Mechanical and Fatigue Properties of Cu-Al-Mn Shape Memory Alloys with Influence of Mechanical Cycling on Amplitude Dependence of Internal Friction at Room Temperature

The mechanical and fatigue properties of Cu - Al - Mn shape memory alloys with different phase fractions at room temperature were investigated. The specimens with different chemical compositions (Al: 8.9 - 12.5 wt. % and Mn: 3.3 - 9.3 wt. %) were tensile loaded with 10-3 s-1 tensile strain rate. Austenitic specimens have the highest tensile strength and fracture strain. Yield strength, tensile strength and elongation of martensitic alloys were lower compared with austenitic alloys. Fracture strain of martensitic alloys depend only little on the chemical composition. Specimens of martensitic, austenitic and three different multiple phase specimens were tested in the high cycle fatigue range at room temperature. The Woehler curves for multiple specimens depend on the phase fraction at testing temperatures. Different elements as Co, Ni, Fe and Si were alloyed to CuAl11.6Mn5. All decreased the ductility of the specimens, and their fatigue properties. Maxima could be detected in the strain amplitude dependence of damping for multiple phase specimen. These maximum are shifted to lower damping and to higher strains with increasing number of mechanical cycles, compared to the as cast condition for not cycled specimen. The strain amplitude dependence of damping in martensitic and austenitic Cu – Al – Mn shape memory alloys does not change much during mechanical cycling.