Learning from superelasticity data to search for Ti-Ni alloys with large elastocaloric effect

In the present study, the reversible adiabatic temperature change (ΔTad) of shape memory alloys was shown to be proportional to the mechanical work released by the reverse martensitic transformation during unloading (ΔWu). As there exists a considerable amount of data (ΔWu) on superelastic stress-strain measurements in shape memory alloys, the proposed relationship allows us to predict ΔTad without caloric measurements. The estimated ΔTad from the ΔWu of different Ti-Ni alloys shows good linear relationship with the directly measured values. Moreover, following such a design criterion and by tuning of composition and thermo-mechanical treatment, a group of Ti-Ni binary shape memory alloys with directly measured ΔTad larger than 35 K under tension were achieved. The large ΔTad and ΔWu can be ascribed to the grain refinement and the heterogeneous internal stress fields after the thermo-mechanical treatment, which have enhanced the critical stress of superelasticity and recoverability of martensitic transformation during unloading.