Exploration of TiNi shape memory alloy for potential application in a new area: tribological engineering

TiNi alloy is a well known shape memory alloy and has been widely used for bio-medical, mechanical and electrical applications. Recent research has demonstrated that TiNi alloy exhibits high resistance to wear and can be a superior tribe-material. Performance of this ahoy benefits from its pseudoelasticity, resulting from a reversible martensitic transformation. Extensive research has been conducted at the University of Alberta to investigate wear behavior of TiNi alloy during various wear processes, including erosion, corrosive erosion, sliding wear and microscopic wear. The mechanism responsible for high wear resistance of TiNi alloy has been clarified to some degree and new phenomena are being continuously discovered. In particular, efforts have been made to develop tribe-composites using TiNi alloy as the matrix, reinforced by hard ceramic particles, including nano-structured particles. The composites obtained possess considerably enhanced wear resistance. This paper briefly reports progress in our studies on the development of this novel tribe-material.