for specific application requirements such as very small sizes or complex shape of the final product.
The scientific project is divided in three main tasks:
Production Techniques: Adaptation and optimization of the melt-spinning and mechanical alloying equipment to the SMA (high temperature Cu-based and Ni-Ti based alloys).
Characterization of Structure and Properties: Extensive research on the structure and microstructure (x-rays diffraction, electron microscopy, EDX microanalysis ...) mechanical properties and martensitic transformation features (thermal analysis - resistivity, DSC, TMA, DMA- internal friction, ...) of the materials produced using the non-conventional techniques in three different states: as-received thermomechanically treated and processed by Ultrasonic Deformation.
Technical Cooperation for possible applications: Investigation of possible applications of the new shape memory alloys developed, with the assessment of the producer companies.
The development of non-classical production and treatment technologies, such as Melt-Spinning, Powder Metallurgy/Mechanical Alloying and Ultrasonic Deformation applied to the Shape Memory Alloys is the subject of the proposed Research Project. These technologies are used in other fields of metallurgy but they have not been widely applied to produce shape memory alloys. And yet they create a unique opportunity to obtain final products of very small sizes for such applications like microactuators, microswitches or implants into the human body. However, use of the non-conventional techniques for the alloys' production can significantly influence their characteristics and thus intensive studies of this influence are here required.
NiTi and Cu-based alloys constitute two groups of shape memory materials for which industrial and medical applications have been developed. They show some unusual functional behaviors such as the one- and two-way shape memory and superelasticity effects which are related to a structural transformation.
The melt-spinning is one of the modern techniques for rapid solidification. It consists of the injection of an amount of melt alloy on a rotating wheel. Ribbons and wires are easily obtained using this procedure. Powder metallurgy and mechanical alloying use the material in form of powders which is submitted to a mechanical processing. The extremely fine sized powders are subsequently compacted to any desired shape. In the case of less ductile Cu-based alloys this would eliminate many energy consuming intermediate stages of classical metallurgy such as hot rolling, drawing, extrusion etc. thus decreasing energy consumption and production costs, which has direct social and environmental benefits.
The ultrasonic deformation is a technique for treating solids using ultrasonic vibrations. The vibrations cause a mass-transfer effect and a plastic deformation. The technique is specially useful for surface treatments and for thin band production.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
07071 PALMA DE MALLORCA
Spain