Manufacturing, processing, applications, and advancements of Fe-based shape memory alloys

Fe-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMAs) belong to smart metallic materials that can memorize or restore their preset shape after experiencing a substantial amount of deformation under heat, stress, or magnetic stimuli. Fe-SMAs have remarkable thermomechanical properties and have attracted significant interest because of their potential merits, such as cost-effective alloying elements, superior workability, weldability, a stable superelastic response, and low-temperature dependence of critical stress required for stress-induced martensitic transformation. Therefore, Fe-SMAs can be an intriguing and economical alternative to other SMAs. The recent advancements in fabrication methods of conventional metals and SMAs are helping the production of customized powder composition and then customized geometries by additive manufacturing (AM). The technology in these areas, i.e., fabrication techniques, experimental characterization, and theoretical formulations of Fe-SMAs for conventional and AM has been rapidly advancing and is lacking a comprehensive review. This paper provides a critical review of the recent developments in Fe-SMAs-related research. The conventional and AM-based methods of producing Fe-SMAs are discussed, and a detailed review of the current research trends on Fe-SMAs including 4-D printing of Fe-SMAs are comprehensively documented. The presented review provides a comprehensive review of experimental methods and processes used to determine the material characteristics and features of Fe-SMAs. In addition, the work provides a review of the reported computational modeling of Fe-SMAs to help design new Fe-SMA composition and geometry. Finally, different Fe-SMAs-based applications such as sensing and damping systems, tube coupling, and reinforced concrete are also discussed. This work will guide new research opportunities for working on Fe-SMAs and encourage new developments in the future. © 2024 The Authors