Effect of annealing temperature on shape memory effect of cold-rolled Ti-16Â at.%Nb alloy

Ti-16 at.%Nb alloy is a promising candidate as shape memory alloy (SMA) for high temperature applications. In the present study, the shape memory effect (SME) of the alloy is improved significantly via cold-rolling and post-deformation annealing at 650, 700 and 750 °C for 10 min. When further increasing the annealing temperature, the SME of alloy declines. In the specimens annealed at 650, 700 and 750 °C for 10 min, the 4% pre-stain can recovery almost completely upon heating. Martensite reorientation in these specimens takes place at a lower stress level compared with the solution treated alloy. The greater difference between martensite reorientation and dislocation slip in the annealed samples is responsible for the improved SME.