Modelling Residual Strains During Cycling of Ti–Ni and Ti–Ni–Cu Shape Memory Alloys in a Pseudoelastic Range of Behaviour Conditions

  Pseudoelastic behaviour of three types of Ti–Ni shape memory alloys in a pseudoelastic state has been studied under conditions of maximum strain‐ and maximum stress‐controlled cycling. Experimental results proved that residual deformation after unloading increases with the number of cycles; however, critical stress for the induction of martensite and the energy dissipated in one cycle decline during cycling. A higher critical stress for slip, and more intense cyclic dislocation hardening promoted by greater maximum deformation and greater maximum applied stresses, generally reduce the rate at which residual elongation grows with the number of cycles, and tend to stabilise the cyclic stress‐elongation diagrams. The small magnitude of critical stress for slip in low‐nickel alloys, and also cyclic strain hardening, induce greater internal stresses and a more marked decrease in critical stress for the induction of martensite as cycling progresses. Detailed analysis of plastic deformation propagation in cyclically loaded specimen helped develop a model of dependence of residual elongation on the number of cycles. This model enables identification of three main factors that govern the magnitude of residual elongation: one residual plastic elongation caused by dislocation hardening after the alloy is heat treated, and two cyclic strain hardening parameters describing how residual elongation grows with number of cycles, and how this residual elongation is reduced, as cycles increase, by the rising critical stress level for slip. The model has proved to yield very close agreement with experimental findings.