Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 158, 27-32 (2008)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2008-00649-3

Determination of the recovery stress under constraint in Fe29Mn7Si5Cr SMA

¹ Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Ghent University, Technologiepark 903, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
² Arcelor Research Industry Gent, J.F. Kennedylaan 3, 9060 Zelzate, Belgium
³ Department of Subatomic and Radiation Physics, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
⁴ Department MTM-KULeuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 44, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

Abstract

Ferrous shape memory alloys (SMAs) do not possess a complete shape recovery. Several attempts to improve the shape recovery still fail to achieve 100% recovery. For some applications, however, the recovery stress under constraint might be more important. In this work, a procedure was designed to measure these stresses under constraint in a Fe29MnSiCr SMA. The net recovery stress was defined as the maximal difference between the stresses developed in deformed and an undeformed sample. The calculation of σ_thermal(T) = E(T)α(T)(T-T₀) can replace the measurement of the stress developed in the undeformed sample. The effect of partially free recovery before recovery under constraint is also investigated. It was remarkable that after annealing at 200°C, the net stress did not decrease although about 50% of the shape recovery has already taken place. This allows to use this alloy as a pipe joint, where the diameter of the joint can be larger than the one of the pipes, since the free recovery will hardly lower the recovery stresses under constraint.