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NiTi based shape memory alloys are one of the most intensely studied alloys from its class. Therefore, diverse commercial applications have been developed due to certain properties such as: shape memory effect, superelasticity and corrosion resistance. Currently, the main applications of NiTi alloys are automotive manufacturing and aerospace actuators, biomedical devices or pipe couplings. In recent years, NiTi shape memory alloys have been alloyed with a third element in order to improve the above-mentioned properties. In order to investigate the influence of the alloying elements on the thermal behavior of NiTi alloys, the addition of the third alloying element (Ta and Nb) is under investigation in the present study. The thermal behavior of the three alloys (NiTi, NiTiNb and NiTiTa) was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. Following the experiments, it was observed that the addition of the third alloying element influences the critical transformation temperatures.

Fe-14Mn-6Si-9Cr-5Ni (mass %) shape memory alloy (SMA) specimens were obtained by powder metallurgy in as-blended state (0_MA) and with particle volume fractions of 10 and 20 % MA’d powders, respectively. After hot rolling and solution treatment, between 973 and 1373 K, the specimens were pre-strained up to 4 %, on a tensile testing machine. The influences of: (i) MA’d fractions, (ii) solution treatment temperature and (iii) pre-straining degree were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical (OM) and scanning electron (SEM) microscopy. In this purpose, the gauges of pre-strained specimens were cut and metallographically prepared. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was employed to emphasize the reverse transformation, during heating, of thermally induced martensite, obtained after solution treatment. The results proved that, as an effect of PM-MA processing, mechanical properties were improved, the amount of stress induced martensite increased and the reverse martensitic transformation was enhanced.

By ingot metallurgy (IM, melting, alloying and casting), powder metallurgy (PM, using as-blended elemental powders) and mechanical alloying (MA of 50 % of particle volume), three types of FeMnSiCrNi shape memory alloy (SMA) specimens were fabricated, respectively. After specimen thickness reduction by hot rolling, solution treatments were applied, at 973 and 1273 K, to thermally induce martensite. The resulting specimens were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in order to reveal the presence of ε (hexagonal close-packed, hcp) and α’ (body centred cubic, bcc) thermally induced martensites. The reversion of thermally induced martensites, to γ (face centred cubic, fcc) austenite, during heating, was confirmed by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), which emphasized marked increases of storage modulus and obvious internal friction maxima on DMA thermograms. The results proved that the increase of porosity degree, after PM processing, increased internal friction, while MA enhanced crystallinity degree.