Recovery stress generation in shape memory Ti50Ni45Cu5 thin wires

The recovery stresses evolving in constrained Ti50Ni45Cu5 (at.%) shape memory wires were investigated in thermomechanical experiments performed in combination with electric resistance measurements. The hysteretic stress–temperature responses of the wires in constrained thermal cycles were analyzed by comparing the experimental results with simulated responses using a phenomenological algorithm developed for prediction of uniaxial thermomechanical SMA behaviors. The effects of individual SMA material parameters, constraint parameters, test boundary conditions and thermomechanical history on the evolution of recovery stresses in SMA wires are predicted.