The Ti-Ni-Cu shape memory alloy by elemental powders was fabricated by means of a pulse-current pressure sintering method that can produce high-density sintered compacts in a very short sintering time. The fabrication conditions of Ti-Ni-Cu alloy and the influence of Cu content in Ti-Ni-Cu alloy on the tensile properties and thermo-mechanical characteristics were investigated. The relative density of the as-sintered compacts was around 97% at any Cu content. The microstructure, tensile properties and thermo-mechanical characteristics of the as-sintered compacts were improved greatly by performing a solid solution heat-treatment. The yielding behavior due to the stress-induced martensite in stress-strain curves of the alloy took place after elastic deformation at any Cu content. The deformation resistance of the alloys changed with Cu content, and it was lowest around 9at% in Cu content. The tensile strength and elongation of the alloy with Cu content around 9at% were more than 400 MPa and 6%, respectively. It was found that the thermo-mechanical behavior of the alloy becomes stable by performing cyclic deformation.
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