Elastocaloric effect associated with the martensitic transition in shape-memory alloys.
The elastocaloric effect in the vicinity of the martensitic transition of a Cu-Zn-Al single crystal has been studied by inducing the transition by strain or stress measurements. While transition trajectories show significant differences, the entropy change associated with the whole transformation (DeltaS_(t)) is coincident in both kinds of experiments since entropy production is small compared to DeltaS_(t). The values agree with estimations based on the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. The possibility of using these materials for mechanical refrigeration is also discussed.
Departament d'Estructura i Constituents de la Matèria, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal, 647, E-08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Erell
E
Bonnot
Ricardo
R
Romero
Lluís
L
Mañosa
Eduard
E
Vives
Antoni
A
Planes