Production and Characterization of Ternary Heusler Shape Memory Alloy with A New Composition

Abstract

In this presented study, a ternary Cu-Al-Mn shape memory alloy was produced by arc melting with the new composition of Cu-23.08Al-0.5Mn (at%). The structural and thermal properties of the alloy were investigated after homogenization. The characteristic martensitic transformation temperatures of the alloy were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement and the thermodynamic parameters were calculated. The differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurement was also made to see the phase transitions at high temperatures above martensitic temperature region of the alloy. Both at room temperature; the optical metallography shootings on the morphological surface of the alloy and the X-ray measurement for detecting the alloy’s structural diffraction planes were made and their results showed the martensite formations of dominat M18R with very minor 2H in the alloy. All of adduced evidence manifested that this newly composed Cu-Al-Mn alloy possesses shape memory property by its martensitic phase transformation at over 100 °C, as being an HTSMA (high temperature SMA). Thereby, this new nominally composed CuAlMn alloy may be useful for the thermomechanical applications operating at this high temperature range.