Elastocaloric effects in the extreme

There is a resurgence of interest in the elastocaloric (EC) effect of shape memory alloys (SMAs). The temperature change associated with the EC effect can be substantial, far exceeding those observed in well-known electrocaloric and magnetocaloric materials. The major driver of the EC effect is the entropy change of transformation. Historically the EC effect under superelasticity has been studied at mainly 25 degrees C. The current paper considers six SMAs across a variety of test temperatures, focusing not only on the EC cooling capability but also on three important factors for practical application: the role of stress/thermal hysteresis, M-d temperature, and fatigue. (C) 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.