Fatigue Properties of Ti-Ni Shape Memory Alloy Wire Welded by Nd: YAG Laser

The welded specimens were made by butt welding of the 2 wires of 50mm length using the pulsed YAG laser. The laser welded wires were tested for investigating the shape memory effect and the ability of super elasticity. The fatigue properties of the welded wires were investigated using the rotary bending fatigue tester specially designed for wires. Moreover, the effect of defocusing distance during laser welding on the static and fatigue properties was Investigated. The shape memory effect and super elasticity of the laser welded wires were approximately identical with that of base metal at the test temperature below 353K. However, the welded wires were broken within elastic limit at the test temperature above 353k. Under the cyclic bending loading conditions, the welded wires could be useful only below the elastic limit, while the base metal had sufficient fatigue life even the stress induced M-phase region. The fatigue strength of the welded wires was about half of that of the base metal. The deterioration of the static and fatigue properties in the welded wires was proven to be from the large difference of the transformation behavior between the base metal and welded part that is caused by vaporization of Ni-content at the welded part during the welding process. The defocusing distance below 3mm acted more largely on lowering the strength of the welded wires than that of 6mm or 8mm.