Effect of Current Pulses on Fatigue of Thin NiTi Wires for Shape Memory Actuators

Shape memory alloys (SMA) are used in many technological applications, thanks to their unique properties: superelasticity and shape memory (SM) effect. Many efforts have been made to improve performance of SMA wires to utilize them as thermal actuators also for many thousands of cycles. Near-equiatomic nickel-titanium compound is the most used materials for SM actuators because of its high recoverable values of strain and good cycling stability, if compared to the other known SMA. In this study, the functional properties of NiTi thin wires (80 μm) thermally cycled under a constant load (200 MPa) were investigated. In particular, the effect of two heating conditions, carried out by a step and a ramp current pulses, on functional fatigue of SMA has been studied. By means of an experimental apparatus, thermomechanical cycling, thermal loop under constant load and actuation time (AT) tests were carried out to investigate the alteration and the trend of recovered strain, irreversible strain, characteristic temperatures, and ATs of the thin SM wires.