Dynamic studies on Cu-based shape memory alloy using positron lifetime spectroscopy

This paper describes a positron lifetime study of properties and dynamic behavior of vacancies in CuZnAlMnZr alloy during aging at room temperature (RT) after Direct- and Step-quenching. It is found that there is only one type of vacancy in CuZnAlMnZr which has no effect on the shape memory properties of CuZnAlMnZr and the vacancy recovery process is quite slow after Direct-quenching and no recovery process after Step-quenching, and the CuZnAlMnZr alloy has better thermal stability than the ordinary CuZnAl alloy. During the long measurement period, a software stabilization technique has been adopted and the reliability of the software has been checked.