Surface integrity and superelastic response of a room-temperature austenitic AM NiTi after heat treatment and machining

The target of the study is the NiTi alloy. The machining process starts with the production of NiTi cylinders by AM, which are subjected to different types of ageing and finish machining by changing the process parameters. Nanoindentation tests were carried out to analyse the superelastic properties of the samples. The transformation temperatures were investigated using DSC tests. At the same time, microstructural images of the material were taken to understand its characteristics. Tribological tests were carried out to evaluate the sample that showed the best advantages in terms of wear. By consulting previous studies, the possibility of using Nitinol in an aerospace bearing application was evaluated, taking advantage of its super-elastic properties.