Generation and relaxation of reactive stresses in a Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloy upon cyclic temperature variation in the range 293–800 K

The generation and relaxation of reactive stresses in Cu-Al-Ni shape-memory alloy single crystals studied during a single cycle of temperature variation in the range 293–800 K under conditions of the β-phase decomposition (above 600 K) are found to depend on the degree of β-austenite decomposition at the stage of decreasing temperature. The higher this degree, the lower the stresses relaxed and generated upon decreasing temperature and the higher the critical temperatures of the reverse martensitic transitions. Moreover, loading the alloy by reactive stresses during a heating half-cycle causes not only a reversible martensitic shape memory deformation but also an additional austenitic shape memory deformation to occur when the temperature is decreased.