Discussion Forum

Good Afternoon.

I am trying to model the forced response of 3D Nitinol geometries. Unfortunately the standard material library for COMSOL only presents materials that are hyperelastic, which does not involve a phase change like the one shape memory alloys such as Nitinol exhibit. Trying to represent the material using the hyperelastic material leads to some inconsistencies in the result. For simulation purposes is it enough to use the Neo-Hookean or Mooney-Rivlin formulations for the hyperelastic material as a substititue for the superelastic NiTi? As far as I know this is not an acceptable assumption due to the aforementioned phase change with shape memory alloys.

I was wondering if there exists a model library for shape memory alloys, and if such a library exists, where I could procure it.

However, if such a library does not exist, has anyone tried to alter the PDE formulation to represent the constitutive equations used to represent superelastic materials.

In essence I was wondering whether or not I have to reinvent the wheel in order to creare a material model that is suitable enough to represent the forced loading behavior of superlastic, shape memory alloys like Nitinol (NiTi)?

Thanks for your response.

Best,

Atma Bhawuk