I. What are Shape Memory Alloys?

Shape memory alloys (SMA's) are metals, which exhibit two very unique properties, pseudo-elasticity, and the shape memory effect Arne !lander first observed these unusual properties in "#$% (!&suta and 'ayman "##%), but not until the "#()'s were any serious research advances made in the field of shape memory alloys *he most effective and widely used alloys include +i*i (+ic&el - *itanium), ,u-nAl, and ,uAl+i

II. Applications of Shape Memory Alloys

*he unusual properties mentioned above are bein. applied to a wide variety of applications in a number of different fields *he buttons below are lin&s to pa.es about some of the most promisin. applications of SMAs /ach pa.e contains information about the application as well as videos and interactive applets which allow you to become more familiar with the behavior of SMAs

Aeronautical Applications 1 0

Sur.ical *ools 1 0

Muscle 'ires 1

III. How Shape Memory Alloys Work

*he two unique properties described above are made possible throu.h a solid state phase chan.e, that is a molecular rearran.ement, which occurs in the shape memory alloy *ypically when one thin&s of a phase chan.e a solid to liquid or liquid to .as chan.e is the first idea that comes to mind A solid state phase chan.e is similar in that a molecular rearran.ement is occurrin., but the molecules remain closely pac&ed so that the substance remains a solid 8n most shape memory alloys, a temperature chan.e of only about ")9, is necessary to initiate this phase chan.e *he two phases, which occur in shape memory alloys, are Martensite, and Austenite Martensite, is the relatively soft and easily deformed phase of shape memory alloys, which exists at lower temperatures *he molecular structure in this phase is twinned which is the confi.uration shown in the middle of 2i.ure : ;pon deformation this phase ta&es on the second form shown in 2i.ure :, on the ri.ht Austenite, the stron.er phase of shape memory alloys, occurs at hi.her temperatures *he shape of the

2i.ure "3 *he Martensite and Austenite phases

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Austenite structure is cubic, the structure shown on the left side of 2i.ure : *he un-deformed Martensite phase is the same si<e and shape as the cubic Austenite phase on a macroscopic scale, so that no chan.e in si<e or shape is visible in shape memory alloys until the Martensite is deformed 2i.ure :3 Microscopic and Macroscopic =iews of the *wo >hases of Shape Memory Alloys

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*he temperatures at which each of these phases be.in and finish formin. are represented by the followin. variables3 Ms, Mf, As, Af *he amount of loadin. placed on a piece of shape memory alloy increases the values of these four variables as shown in 2i.ure $ *he initial values of these four variables are also dramatically affected by the composition of the wire (i e what amounts of each element are present) 2i.ure $3 *he Bependency of >hase ,han.e *emperature on 6oadin.

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ShapeMemoryEffect
2i.ure @3 Microscopic Bia.ram of the Shape Memory /ffect

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*he shape memory effect is observed when the temperature of a piece of shape memory alloy is cooled to below the temperature Mf At this sta.e the alloy is completely composed of Martensite which can be easily deformed After distortin.

the SMA the ori.inal shape can be recovered simply by heatin. the wire above the temperature Af *he heat transferred to the wire is the power drivin. the molecular rearran.ement of the alloy, similar to heat meltin. ice into water, but the alloy remains solid *he deformed Martensite is now transformed to the cubic Austenite phase, which is confi.ured in the ori.inal shape of the wire *he Shape memory effect is currently bein. implemented in3 ,offepots *he space shuttle *hermostats =ascular Stents Cydraulic 2ittin.s (for Airplanes)

Pseudoelasticity
2i.ure ?3 6oad Bia.ram of the pseudo-elastic effect !ccurrin.

>seudo-elasticity occurs in shape memory alloys when the alloy is completely composed of Austenite (temperature is .reater than Af) ;nli&e the shape memory effect, pseudo-elasticity occurs without a chan.e in temperature *he load on the shape memory alloy is increased until the Austenite becomes transformed into Martensite simply due to the loadin.D this process is shown in 2i.ure ? *he loadin. is absorbed by the softer Martensite, but as soon as the loadin. is decreased the Martensite be.ins to transform bac& to Austenite since the temperature of the wire is still above Af, and the wire sprin.s bac& to its ori.inal shape Some examples of applications in which pseudo-elasticity is used are3 /ye.lass 2rames Era ;nderwires Medical *ools ,ellular >hone Antennae !rthodontic Arches

IV. Advantages and Disadvantages of Shape Memory Alloys

Some of the main advanta.es of shape memory alloys include3 Eio-compatibility Biverse 2ields of Application Food Mechanical >roperties (stron., corrosion resistant) *here are still some difficulties with shape memory alloys that must be overcome before they can live up to their full potential *hese alloys are still relatively expensive to manufacture and machine compared to other materials such as steel and aluminum Most SMA's have poor fati.ue propertiesD this means that while under the same loadin. conditions (i e twistin., bendin., compressin.) a steel component may survive for more than one hundred times more cycles than an SMA element

by Richard Lin Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are metals that "remember" their original shapes. SMAs are useful for such things as actuators which are materials that "change shape, stiffness, position, natural frequency, and other mechanical characteristics in response to temperature or electromagnetic fields" (Rogers, !!). "he potential uses for SMAs especially as actuators ha#e broadened the spectrum of many scientific fields. "he study of the history and de#elopment of SMAs can pro#ide an insight into a material in#ol#ed in cutting$ edge technology. "he di#erse applications for these metals ha#e made them increasingly important and #isible to the world.

History
+ic&el-titanium alloys have been found to be the most useful of all SMAs !ther shape memory alloys include copper-aluminum-nic&el, copper-<inc-aluminum, and iron- man.anese-silicon alloys (Eorden, (A) *he .eneric name for the family of nic&el-titanium alloys is +itinol 8n "#(", +itinol, which stands for +ic&el *itanium +aval !rdnance 6aboratory, was discovered to possess the unique property of havin. shape memory 'illiam G Euehler, a researcher at the +aval !rdnance 6aboratory in 'hite !a&, Maryland, was the one to discover this shape memory alloy *he actual discovery of the shape memory property of +itinol came about by accident At a

laboratory mana.ement meetin., a strip of +itinol was presented that was bent out of shape many times !ne of the people present, Br Bavid S Mu<<ey, heated it with his pipe li.hter, and surprisin.ly, the strip stretched bac& to its ori.inal form (Hauffman and Mayo, @) %ac& to the beginning of the page

Crystal Structures
/xactly what made these metals IrememberI their ori.inal shapes was in question after the discovery of the shape-memory effect Br 2rederic& / 'an., an expert in crystal physics, pinpointed the structural chan.es at the atomic level which contributed to the unique properties these metals have (Hauffman and Mayo, @) 'e found that (itinol had phase changes while still a solid. "hese phase changes, &nown as martensite and austenite, "in#ol#e the rearrangement of the position of particles within the crystal structure of the solid" ()auffman and Mayo, *). +nder the transition temperature, (itinol is in the martensite phase. "he transition temperature #aries for different compositions from about $!, - . to // - . (0ac&son, 1agner, and 1asilews&i, ). 2n the martensite phase, (itinol can be bent into #arious shapes. "o fi3 the "parent shape" (as it is called), the metal must be held in position and heated to about !,, - .. "he high temperature "causes the atoms to arrange themsel#es into the most compact and regular pattern possible" resulting in a rigid cubic arrangement &nown as the austenite phase ()auffman and Mayo, !$/). Abo#e the transition temperature, (itinol re#erts from the martensite to the austenite phase which changes it bac& into its parent shape. "his cycle can be repeated millions of times (0ac&son, 1agner, and 1asilews&i, ). %ac& to the beginning of the page

Manufacture
*here are various ways to manufacture +itinol ,urrent techniques of producin. nic&el-titanium alloys include vacuum meltin. techniques such as electron-beam meltin., vacuum arc meltin. or vacuum induction meltin. I*he cast in.ot is pressfor.ed and7or rotary for.ed prior to rod and wire rollin. Cot wor&in. to this point is done at temperatures between A)) 9 , and #)) 9 ,I (Stoec&el and Ju, $) "here is also a process of cold wor&ing of (i$"i alloys. "he procedure is similar to titanium wire fabrication. .arbide and diamond dies are used in the process to produce wires ranging from ,.,4!mm to .5!mm in diameter. (Stoec&el and 6u, *) .old wor&ing of (itinol causes "mar&ed changes in the mechanical and physical properties

of the alloy" (0ac&son, 1agner, and 1asilews&i, 5 ). "hese processes of the production of (itinol are described in greater detail in 0ac&son, 1agner, and 1asilews&i7s report ( !$55). %ac& to the beginning of the page

Properties
*he properties of +itinol are particular to the exact composition of the metal and the way it was processed *he physical properties of +itinol include a meltin. point around ":@) 9 , to "$") 9 ,, and a density of around ( ? .7cmK (Gac&son, 'a.ner, and 'asilews&i, :$) =ariousother physical properties tested at different temperatures with various compositions of elements include electrical resitivity, thermoelectric power, Call coefficient, velocity of sound, dampin., heat capacity, ma.netic susceptibility, and thermal conductivity (Gac&son, 'a.ner, and 'asilews&i, :$-??) Mechanical properties tested include hardness, impact tou.hness, fati.ue stren.th, and machinability (Gac&son, 'a.ner, and 'asilews&i, ?A-A$) "he large force generated upon returning to its original shape is a #ery useful property. 8ther useful properties of (itinol are its "e3cellent damping characteristics at temperatures below the transition temperature range, its corrosion resistance, its nonmagnetic nature, its low density and its high fatigue strength" (0ac&son, 1agner, and 1asilews&i, 44). (itinol is also to an e3tent impact$ and heat$resistant ()auffman and Mayo, *). "hese properties translate into many uses for (itinol. %ac& to the beginning of the page

Applications
+itinol is bein. used in a variety of applications *hey have been used for military, medical, safety, and robotics applications *he military has been usin. +itinol couplers in 2-"@ fi.hter planes since the late "#()s *hese couplers Loin hydraulic lines ti.htly and easily (Hauffman and Mayo, () Many of the current applications of (itinol ha#e been in the field of medicine. "wee9ers to remo#e foreign ob:ects through small incisions were in#ented by (ASA. Anchors with (itinol hoo&s to attach tendons to bone were used for 8rel 'ershiser7s shoulder surgery. 8rthodontic wires made out of (itinol reduces the need to retighten and ad:ust the wire. "hese wires also accelerate tooth motion as they re#ert to their original shapes. (itinol eyeglass frames can be bent totally out of shape and return to their parent shape upon warming. ()auffman and Mayo, /) (itinol needle wire

locali9ers "used to locate and mar& breast tumors so that subsequent surgery can be more e3act and less in#asi#e" utili9e the metal7s shape memory property. Another successful medical application is (itinol7s use as a guide for catheters through blood #essels (Stoec&el and 6u, ;$ ,). "here are e3amples of SMAs used in safety de#ices which will sa#e li#es in the future. Anti$scalding de#ices and fire$sprin&lers utili9ing SMAs are already on the mar&et. "he anti$scalding #al#es can be used in water faucets and shower heads. After a certain temperature, the de#ice automatically shuts off the water flow. "he main ad#antage of (itinol$based fire sprin&lers is the decrease in response time. ()auffman and Mayo, 4) (itinol is being used in robotics actuators and micromanipulators to simulate human muscle motion. "he main ad#antage of (itinol is the smooth, controlled force it e3erts upon acti#ation. (Rogers, !/) 8ther miscellaneous applications of shape memory alloys include use in household appliances, in clothing, and in structures. A deep fryer utili9es the thermal sensiti#ity by lowering the bas&et into the oil at the correct temperature. (<alcioni, *) According to Stoec&el and 6u, "one of the most unique and successful applications is the (i$"i underwire brassiere" ( ). "hese bras, which were engineered to be both comfortable and durable, are already e3tremely successful in 0apan (Stoec&el and 6u, ). (itinol actuators as engine mounts and suspensions can also control #ibration. "hese actuators can helpful pre#ent the destruction of such structures as buildings and bridges. (Rogers, !/) 8ther applications= /uropean Space A.ency SMA 8+, 'ere are some of the pictures a#ailable from this section=

Future Applications
*here are many possible applications for SMAs 2uture applications are envisioned to include en.ines in cars and airplanes and electrical .enerators utili<in. the mechanical ener.y resultin. from the shape transformations +itinol with its shape memory property is also envisioned for use as car frames (Hauffman and Mayo, A) !ther possible automotive applications usin. SMA sprin.s include en.ine coolin., carburetor and en.ine lubrication controls, and the control of a radiator blind (Ito reduce the flow of air throu.h the radiator at start-up when the en.ine is cold and hence to reduce fuel usa.e and exhaust emissionsI) (*urner, :##) SMAs are "ideally suited for use as fasteners, seals, connectors, and clamps" in a #ariety of applications (%orden, /4). "ighter

connections and easier and more efficient installations result from the use of shape memory alloys (%orden, 45). %ac& to the beginning of the page

Conclusion
*he many uses and applications of shape memory alloys ensure a bri.ht future for these metals 5esearch is currently carried out at many robotics departments and materials science departments 'ith the innovative ideas for applications of SMAs and the number of products on the mar&et usin. SMAs continually .rowin., advances in the field of shape memory alloys for use in many different fields of study seem very promisin.

shape memory alloy A shape memory alloy (SMA) (also &nown as memory metal or smart wire) is a metal that remembers its geometry. After it is deformed, it regains its original geometry by itself during heating (one$way effect) or, at higher ambient temperatures, simply during unloading (pseudo$elasticity). "hese e3traordinary properties are due to a temperature$dependent martensitic phase transformation from a low$symmetry to a highly symmetric crystallographic structure. "hose crystal structures are &nown as martensite and austenite. "he two main types of SMA are the copper$9inc$aluminium alloys, and the generally more e3pensi#e nic&el$titanium ((i"i) alloys. 8n the other hand, (i"i alloys possess superior mechanical properties when compared to copper$based SMAs. "he temperatures at which the SMA changes its crystallographic structure are characteristic of the alloy, and can be tuned by #arying the elemental ratios. "ypically, Ms denotes the temperature where the structure starts to change from austenite to martensite upon cooling> Mf is the temperature where the transition is finished. Accordingly, As and Af are the temperatures where the re#erse transformation from martensite to austenite start and finish, repecti#ely. 2t is important to note that repeated use of the shape memory effect may lead to a shift of the characteristic transformation temperatures (this effect is

&nown as functional fatigue, as it is closely related with a change of microstructural and functional properties of the material). "he nic&el$titanium alloys were first de#eloped in ;/! by the (a#al 8rdnance ?aboratory and commercialised under the trade name Nitinol (an acronym for (2c&el "2tanium (a#al 8rdnance ?aboratories). "he range of applications for SMAs has been increasing in recent years, with one ma:or area of e3pansion being medicine, for e3ample the de#elopment of dental braces that e3ert a constant pressure on the teeth. 'owe#er, these materials are not currently appropriate for applications such as robotics or artificial muscles, due to energy inefficiency, slow response times, and large hysteresis. Metal alloys are not the only thermally responsi#e materials, as shape memory polymers ha#e also been de#eloped, becoming commercially a#ailable in the late ;;,7s. "here is another type of SMA called ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (<SMA), that change shape under strong magnetic fields.