Direct and indirect assessment of the elastocaloric properties of cast NiMnTi alloys

The study of the elastocaloric effect of NiMnTi alloys is a key topic for developing materials for sustainable and efficient solid-state cooling and heating applications. In the current work, the mechanical behavior of two arc melted and heat treated NiMnTi alloys with 15 and 18 at% of Ti has been investigated. The effects of heat treatments and operating conditions on the mechanical and caloric properties of the alloys have been assessed through calorimetric analysis, isothermal stress-strain compressive measurements, and adiabatic tests. To evaluate the caloric performance of the NiMnTi alloys, both experimental and theoretical adiabatic temperature changes have been identified, and the isothermal entropy change involved in the stress-induced martensitic transformation has been computed from the discrete integration of the stress-strain curves. The NiMnTi alloys treated at 900 °C exhibited better caloric performance than those treated at 1000°C. Specifically, the sample that achieved the highest experimental positive and negative ΔT values (10.2 °C and −12.6 °C, respectively) was the NiMnTi alloy with 15 at% of Ti and heat treated at 900 °C. This study provides a detailed analysis of the physical properties, functionality, and caloric properties of polycrystalline NiMnTi fabricated through a melting process, considering its potential use in solid-state cooling and heat pumping technologies.