RECENT ADVANCES IN THE MARTENSITIC TRANSFORMATIONS OF TI-NI ALLOYS

Ti-Ni alloys are the most widely used among many other shape memory alloys. Despite of this fact, the characteristics of the thermoelastic martensite transformation and the related shape memory mechanism have not been well understood, mainly by the lack of single crystal data. Recent results are reviewed on crystallographic aspects of the martensite and R-phase transformation shape memory mechanism, control of transformation temperatures and deformation behaviour. New achievements concerning the influence of third elements on the transformation behavior, development of high temperature shape memory alloys and the influence of texture on the shape memory behavior are being discussed.