Finite-Element Simulation of the Anti-Buckling-Effect of a Shape Memory Alloy Bar

Shape memory alloys (SMA) are characterized by an intricate stress-strain curve modified by temperature, posing thermomechanically coupled problems. A model able to address this feature is the Muller-Achenbach-Seelecke (MAS) model which had been ported into the user material interface in the finite-element (FEM) simulation software ABAQUS. The literature on this model mainly focuses on pseudo-elasticity of SMA at elevated temperature. We address a numerical investigation in the low-temperature pseudo-plastic regime. The present publication deals with the little-known anti-buckling effect which occurs in de-twinned and pre-bent martensitic bars under axial compression. It was experimentally demonstrated by Urushiyama et al. (JSME (The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers) Int. J. Ser. A, Solid Mech. Mater. Eng., 2003, 46(1), p 60-67). This study reveals that the origin of this effect roots in an interplay of inhomogeneous stress states and mechanically induced twin-twin phase transformations. The proper explanation of the anti-buckling effect can be inferred from the explicit knowledge of the martensitic phase composition of the bar during the process. We show that the MAS model is capable to resolve this matter in detail, hence addressing the reliability of this particular model also in the pseudo-plastic regime of SMA. The study thereby implies that the MAS model is an excellent modeling tool for the analysis of complex, thermomechanically coupled processes.