[Paper Review] Manufacturing, processing, applications, and advancements of Fe-based shape memory alloys

Anwar Algamal, Hossein Abedi+4 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Sep 26, 2024

Shape Memory Alloy TransformationsMaterials Science3 citations

TL;DR

This comprehensive review synthesizes recent advances in Fe-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMAs), covering conventional and additive manufacturing (AM) processing, experimental characterization, computational modeling, and applications. It highlights Fe-SMAs' cost-effectiveness, superelasticity, and low-temperature stability, positioning them as viable alternatives to Ni-Ti SMAs, with emerging potential in 4D printing and structural applications such as damping systems and reinforced concrete.

ABSTRACT

Fe-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMAs) belong to smart metallic materials that can memorize or restore their preset shape after experiencing a substantial amount of deformation under heat, stress, or magnetic stimuli. Fe-SMAs have remarkable thermomechanical properties and have attracted significant interest because of their potential merits, such as cost-effective alloying elements, superior workability, weldability, a stable superelastic response, and low-temperature dependence of critical stress required for stress-induced martensitic transformation. Therefore, Fe-SMAs can be an intriguing and economical alternative to other SMAs. The recent advancements in fabrication methods of conventional metals and SMAs are helping the production of customized powder composition and then customized geometries by additive manufacturing (AM). The technology in these areas, i.e., fabrication techniques, experimental characterization, and theoretical formulations of Fe-SMAs for conventional and AM has been rapidly advancing and is lacking a comprehensive review. This paper provides a critical review of the recent developments in Fe-SMAs-related research. The conventional and AM-based methods of producing Fe-SMAs are discussed, and a detailed review of the current research trends on Fe-SMAs including 4-D printing of Fe-SMAs are comprehensively documented. The presented review provides a comprehensive review of experimental methods and processes used to determine the material characteristics and features of Fe-SMAs. In addition, the work provides a review of the reported computational modeling of Fe-SMAs to help design new Fe-SMA composition and geometry. Finally, different Fe-SMAs-based applications such as sensing and damping systems, tube coupling, and reinforced concrete are also discussed.

Motivation & Objective

• To consolidate and critically evaluate recent progress in the fabrication, processing, and characterization of Fe-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMAs).
• To address the lack of a comprehensive review on conventional and additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for Fe-SMAs.
• To examine current research trends, including 4D printing of Fe-SMAs, and their potential in structural and functional applications.
• To review experimental methods and computational modeling approaches for designing new Fe-SMA compositions and geometries.
• To analyze real-world applications such as sensing, damping systems, tube couplings, and structural reinforcement in concrete.

Proposed method

• Systematic review of conventional and additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for producing Fe-SMAs, including powder-based AM for customized geometries.
• Analysis of experimental characterization methods used to determine thermomechanical behavior, phase transformation temperatures, and superelastic response.
• Evaluation of theoretical and computational modeling frameworks for predicting martensitic transformation behavior and material performance.
• Synthesis of data from published studies on Fe-SMA composition, processing parameters, and resulting microstructure-property relationships.
• Integration of findings on 4D printing using Fe-SMAs, where shape memory effects are actuated by environmental stimuli like temperature.
• Comparative assessment of Fe-SMAs against Ni-Ti and other SMAs based on cost, workability, weldability, and transformation stability.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 What are the current state-of-the-art manufacturing and processing techniques for Fe-based shape memory alloys, particularly additive manufacturing?
• RQ2 How do the thermomechanical properties of Fe-SMAs compare to those of conventional Ni-Ti-based shape memory alloys?
• RQ3 What are the key challenges and opportunities in enabling 4D printing with Fe-SMAs using AM techniques?
• RQ4 How effective are computational models in predicting the phase transformation behavior and mechanical response of Fe-SMAs?
• RQ5 What are the most promising structural and functional applications of Fe-SMAs in engineering systems?

Key findings

• Fe-SMAs exhibit superior workability, weldability, and cost-effectiveness due to the use of iron-based alloying elements, making them economically viable alternatives to Ni-Ti SMAs.
• Additive manufacturing enables the production of customized Fe-SMA components with tailored compositions and geometries, expanding design freedom.
• Fe-SMAs demonstrate a stable superelastic response with low-temperature dependence of critical stress for stress-induced martensitic transformation.
• Recent advancements in computational modeling have improved the prediction of phase transformation behavior, aiding in the development of new Fe-SMA compositions.
• Applications in damping systems, tube couplings, and reinforced concrete show promising mechanical performance and energy absorption capabilities.
• 4D printing of Fe-SMAs is emerging as a viable pathway for creating smart, self-actuating components with shape-memory functionality in response to thermal or environmental stimuli.