A finding of four-way shape memory effect in Ni51Ti49 alloy by constraint-aging within a transitional zone

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2025.04.021

J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2026, Vol. 244: 122-128.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2025.04.021

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A finding of four-way shape memory effect in Ni₅₁Ti₄₉ alloy by constraint-aging within a transitional zone

Yuanyuan Li^a,c, Jiarui Deng^a, Shanshan Cao^b,*, Tingping Hou^a, Feizhou Wang^c, Xiao Ma^b, Changbo Ke^b, Caiyou Zeng^d, Xin-Ping Zhang^b,*

^aThe State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, China;
^bSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China;
^cAnalytical and Testing Center, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, China;
^dSchool of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China

Received:2024-12-09 Revised:2025-04-02 Accepted:2025-04-06 Published:2026-02-10 Online:2025-05-26
Contact: *E-mail addresses: msscao@scut.edu.cn (S. Cao), mexzhang@scut.edu.cn (X.-P. Zhang)

Abstract

Abstract: This study reports a four-way shape memory effect (FWSME) in Ni₅₁Ti₄₉ alloy achieved through a single-step constraint-aging process. Detailed analyses reveal that increasing aging temperature and time transform the reverse two-way shape memory effect (TWSME) into conventional TWSME with FWSME as an intermediate stage. This transition is accompanied by a variant group reduction of Ni₄Ti₃ precipitate particles from four to two and finally to one. Aging within a transitional zone allows two groups of Ni₄Ti₃ variants coexisted to induce nanoscale heterogeneity in the strain field, driving sequential R-phase transformations around each variant group and consequently triggering deformation direction reversal. These findings provide an effective method for developing multi-actuation NiTi alloys and deepen the understanding of the Ni₄Ti₃ precipitation mechanism.

Key words: NiTi alloy, Four-way shape memory effect, Ni₄Ti₃ variant, Constraint-aging, Transitional zone

Yuanyuan Li, Jiarui Deng, Shanshan Cao, Tingping Hou, Feizhou Wang, Xiao Ma, Changbo Ke, Caiyou Zeng, Xin-Ping Zhang. A finding of four-way shape memory effect in Ni₅₁Ti₄₉ alloy by constraint-aging within a transitional zone[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2026, 244: 122-128.

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A finding of four-way shape memory effect in Ni₅₁Ti₄₉ alloy by constraint-aging within a transitional zone

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