Tensile and superelastic fatigue characterization of NiTi shape memory cables

Abstract

This paper discusses the tensile response and functional fatigue characteristics of a NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) cable with an outer diameter of 5.5 mm. The cable composed of multiple strands arranged as one inner core and two outer layers. The results of the tensile tests revealed that the SMA cable exhibits good superelastic behavior up to 10% strain. Fatigue characteristics were investigated under strain amplitudes ranging from 3% to 7% and a minimum of 2500 loading cycles. The evolutions of maximum tensile stress, residual strains, energy dissipation, and equivalent viscous damping under a number of loading cycles were analyzed. The fracture surface of a specimen subjected to 5000 loading cycles and 7% strain was discussed. Functional fatigue test results indicated a very high superelastic fatigue life cycle for the tested NiTi SMA cable.