Abstract
Energy balances of a polycrystalline CuZnAl Shape Memory Alloy are performed using infrared and calorimetric techniques. The experiments underline the main role of temperature variations induced by deformation process on the stress–strain curves. A thermodynamic analysis shows variations essentially due to the latent heat of phase change and indicates a very small intrinsic dissipated energy compared with deformation work or latent heat. On the basis of these results, a behaviour model that takes account of thermomechanical couplings is proposed. Implemented in a finite elements code, this model is used to verify the consistency and the potentialities of such an approach by means of numerical experiments.