Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 186-197). Also available via the Internet.

This research focuses on the characterization of the structure and mechanical behavior of metal nanowires. Molecular dynamics simulations with embedded-atom method (EAM) potentials are used. A novel shape memory effect and pseudoelastic behavior of single-crystalline FCC metal (Cu, Ni, and Au) nanowires are discovered. Specifically, upon tensile loading and unloading, these wires can recover elongations of up to 50%, well beyond the recoverable strains of 5-8% typical for most bulk shape memory alloys. This novel behavior arises from a reversible lattice reorientation driven by the high surface-stress-induced internal stresses at the nanoscale. It exists over a wide range of temperature and is associated with response times on the order of nanoseconds, making the nanowires attractive functional components for a new generation of biosensors, transducers, and interconnects in nano-electromechanical systems. It is found that this novel shape memory behavior only exists at the nanometer scale but not in bulk metals. The reason is that only at the nanoscale is the surface-stress-induced driving force large enough to initiate the transformation. The lattice reorientation process is also temperature-dependent because thermal energy facilitates the overcoming of the energy barrier for the transformation. Therefore, nanowires show either pseudoelasticity or shape memory effect depending on whether the transformation is induced by unloading or heating. It is also found that not all FCC nanowires show shape memory behavior. Only FCC metals with higher tendency for twinning (such as Cu, Au, Ni) show the shape memory because twinning leads to the reversible lattice reorientation. On the other hand, FCC metals with low likelihood of twinning (such as Al) do not show shape memory because these wires deforms via crystal slip, which leads to irreversible deformation. A micromechanical continuum model is developed to characterize the shape memory behavior observed. This model treats the lattice reorientation process as a smooth transition between a series of phase-equilibrium states superimposed with a dissipative twin boundary propagation process. This model captures the major characteristics of the unique behavior due to lattice reorientation and accounts for the size and temperature effects, yielding results in excellent agreement with the results of molecular dynamics simulations.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the Internet.

Le titane, comme ses alliages, présente des caractéristiques remarquables qui peuvent être modulées du fait des nombreuses microstructures qu’il est possible d’obtenir. Grâce à cette grande variété, le titane et ses alliages possèdent un grand nombre de propriétés. Parmi les plus intéressantes, on peut citer leur résistance à la corrosion, leur biocompatibilité, mais aussi leurs excellentes propriétés mécaniques (résistance, ductilité, ténacité, fluage…). Pour toutes ces raisons, l’attrait pour les alliages de titane n’a cessé de croître dans de nombreux secteurs. En effet ils sont maintenant largement utilisés dans les industries aéronautique et chimique, mais aussi l’architecture, le naval, l’industrie automobile, le sport ou encore la médecine. La nanoindentation est utilisée couramment de nos jours pour déterminer les propriétés mécaniques locales des matériaux. Elle permet notamment de caractériser des alliages métalliques possédant une microstructure polycrystalline. La taille de l’indenteur en nanoindentation étant faible (de quelques micromètres à quelques dizaines de micromètres), cette technique est idéale pour caractériser les propriétés mécaniques de surface des différents grains d’un matériau. Elle permet notamment de mesurer simultanément la dureté et le module d’élasticité. Si les essais de nanoindentation sont associés à un banc motorisé X-Y, une matrice étendue d’indents peut être réalisée avec un pas de quelques micromètres. Grâce à cette technique et dans le cadre de ce travail de thèse, nous avons réalisé dans un premier temps des cartographies de dureté et de module d’élasticité (HIPF et EIPF). Dans un second temps, nous avons évalué des propriétés non-conventionnelles d’alliages de titane, telles que l’effet mémoire de forme et la superélasticité. Dans la première partie de l’étude, la nanoindentation a été corrélée à l’EBSD (diffraction des électrons rétro-diffusés) afin d’identifier la relation entre l’orientation cristallographique d’un grain et ses propriétés mécaniques. L’étude a été menée sur les alliages de composition Ti-30Nb et Ti-27Nb (%at) de structure cubique centrée (phase ), et sur le titane de pureté commerciale T40, de structure hexagonale compacte (phase ). Dans la seconde partie de l’étude, la nanoindentation a été utilisée pour mesurer l’effet mémoire de forme (SM) et la superélasticité (SE) de différents alliages de titane à travers une large gamme de profondeur d’indentation. La mesure de ces propriétés non-conventionnelles a été réalisée à partir de l’étude des courbes charge-déplacement obtenues pour chaque essai d’indentation. L’amplitude de l’effet SE et SM a été caractérisée par des ratios de hauteur et de travail déterminés par l’étude des courbes de nanoindentation ainsi que des profils AFM réalisés au microscope à force atomique. / Titanium and titanium alloys presents remarkable characteristics which can be modulated due to the many different microstructures that is possible to obtain. Thanks to this huge variety, titanium and its alloys can exhibit many properties. Among the most interesting, there may be mentioned their corrosion resistance, biocompatibility, but also their excellent mechanical properties (strength, ductility, toughness, creep…). For all these reasons, interest for of titanium alloys has been growing in many areas. Indeed they are now widely used in the aerospace and chemical industries, but also in architecture, naval, automotive, sports or medicine. Nanoindentation is commonly used nowadays to determine local mechanical properties of materials. For example, this technique allows the characterization of metallic alloys having a polycrystalline microstructure. The size of the indenter in nanoindentation being small (few microns to few tens microns), and consequently this technique is ideal for characterizing the surface mechanical properties of different grains of a material. It allows simultaneous measurement of the hardness and the elastic modulus. If nanoindentation tests are associated with a XY motorized test bed, a wide array of indents can be achieved with a step of few micrometers. Thanks to this technique and as part of this thesis, we have realized at first hardness and elastic modulus mapping (HIPF and EIPF). In a second time, we have evaluated unconventional properties of titanium alloys, such as shape memory effect and superelasticity. In the first part of the study, nanoindentation was correlated with EBSD (Electron backscattered diffraction) to identify the relationship between the crystallographic orientation of a grain and its mechanical properties. The study was conducted on the Ti-30Nb and Ti-27Nb (at.%) alloy compositions having a bodycentered cubic structure ( phase), and the commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) having a hexagonal close packed structure ( phase). In the second part of the study, nanoindentation was used to measure the shape memory effect (SM) and the superelasticity (SE) of various titanium alloys through a range of indentation depth. The measurement of these unconventional properties was performed from the study of load-displacement curves for each indentation test. The magnitude of the SE and SM effect was characterized by depth and work ratios determined from the study of nanoindentation curves and AFM profiles.

This dissertation presents a one-dimensional thermomechanical constitutive model for shape memory alloys based on basic concepts of thermodynamics and phase transformation kinetics. Compared with other developed constitutive relations, this thermomechanical constitutive relation not only reflects the physical essence of shape memory alloys, i.e., the martensitic phase transformation involved, but also provides an easy-to-use design tool for engineers. It can predict and describe the behavior of SMA quantitatively. A multi-dimensional constitutive relation for shape memory alloys is further developed based on the one-dimensional model. It can be used to study the mechanical behavior including shape memory effect of complex SMA structures that have never been analytically studied, and provide quantitative analysis for many diverse applications of shape memory alloys. A general design method for shape memory alloy actuators has also been developed based on the developed constitutive relation and transient thermal considerations. The design methodology provides a quantitative approach to determine the design parameters of shape memory alloy force actuators, including both bias spring SMA force actuators and differential SMA force actuators. / Ph. D.

Shape memory alloys (SMA) have the unique ability to recover large strains and generate large recovery stresses via a repeatable martensitic transformation. Stress-strain and shape memory effect characteristics are needed in order to develop SMA force actuator design methods. Moreover, constitutive models able to quantitatively predict these characteristics and thus be useful as engineering design tools are also needed. An experimental apparatus designed to characterize the mechanical behavior of SMA was built and utilized. The apparatus is used specifically to gather stress-strain and shape memory effect characteristics from nitinol wire whereby mechanical properties associated with the material are determined. Phenomena such as the R-phase and stress induced martensite serration are investigated. A one-dimensional constitutive model is presented that quantitatively predicts stress-strain and shape memory effect behavior and was developed with the intention of being an engineering design tool for SMA force actuators. Experimental stress-strain and shape memory effect results are compared against that predicted by the model with the intention of verifying the model. The model displays the ability to predict stress-strain behavior that is in good quantitative agreement with experiment. The model also displays the ability to predict hysteric shape memory effect behavior for free, controlled, and restrained recovery cases of selected prestrains that is in good quantitative agreement with experiment. The model is unable to predict shape memory effect behavior such as the R-phase. Demonstrating the ability to experimentally investigate a constitutive model will hopefully inspire further combined experimental and theoretical SMA research. / Master of Science

Burrs severely inhibit the performance and aesthetics in machined parts besides posing a safety risk to the user and manufacturer. Abrasive assisted brushing presents a fast and effective method for deburring these parts but is difficult to control. The dependence of deburring rate on the workpiece material, abrasive grit size, type and rotational speed of the brush is studied. It is found that deburring rate is proportional to initial burr height indicating fracture of the burr at the root. Deburring rate increases with spindle speed and is higher for diamond than SiC. The formation of burrs in micromilling of a thin nickel-titanium alloy (nitinol or NiTi) foil used in implantable biomedical device applications is analyzed as a function of micromilling process parameters such as spindle speed, feed, tool wear, backing material and adhesive used to attach the foil to the backing material. All factors except spindle speed are found to affect burr size. If initial penetration is sufficient to cause the foil to fail in tension, the foil tears with the crack starting closer to the upmilling side and thereby resulting in larger downmilling burrs. If penetration is insufficient, the foil plastically deforms until it tears typically in the middle of the cutter tooth path. A kinematic model that captures this behavior is used to predict burr widths and is verified through experiments. The thesis also presents an investigation of the abrasive impregnated brush deburring process for thin NiTi foils. Models based on Hertzian indentation and fracture mechanics are proposed to predict the rates of indentation and deburring during brushing and are validated using experiments. The predictions of the models are within the experimental variation. Burrs can be removed with this process within 12 minutes for a 6 mm long groove with no more than a micron change in foil thickness. Knowledge of burr formation and deburring is applied to a novel micromilled thin shape memory based NiTi foil device used for the surgical correction of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the western world in those over age 50. Burrs on the surface of the structure are used successfully to mechanically constrain and translocate an autograft to replace the diseased RPE-Bruch's membrane under the macula. The shape memory device is analyzed using experiments and simulations.

Ni50.6Ti49.4 single and Ni52Ti48 polycrystalline shape memory alloy samples were subjected to aging under a uniaxial stress, to form a single Ni4Ti3 precipitate variant and to investigate the effects of single versus multi-variant coherent precipitates on the shape memory characteristics including two-way shape memory effect (TWSME). Shape memory and superelasticity properties along with the effects of stress and temperature on the transformation temperatures, strain, hysteresis, dimensional stability, and R-phase formation were investigated. This was accomplished through the use of isobaric thermal cycling and superelasticity experiments and various microscopy techniques that included transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy, and optical microcopy. The results showed that it is feasible to use constrained aging to bias R-phase martensite variants upon cooling from austenite without any external stress, however, accomplishing this with B19’martensite was much harder as complete TWSME was only found in the Ni50.6Ti49.4 single crystalline sample oriented along the [112] direction. The onset of irrecoverable strain corresponded to the R-phase temperature hysteresis increase in the single crystalline samples regardless of the aging conditions. Through TEM analysis it was discovered that [112] and [114] twins were found in austenite due to plastic deformation of martensite during the superelasticity experiments. Since [112] twins are theoretically impossible to form in austenite, and since martensite was plastically deformed, [112] austenite twins were attributed to the transformation of compound twins in martensite, in particular [113] martensite twins formed during the plastic deformation of martensite, into austenite twins. In the Ni52Ti48 polycrystalline samples, a compressive R-phase variant was biased through constrained aging under 100 and 200 MPa uniaxial tensile stresses at 400°C and 450°C. Aging, in all conditions, produced a high density of Ni4Ti3 precipitates that was most likely responsible for the small transformation strain observed, less that 2%, upon transformation to martensite. In the future, samples with compositions between 50.8 and 51.5 Ni atomic percent, in addition to altered solution and aging heat treatments as compared to those used in this study should be investigated as it is believed that samples with these compositions will yield better and consistent TWSME responses through constrained aging.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2009. / "Submitted to Department of Mathematics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy." Includes bibliographical references (leaves [214]-224)