Challenges During Microstructural Analysis and Mechanical Testing of Small-Scale Pseudoelastic NiTi Structures

Abstract

Most investigations on NiTi-based shape memory alloys involve large-scale bulk material; knowledge about the martensitic transformation in small-scale NiTi structures is still limited. In this paper, we study the microstructures of thin NiTi layers and their mechanical properties, and we discuss typical challenges that arise when experiments are performed on small samples. A physical vapor deposition (PVD) process was used to deposit thin NiTi wires with a cross section of 15 × 15 μm2 and dogbone-shaped samples 5 × 500 μm2. Microstructural properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron backscatter diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, tensile tests were performed using optical strain measurements in order to observe martensite band formation during cyclic loading. The surfaces of the crystalline wires reflect the columnar growth of NiTi during deposition. The wires exhibit pseudoelastic material behavior during tensile testing. Fracture typically occurs along the columns because the column growth direction is perpendicular to the straining direction. Electropolishing removes these local stress raisers and hence increases fracture strains. Our results demonstrate that the pseudoelastic properties of the PVD-processed materials agree well with those of conventional NiTi, and that they provide new opportunities to study the fundamentals of martensitic transformation in small-scale model systems.