A new shape memory alloy wire-woven trusses undergoing large deformation

Metallic wire-woven lattice trusses have been a heated research topic for a decade due to its low density and superior mechanical and thermal properties. The traditional wire-woven trusses are usually fabricated with common metals like steel or aluminum which yields at a very low strain level. Because of the low elastic strain, the deformation capability of the material is significantly limited. Shape memory alloy (SMA) is a kind of smart material which can bear large recoverable strain with producing hysteresis. In this paper, a novel lattice trusses fabricated by superelastic SMA coil springs was proposed. Furthermore, the treatment processes to prepare the SMA coil springs and the assembly method to manufacture the SMA wire-woven trusses were also introduced. To investigate the mechanical and thermal properties of the proposed material, the quasi-static compression test under different maximum deformation and different temperatures, as well as the cyclic compression test, were performed. The results show that the proposed materials can undergo a maximum deformation of 80% without residual strain left.