COPPER-BASED ALLOY HAVING SHAPE MEMORY PROPERTY AND SUPERELASTICITY, MEMBER CONSISTING OF THE ALLOY, AND THEIR MANUFACTURE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a copper-based alloy having high shape memory property and superelasticity while maintaining superior workability, to provide a member such as wire, sheet and tube, consisting of the alloy and to provide the method for manufacturing them. SOLUTION: The maximum cold draft at cold working is set so that the frequency of existence of the crystal orientation of β-single phase in a working direction, measured by the electron back scattering pattern method, becomes >=2.0. Solution heat treatment is performed at least once to improve the crystal orientation of β-single phase, followed by hardening and aging treatments. By this method, the coppery alloy excellent in shape memory property and superelasticity can be obtained.