Nanometric AlNi Precipitation in a 84.68 wt.% Cu-11.25 wt.%Al-4.07 Wt%Ni Shape Memory Alloy

A shape memory alloy with a nominal composition of 84.68 wt.% Cu-11.25 wt.%Al-4.07 wt.%Ni, has been studied. Polycrystalline specimens have been quenched into water at room temperature, after heat treatment of 15 minutes at a high temperature of 1123 K. Two successive cycles from room temperature to 923 K and inversely have been performed on the non equilibrium samples. The microstructural study presented in this work has been performed using TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) analysis, STEM (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy) analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis at a variable temperature. Nanometric phase precipitation of AlNi type was observed to appear in this alloy.