Microstructure, Phase Stability, Mechanical Properties, and Shape Memory Characteristics of Ni-Fe-AI-B Alloys

AbstractConventionally cast and hot-rolled Ni-Fe-AI-B alloys containing 4-20 at.% Fe, 23.9- 31.5 at.% Al, and 300 wppm B were investigated in this study. After oil quenching from 1300°C, all the alloys—except SMA-15 (27A1-14Fe)—have at least a two-phase microstructure, one phase of which is martensite with the characteristic plate morphology, and the other a globular second phase distributed throughout the microstructure. The amount of second phase generally increases with increasing Fe content. Alloys containing less than 14% Fe were found to be quite brittle at room temperature, indicating that a ductile second phase is at least partly responsible for the improved room-temperature ductility in the high-Fe alloys. The best tensile ductility (12%) was obtained in SMA-17 (23.9AI-20Fe) which was shown by X-ray diffraction to consist of 40% (mostly disordered) fcc [(Ni,Fe)3 (AI,Fe)] + 30% (partly ordered) bct martensite + 30% B2. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the transformation temperatures for this alloy were MP = 65°C and AP = 95°C. Room-temperature tensile strains of 2-3% could be almost completely recovered in SMA-17 by heating for 3 min. at 600°C with the load removed. Upon subsequent cycling (i.e., strain-anneal cycling), the amount of strain recovery increased dramatically from 70% in the first cycle to nearly 100% after 4-5 cycles, indicating that cold work may help in improving the shape memory characteristics of this alloy. SMA-15 was found to have significantly higher transformation temperatures (Mp = 143°C and Ap = 170°C) than SMA-17; however, it is relatively brittle compared to SMA-17.