Multi-axial constitutive equations of polycrystalline shape memory alloy - (Experimental background)

The inelastic behavior of shape memory alloy under multi-axial loading conditions was investigated by applying combined loads of axial force and torque to the thin-walled tube specimen made of Cu-based shape memory alloy. In this paper, unique behaviors revealed by the experiments which are not observed in the uniaxial experiments, are shown and discussed. These include the path dependency created by the change in microstructure (especially when variants operate simultaneously). The results obtained here manifest the significance of constitutive equations formulated on the basis of the semi-microscopic approach in the 1st paper.