Al-NiTi composites fabricated via ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) provide

a light-weight solution for low thermal expansion applications. It is shown that the

thermal expansion of Al 6061 can be reduced by over 50% by incorporating a 13%

volume fraction of NiTi fibers. This reduction in thermal expansion occurs from the

contraction of the NiTi fiber during heating, thereby offsetting the thermal expansion of

the Al matrix. Al-NiTi composites are made possible by low temperature UAM process.

Successful implementation of these composites requires a careful design approach that

includes the processing characteristics as well as the thermo-mechanical response of the

shape memory fibers and matrix. This is achieved using a NiTi microstructure based

FEA model implemented that captures the underlying thermomechanical response of the

NiTi fibers and calculates the complex stress state within the composite.