Selective Laser Melting (SLM) of Additive Manufacturing is an attractive fabrication method that employs CAD data to selectively melt the metal powder layer by layer via a laser beam and produce a 3D part. This method not only opens a new window in overcoming traditional NiTi fabrication problems but also for producing porous or complex shaped structures. The combination of SLM fabrication advantages with the unique properties of NiTi alloys, such as shape memory effect, superelasticity, high ductility, work output, corrosion, biocompatibility, etc. makes SLM NiTi alloys extremely promising for numerous applications. The SLM process parameters such as laser power, scanning speed, spacing, and strategy used during the fabrication are determinant factors in composition, microstructural features and functional properties of the SLM NiTi alloy. Therefore, a comprehensive and systematic study has been conducted over Ni50.8 Ti49.2 (at%) alloy to understand the influence of each parameter individually. It was found that a sharp [001] texture is formed as a result of SLM fabrication which leads to improvements in the superelastic response of the alloy. It was perceived that transformation temperatures, microstructure, hardness, the intensity of formed texture and the correlated thermo-mechanical response are changed substantially with alteration of each parameter. The provided knowledge will allow choosing optimized parameters for tailoring the functional features of SLM fabricated NiTi alloys. Without going through any heat treatments, 5.77% superelasticity with more than 95% recovery ratio was obtained in as-fabricated condition only with the selection of right process parameters. Additionally, thermal treatments can be utilized to form precipitates in Ni-rich SLM NiTi alloys fabricated by low energy density. Precipitation could significantly alter the matrix composition, transformation temperatures and strain, critical stress for transformation, and shape memory response of the alloy. Therefore, a systematic aging study has been performed to reveal the effects of aging time and temperature. It was found that although SLM fabricated samples show lower strength than the initial ingot, heat treatments can be employed to make significant improvements in shape memory response of SLM NiTi. Up to 5.5% superelastic response and perfect shape memory effect at stress levels up to 500 MPa was observed in solutionized Ni-rich SLM NiTi after 18h aging at 350ºC. For practical application, transformation temperatures were even adjusted without solution annealing and superelastic response of 5.5% was achieved at room temperature for 600C-1.5hr aged Ni-rich SLM NiTi. The effect of porosity on strength and cyclic response of porous SLM Ni50.1 Ti49.9 (at%) were investigated for potential bone implant applications. It is shown that mechanical properties of samples such as elastic modulus, yield strength, and ductility of samples are highly porosity level and pore structure dependent. It is shown that it is feasible to decrease Young’s modulus of the SLM NiTi up to 86% by adding porosity to reduce the mismatch with that of a bone and still retain the shape memory response of SLM fabricated NiTi. The shape memory effect, as well as superelastic response of porous SLM Ni50.8Ti49.2,were also investigated at body temperature. 32 and 45% porous samples with similar behaviors, recovered 3.5% of 4% deformation at first cycle. The stabilized superelastic response was obtained after clicking experiments.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of partial and total immersion in sodium hypochlorite on nickel-titanium rotary files and to determine whether resistance to fracture was influenced by the immersion time. One hundred K3™ and 100 ProFile® rotary files were either partially or totally immersed in 5.25% sodium hypochlorite for zero, one, five, thirty, or sixty minutes. After immersion, files were subjected to cyclic fatigue testing. Time to fracture was recorded and analyzed by a two-way ANOVA. Tukey's honest significant difference was used to identify any differences in immersion times. Within all ProFile groups and partial immersion K3 groups, there was no significant decrease in time to fracture with increased immersion time in sodium hypochlorite. Only the K3 total immersion groups revealed a significant decrease in time to fracture with increased immersion time in sodium hypochlorite.

Ce travail de thèse porte sur la conception et la réalisation d'un nouveau concept d'interface tactile compacte, portable, légère, à faible coût et à haute résolution. Cette interface, dédiée aux personnes aveugles et malvoyantes, est à la base d'une nouvelle approche d'aide à la mobilité basée sur la substitution/suppléance visuo-tactile.<br /><br />En s'appuyant sur la psychophysiologie du sens du toucher associée à une technologie d'actionnement de type Alliages à Mémoire de Forme (AMF), un dispositif mécatronique a été conçu et réalisé pour générer, via le toucher, des sensations de contact à l'extrémité des doigts. Le prototype est constitué d'une matrice de 64 micro-actionneurs en AMF de 1,5 mm de diamètre offrant des courses maximales de 1,4 mm chacun. L'espacement entre les actionneurs est de 2,6 mm. Les efforts développés par chaque actionneur sont de l'ordre de 300 mN. Enfin, la bande passante maximale sans dégradation des performances est de 1,5 Hz. Le dispositif réalisé est compact et ne pèse que 200 g. Ses faibles dimensions (un cube de 8 cm de côté) le rendent facilement portable par l'utilisateur. L'interface est en mesure d'afficher un grand nombre d'informations binaires sur sa matrice 8 x 8. Par ailleurs, ses conceptions mécanique et électronique de commande peuvent être facilement redimensionnées pour un nombre supérieur d'actionneurs tout en conservant un faible coût. <br /><br />Des études psychophysiques conduites sur des sujets voyants montrent la pertinence de l'information transmise via l'interface et démontrent l'intérêt du dispositif réalisé pour l'assistance aux personnes aveugles et malvoyantes.

La modélisation du comportement des alliages à mémoire de forme présente un intérêt majeur pour la conception de dispositifs qui tirent profit des comportements spécifiques à ce matériau. En particulier, l'association de ces alliages avec d'autres matériaux permet de créer des matériaux composites adaptatifs. Une demande croissante de ce type de matériau nécessite le développement des outils de conception adaptés, notamment au niveau du calcul de structures. Cette thèse présente un modèle de comportement des alliages à mémoire de forme, en partant de la définition de l'énergie interne du matériau jusqu'à l'implémentation numérique dans un code de calcul industriel. Des exemples de modélisation de matériaux composites à base d'alliages à mémoire de forme sont développés, à des échelles tant macroscopique et microscopique.

El objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es evaluar y adaptar los modelos constitutivos existentes para la caracterización termomecánica de las aleaciones con memoria de forma de níquel-titanio (Ni-Ti) para permitir su uso en aplicaciones tecnológicas.Los modelos constitutivos macroscópicos a analizar son los desarrollados por Tanaka [TAN,1986]a Liang-Rogers [LIA,1990]b Brinson [BRI,1993]a y Auricchio [AUR,1997]a realizándose la evaluación de dichos modelos en el ámbito numérico y experimental. Pese a que existen en la literatura comparaciones previas de los modelos constitutivos macroscópicos, dichas comparaciones no han sido basados en datos experimentales propios. Con este trabajo de investigación es la primera vez que se compararan, bajo el mismo conjunto de ensayos experimentales y en las mismas condiciones, los modelos de Tanaka, Liang-Rogers, Brinson y Auricchio.Dado que los modelos constitutivos utilizan como variables de control la tensión y la temperatura, la implementación numérica de los modelos en control por deformación y temperatura se torna excesivamente compleja. En consecuencia, otra contribución esencial es el desarrollo de los algoritmos adecuados para la implementación numérica de los modelos constitutivos en control por deformación. Para ello, se utiliza una técnica semejante a la empleada por los algoritmos de plasticidad: predicción elástica-corrección plástica. En ningún caso se encuentra en la literatura el desarrollo de los algoritmos en control por deformación para todos los modelos analizados.Para la verificación experimental se desarrollan todas las técnicas adecuadas para la obtención de los parámetros constitutivos de los modelos seleccionados. Ello requiere la realización de una serie de ensayos a tracción a diferentes temperaturas. Sin embargo, el comportamiento de este material varía significativamente en el ciclado a tracción (número de veces que se repite un proceso de tracción carga-descarga) por lo que se estudia con detalle las consecuencias de la estabilización de las aleaciones con el ciclado en la obtención de los parámetros constitutivos, y se compara con la obtención de los parámetros en probetas sin ciclar. Otra aportación original de este trabajo es el estudio exhaustivo de las condiciones de la estabilización: número de ciclos, deformación en el ciclado, condiciones de estabilización y temperatura de estabilización de tal forma que queden claras la influencia de la estabilización en la obtención de los parámetros.Para complementar la contrastación experimental de los modelos constitutivos se realizan ensayos a tensión constante y a tensión constante-deformación constante, simulando la acción de un actuador. De la comparación de los resultados experimentales con las simulaciones numéricas se detectan las deficiencias y las necesidades de mejora de los modelos constitutivos macroscópicos. Como consecuencia de este análisis se propone un modelo constitutivo propio complementario al modelo de Brinson y Auricchio, que subsana las deficiencias encontradas por los modelos estudiados y complementa la modelización de estos materiales.Para contrastar las mejoras aportadas a los modelos así como para profundizar en su comparación, se desarrolla un modelo de viga empotrada sometida a flexión adecuado a las ecuaciones constitutivas evaluadas así como el análisis experimental del comportamiento a flexión de una probeta de SMA empotrada en un extremo. Este estudio teórico y experimental a flexión con viga empotrada con carga en el extremo está basado en la teoría clásica de Euler-Bernouilli. Implementando los modelos analizados bajo este estado de carga se comparan y verifican con los resultados experimentales obtenidos. Con todo este estudio se consigue un exhaustivo estudio teórico y experimental del modelado macroscópico de las Aleaciones con Memoria de Forma NiTi. / The main objective of this thesis is to evaluate and adaptate the main macromechanical constitutive models for the thermomechanical characterization of the NiTi Shape Memory Alloy allowing their use in technological applications.The constitutive models that have been analyzed are those developed for Tanaka [TAN,1986]a Liang-Rogers [LIA,1990]b Brinson [BRI,1993]a and Auricchio [AUR,1997]a being the evaluation done in a numerical and experimental way.Despite there are in the literature some comparisons of the macromechanical models these have not been based on their own experimental data. In this thesis is the first time that the Tanaka's model, Liang-Rogers's model, Brinson's model and Auricchio's model are compared under a unique group of experimental tests and under the same conditions.Given that the constitutive models use stress and temperature as control variables, the numerical implementation of the models in a strain-Temperature driven way is extremely complex. Accordingly, another essential contribution if this thesis is the development of the properly algorithm for the numerical implementation under this control way. There has been used a numerical technique similar to those used in plasticity models: elastic predictor/inelastic-corrector. Is not possible to find in the literature the development of the numerical implementation in a strain driven way for all the models studied.The suitable techniques to obtain the constitutive parameters of the models have been developed to check the experiments. This required a number of tension tests under different temperatures. However, the mechanical behaviour of Shape Memory Alloys is strongly affected by the thermomechanical history of the material. In order to develop a realistic macroscopic constitutive model is necessary that their parameters, obtained by experimental procedures, represent appropriately the cyclic behaviour of the alloy. The necessity of a stabilization of a Nitinol SMA wire is analyzed as a previous condition before obtaining these parameters. Several samples are cycled in tension at different temperatures in the range of the shape memory effect, and the number of cycles needed to the stabilization is deduced. The parameters obtained in this way are compared with those obtained under the non-cycled conditions. This is another important contribution of this thesis: the analysis of the conditions for the material stabilization.In order to obtain a completely experimental validation of the models, there have been developed tests under constant stress and constant stress-constant strain in a similar way of an actuator work. Being detected the main differences between experimental tests and numerical results, a new constitutive model has been proposed. This model is based on the Brinson and Auricchio model and improves the material characterization.To improve the models validation a beam model (cantilever model) has been developed and checked under experimental procedures. This beam model is based on the classical Euler-Bernouilli theory and needs the analyzed constitutive relations. With all this study, a completely theoretical and experimental analysis has been done in order to predict the response of the SMA NiTi to different kind of loading.

In an effort to mitigate damage caused by earthquakes to the built environment, civil engineers have been commissioned to research, design, and build increasingly robust and resilient structural systems. Innovative means to accomplish this task have emerged, such as integrating Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) into structural systems. SMAs are a unique class of materials that have the ability to spontaneously recover strain of up to 8%. With proper placement in a structural system, SMAs can act as superelastic "structural fuses", absorbing large deformations, dissipating energy, and recentering the structure after a loading event. Though few applications have made it into practice, the potential for widespread use has never been better due to improvements in material behavior and reductions in cost. In this research, three different SMA-based structural applications are developed and tested. The first is a tension/compression damper that utilizes nickel-titanium (NiTi) Belleville washers. The second is a partially restrained beam-column connection utilizing NiTi bars. The third is an articulated quadrilateral bracing system utilizing NiTi wire bundles in parallel with c-shape dampers. Each system was uniquely designed to allow a structure to undergo large drift demands and dissipate energy while retaining strength and recentering ability. This exploratory work highlights the potential for SMA-based structural applications to enhance seismic structural performance and community resilience.

No description available.

NiTi is the most commonly used shape memory alloy (SMA) and has been widely used for bio-medical, electrical and mechanical applications. Nickel rich NiTi shape memory alloys are coming into prominence due to their distinct superelasticity and shape memory properties as compared to near equi-atomic NiTi shape memory alloys. Besides, their lower density and higher work output than steels makes these alloys an excellent candidate for aerospace and automotive industry. Shape memory properties and phase transformation behavior of high Ni-rich Ni54Ti46 (at.%) polycrystals and Ni-rich Ni51Ti49 (at.%) single-crystals are determined. Their properties are sensitive to heat treatments that affect the phase transformation behavior of these alloys. Phase transformation properties and microstructure were investigated in aged Ni54Ti46 alloys with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to reveal the precipitation characteristics and R-phase formation. It was found that Ni54Ti46 has the ability to exhibit perfect superelasticity under high stress levels (~2 GPa) with 4% total strain after 550°C-3h aging. Stress independent R-phase transformation was found to be responsible for the change in shape memory behavior with stress. The shape memory responses of [001], [011] and [111] oriented Ni51Ti49 single-crystals alloy were reported under compression to reveal the orientation dependence of their shape memory behavior. It has been found that transformation strain, temperatures and hysteresis, Classius-Clapeyron slopes, critical stress for plastic deformation are highly orientation dependent. The effects of precipitation formation and compressive loading at selected temperatures on the two-way shape memory effect (TWSME) properties of a [111]-oriented Ni51Ti49 shape memory alloy were revealed. Additionally, aligned Ni4Ti3 precipitates were formed in a single crystal of Ni51Ti49 alloy by aging under applied compression stress along the [111] direction. Formation of a single family of Ni4Ti3 precipitates were exhibited significant TWSME without any training or deformation. When the homogenized and aged specimens were loaded in martensite, positive TWSME was observed. After loading at high temperature in austenite, the homogenized specimen did not show TWSME while the aged specimen revealed negative TWSME.

Les alliages à mémoire de forme Nickel Titane sont des matériaux aux propriétés remarquablesdues à une transformation martensitique réversible et sont largement utiliséspar l'industrie biomédicale et dans des dispositifs de type actionneurs. La première partiede cette étude porte sur une analyse de leur comportement thermomécanique basée surla réalisation de mesures de champs cinématiques (par corrélation d'images visibles) etthermiques (par caméra infrarouge). Une part importante du travail présenté concernel'amélioration des calculs de sources de chaleur à partir des champs de température. Pource faire, les capacités et conductivités thermiques des phases austénitique et martensitiqueont été estimées par différentes méthodes expérimentales. Ensuite, la méthode de calcul desource a été validée sur des données virtuelles obtenues numériquement et sur des donnéesexpérimentales obtenues lors d'une transformation martensitique induite par un refroidissementnaturel. Cette première partie se conclut par l'application des développements àdes mesures réalisées lors d'un essai de cisaillement. La seconde partie est une contributionà la réalisation de matériaux architecturés constitués d'empilement de tubes de NiTi liésentre eux ; notre étude concerne la réalisation et la caractérisation de liaisons de tubes deNiTi par soudage résistif.

The objective of this work is to understand the structure-property relationships in a pseudoelastic composition of polycrystalline NiTiPt (Ti-42.7 at% Ni-7.5 at% Pt). Structural characterization of the alloy includes grain size determination and texture analysis while the thermo-mechanical properties are explored using tensile testing. Variation in heat treatment is used as a vehicle to modify microstructure. The results are compared to experiments on Ni-rich NiTi alloy wires (Ti-51.0 at% Ni), which are in commercial use in various biomedical applications. With regards to microstructure, both alloys exhibit a <111> fiber texture along the wire drawing axis, however the NiTiPt alloy's grain size is smaller than that of the Ni-rich NiTi wires, while the latter materials contain second phase precipitates. Given the nanometer scale grain size in NiTiPt and the dispersed, nanometer scale precipitate size in NiTi, the overall strength and ductility of the alloys are essentially identical when given appropriate heat treatments. Property differences include a much smaller stress hysteresis and smaller temperature dependence of the transformation stress for NiTiPt alloys compared to NiTi alloys. Potential benefits and implications for use in vascular stent applications are discussed.