Abstract:As a new attempt, local canning compression was applied in order to implement large plastic deformation of nickel-titanium shape memory alloy (NiTi SMA) at room temperature. The plastic mechanics of local canning compression of NiTi SMA was analyzed according to the slab method as the well as plastic yield criterion. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study the microstructural evolution as well as deformation behavior of NiTi samples under local canning compression. Increasing the hydrostatic pressure with the increase in the outer diameters of the steel cans is responsible for suppressing the initiation and growth of the micro-cracks, which contributes to enhancing the plasticity of NiTi SMA and avoiding the occurrence of brittle fracture. Plastic deformation of NiTi SMA under a three-dimensional compressive stress state meets von-Mises yield criterion at the true strains ranging from about 0.15 to 0.50, while in the case of larger plastic strain, von-Mises yield criterion is unable to be met since the amorphous phase arises in the deformed NiTi sample.

Key words: NiTi alloy; shape memory alloy; yield criterion; plastic deformation; plastic mechanics