Tensile Failure of 55-Nitinol Wire

An interest in NiTi alloys with near stoichiometric composition (55 NiTi) has intensified since they were found to exhibit a unique mechanical shape memory effect at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory some twelve years ago (thus refered to as NITINOL alloys). Since then, the microstructural mechanisms associated with the shape memory effect have been investigated and several interesting engineering applications have appeared. The shape memory effect implies that the alloy deformed from an initial shape will spontaneously return to that initial state upon heating. This behavior is reported to be related to a diffusionless shear transformation which takes place between similar but slightly different CsCl type structures.