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Nucleation and development of phase transformation fronts in TiNi shape memory alloy subjected to the stress-and strain-controlled tension tests were investigated. A thermovision camera was applied to register the distribution of infrared radiation emitted by the specimen and to find its temperature variations. During the loading, narrow bands of considerably higher temperature corresponding to the martensitic phase, starting from the central part of the specimen and developing towards the specimen grips, under both approaches, were registered. The inclined bands of heterogeneous temperature distribution were observed also during the unloading process of the SMA, while the reverse transformation accompanied by temperature decrease took place. Thermomechanical aspects of martensitic and reverse transformations for various strain rates were analyzed under both stress-and strain-controlled tests.

a b s t r a c tExperimental tensile tests were performed on polyamide-based (PA66) woven strap samples. A strain measuring device was used to measure the strain in the middle and effective part of the woven tensile sample. The tests were performed, on the one hand under monotonous tension at different strain rates and on the other hand under sophisticated cyclic loading histories, including relaxation and creep sequences. The analysis of experimental results was made through a visco-elasto-hysteresis model, based on the superimposition of three stress components. The proposed method allows for characterizing the steady state viscous stress as a function of strain and strain rate, the time-independent irreversible behaviour and the instantaneous modulus increasing with the strain. Based on the visco-elasto-hysteresis model, an analysis enabled us to understand and predict the change in relaxation and creep orientations during complex loading histories.

The characteristics of energy storage and dissipation in TiNi shape memory alloys were investigated experimentally based on the superelastic properties under various thermomechanical loading conditions. The influence of strain rate, cyclic loading and temperature-controlled condition on the characteristics of energy storage and dissipation of the material was investigated. Temperature on the surface of the material was observed and the influence of variation in temperature on the characteristics was clarified. The results obtained can be summarized as follows. (1) In the case of low strain rate, the stress plateaus appear on the stress-strain curves due to the martensitic transformation and the reverse transformation during loading and unloading. In the case of high strain rate, the slopes of the stress-strain curves are steep in the phase-transformation regions during loading and unloading. The recoverable strain energy per unit volume increases in proportion to temperature, but the dissipated work per unit volume depends slightly on temperature. In the case of low strain rate, the recoverable strain energy and dissipated work do not depend on both strain rate and the temperature-controlled condition. (2) In the case of high strain rate, while the recoverable strain energy density decreases and dissipated work density increases in proportion to strain rate under the temperature-controlled condition, the recoverable strain energy density increases and dissipated work density decreases under the temperature-uncontrolled condition. In the case of the temperature-uncontrolled condition, temperature varies significantly due to the martensitic transformation and therefore the characteristics of energy storage and dissipation differ from these under the temperature-controlled condition. (3) In the case of cyclic loading, both the recoverable strain energy and dissipated work decrease in the early 20 cycles, but change slightly thereafter. (4) The influence of strain rate, cyclic loading and the environment on the characteristics of energy storage and dissipation is important to be considered in the design of shape memory alloy elements. q

Experimental Mg deficiency leads to alterations in the immune response. Reduction of thymus weight and histological changes were previously observed in Mg-deficient rats after several weeks on a deficient diet, suggesting that functions of this immune organ may be affected by Mg deficiency. More recently, changes in the immune system during early Mg deficiency were shown. Thus, in the present study we examined modifications in the thymus during the early stages of Mg deficiency in weanling rats. From our results, it appears that Mg deficiency accelerates thymus involution. The assessment of apoptosis (enumeration of apoptotic cells on the basis of morphological criteria and intranucleosomal degradation of genomic DNA) showed greater values in thymuses from Mg-deficient rats as compared with controls. This was observed very early, since a significant difference was shown on the second day of deficiency, before reduced weight of thymus, which was recorded in the later period. These results indicate the relationship of accelerated thymus involution with an active process of cell death. Mg deficiency led to histological changes in the thymus. In the early stage of deficiency (second day) the presence of inflammatory cells was shown, suggesting that the inflammatory process was already occurring in the tissue studied. Later (eighth day) an increased proportion of epithelial reticular cells in the cortex was shown, indicating a remodelling process occurring in this period. Enhanced susceptibility to peroxidation also occurred very early during Mg deficiency. It may be hypothesized that disturbances in Mg status of short duration could have cellular effects with various deleterious consequences.

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