Electrical resistivity study on transformation of NiTi alloys

The transformation behavior of near equiatomic NiTi alloys were precisely measured by a four-probe potentiometric method in order to investigate the effects of the repetition of the transformation with thermal cycling. Complete and incomplete thermal cycles induce an anomalous increase in electrical resistivity which is attributed to formation of the R-phase. The incomplete thermal cycle is effective in the formation of the R-phase in comparison with the complete thermal cycle. The behavior of the transformation to the R-phase with thermal cycles depends on the composition and it is more difficult to induce and stabilize the R-phase by thermal cycling in NiTi with higher M-s, The characteristics on the effects of the thermal cycles are the shift of the M-s, to the low-temperature side and the stabilization of the R-phase, which are taken to be attributable to the accumulation of transformation-induced defects. The precise measurement of the electrical resistivity proved helpful in order to detect the trace of the R-phase and characterize the effects of the thermal cycles.