The wire drawing mechanic of Ti-49.82Ni (at. %) Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) was investigated through the true stress-strain curves and drawing stresses. The tensile tested solution treated wire presented a four steps elongation at temperatures below the austenite finish temperature (A F), and a conventional one-step behavior above the martensite deformation temperature (M D). The tensile yield stress for the formation of detwinned martensite (DTM) or stress-induced martensite (SIM) increased as the testing temperature increased; however, for larger deformation, the behavior reversed. The efficiency of drawing work, which is the ratio of uniform work to total work, increased from 10% for 0.07 mm 2 .mm-2 area reduction at 25 °C to 50% for 0.21 mm 2 .mm-2 at 110 °C. Therefore, wire drawing temperature and area reduction should be combined to increase the efficiency, taking into account the desired properties with reasonable workability. Furthermore, transformation work should be considered on wire drawing shape memory alloys as phase transformation occurs in temperatures below M D .

Earlier works showed that NiTi shape memory alloy production by electron beam melting (EBM) is a viable process in which its main characteristic is the low contamination by impurities such as carbon and oxygen. Some difficulties arise when compared to conventional vacuum induction melting (VIM) process such as composition control and complex machine operation. This work focus on the production of ever made large scale 150mm in diameter NiTi ingot produced by EBM showing its viability. The carbon contamination was only 0.016wt% compared to usual 0.05wt% of VIM process. The ingot radial composition homogeneity was proved by small variation presented by direct and reverse peak martensitic transformations temperatures which was around 2°C.

Grain refinement in Al-Si alloys improves their mechanical properties. Research available in the literature shows the search for refinement efficiency through heterogeneous nucleation of the grain, involving the stoichiometric ratio between the alloy elements, the inoculant, and process parameters. In these surveys, there are divergences of information. However, this study does not aim to contradict this information but present an investigation made with the Al-4Nb-0.5B master alloy, where Nb >> B, used via sticks, with variations from 0 to 1 Wt.% of Nb and B according to a stoichiometric calculation added to the alloys cast with Al (7, 9, 12) Wt.% of Si and 1 Wt.% of Fe. The study also enabled an investigation into the morphology behavior of the β-Fe precipitates arising from Fe-critic in the alloy. Samples cast according to the TP1-2012 mold standard. The alloy microstructure analyzed was by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The small addition of Nb-B can efficiently and significantly refine the size of the primary α-Al grain and has caused changes in the morphology of Fe-rich intermetallic, which became very refined spheroidised, suggesting an improvement in the mechanical properties of the material.

Many components for aerospace and automotive industries are currently manufactured using superplastic forming, being the fine-grained aluminum alloy AA5083 widely used for this proposes. However, the development of cavitation voids is inherent in this process and reduces the ductility of the alloy. Back pressure can be used to diminish the growth of cavitation void. The experimental conditions used in this work are in the best condition for nucleation and grow of cavitation, because of the coarse grain size (81 µm), large second phase particles (9 µm) and elevated test temperature (570ºC) in a AA 5083. Domes were formed at 570ºC and at a strain rate of 5x10 -5 s -1 by blow forming with and without back-pressure. They were compared in terms of their final shape, thickness distribution, and quantity of cavitation voids. The effectiveness of the usage of back pressure to reducing the quantity of cavitation void was analyzed.

NiTi shape memory alloys (SMA) have been widely used as construction materials due to their shape memory and superelastic properties. Usually the application of the NiTi alloy is in the wire form, which is ideal shape to make springs, orthodontic arcwire and endodontic files. Since our research group (ITASMART) started producing NiTi wires, it was noticed that NiTi SMA produced by Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM) presents carbon contamination, which is due to the melting process. Therefore, alloys rich in carbon remove titanium from matrix, forming precipitates of TiC (titanium carbide). Also, Ti2Ni precipitation removes titanium from the matrix and these two precipitates TiC and Ti2Ni can produce internal volumetric defect in the wire drawing process. Seeing the importance of NiTi wires as base of many applications, this work studies the formation of volumetric defects caused by precipitates in the wire drawing process of a NiTi wire drawn down to 0,39 mm in diameter.