Evaluation of the Thermomechanical Properties of NiTi Shape Memory Alloy Wires Welded by MICRO TIG Pulses

Micro welding can be an efficient way for joining shape memory alloys (SMA) due to high accuracy and location of heat, reducing the size of the molten zone and heat affected zone (HAZ) promoting improvements in mechanical properties in these types of joints. This study aimed to determinate variations in thermomechanical properties of welded joints of NiTi SMA wires. For this, NiTi wires (ASTM F2063) with 0.9 mm diameter were divided into two groups: (a) as received wires (NiTiA) and (b) heat treated wires at 400 degrees C for 20 min (NiTi400). These wires were welded by TIG process, using controlled pulses (spots). The thermomechanical characterization of micro welded wires was performed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), uniaxial tensile tests, optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Vickers microhardness. The results show the efficiency of TIG welding NiTi wires of both groups, even with the reduction of the phase transformation temperatures of the joint with respect to the original base metal. The wires with welded joints showed showed maximum superelastic strain levels of about 8% with martensite induction stresses between 400 and 500 MPa. This performance of welded joints allow the realization of superelastic cycles up to 4% deformation safely. The analysis of welded wire fracture surfaces allowed verifying ductile characteristics at the rupture process.