A cyclic integrated microstructural-mechanical model for a shape memory alloy.

• A structural-mechanical model is proposed to describe the cyclic behaviour of SMA. • A microstructural model is used to evaluate the level of phase transformation. • Model parameters depend on loading conditions and number of cycles. • Alloy stiffness in the plateau depends on those of the constituent phases. Shape memory alloys are able to recover the initial shape even after a large deformation. The memory property is due to the ability to change the microstructure under a variation of the stress state or the temperature. The stress–strain curve is characterized by the presence of a stage where the slope of the curve sharply decreases and the initial microstructure transforms into a new one. In this work, an integrated microstructural-mechanical model is proposed for the equiatomic NiTi shape memory alloy, that is suitable to predict the cyclic behaviour of a pseudoelastic shape memory alloy starting from the microstructure composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]