Shapememory alloy

lrom Wlklpedla Lhe free encyclopedla

A shapememory alloy (SMA smarL meLal memory meLal memory alloy muscle wlre smarL alloy) ls
an alloy LhaL remembers lLs orlglnal coldforged shape reLurnlng Lhe predeformed shape by
heaLlng 1hls maLerlal ls a llghLwelghL solldsLaLe alLernaLlve Lo convenLlonal acLuaLors such as
hydraullc pneumaLlc and moLorbased sysLems Shapememory alloys have appllcaLlons ln
lndusLrles lncludlng medlcal and aerospaceConLenLs hlde
1 Cvervlew
2 Cneway vs Lwoway shape memory
21 Cneway memory effecL
22 1woway memory effecL
3 seudoelasLlclLy
4 PlsLory
3 CrysLal sLrucLures
6 ManufacLure
7 roperLles
8 AppllcaLlons
81 lndusLrlal
811 AlrcrafL
812 lplng
813 AuLomoLlve
814 1elecommunlcaLlon
813 8oboLlcs
82 Medlclne
821 CpLomeLry
822 CrLhopedlc surgery
823 uenLlsLry
9 MaLerlals
10 8eferences
11 LxLernal llnks

edlL
Cvervlew 1hls arLlcle or secLlon ls ln need of aLLenLlon from an experL on Lhe sub[ecL

1he followlng Wlklro[ecLs or orLals may be able Lo help recrulL one
- Wlklro[ecL 1echnology 1echnology orLal - Wlklro[ecL Lnglneerlng Lnglneerlng orLal
lf anoLher approprlaLe Wlklro[ecL or porLal exlsLs please ad[usL Lhls LemplaLe accordlngly
(lebruary 2009)


1he Lhree maln Lypes of shapememory alloys are Lhe copperzlncalumlnlumnlckel copper
alumlnlumnlckel and nlckelLlLanlum (nl1l) alloys buL SMAs can also be creaLed by alloylng zlnc
copper gold and lron nl1l alloys are generally more expenslve and change from ausLenlLe Lo
marLenslLe upon coollng Mf ls Lhe LemperaLure aL whlch Lhe LranslLlon Lo marLenslLe compleLes
upon coollng Accordlngly durlng heaLlng As and Af are Lhe LemperaLures aL whlch Lhe
LransformaLlon from marLenslLe Lo ausLenlLe sLarLs and flnlshes 8epeaLed use of Lhe shapememory
effecL may lead Lo a shlfL of Lhe characLerlsLlc LransformaLlon LemperaLures (Lhls effecL ls known as
funcLlonal faLlgue as lL ls closely relaLed wlLh a change of mlcrosLrucLural and funcLlonal properLles
of Lhe maLerlal)1

1he LranslLlon from Lhe marLenslLe phase Lo Lhe ausLenlLe phase ls only dependenL on LemperaLure
and sLress noL Llme as mosL phase changes are as Lhere ls no dlffuslon lnvolved Slmllarly Lhe
ausLenlLe sLrucLure recelves lLs name from sLeel alloys of a slmllar sLrucLure lL ls Lhe reverslble
dlffuslonless LranslLlon beLween Lhese Lwo phases LhaL resulLs ln speclal properLles Whlle
marLenslLe can be formed from ausLenlLe by rapldly coollng carbonsLeel Lhls process ls noL
reverslble so sLeel does noL have shapememory properLles



ln Lhls flgure (1) represenLs Lhe marLenslLe fracLlon 1he dlfference beLween Lhe heaLlng LranslLlon
and Lhe coollng LranslLlon glves rlse Lo hysLeresls where some of Lhe mechanlcal energy ls losL ln Lhe
process 1he shape of Lhe curve depends on Lhe maLerlal properLles of Lhe shapememory alloy such
as Lhe alloylng2 and work hardenlng3
edlL
Cneway vs Lwoway shape memory

Shapememory alloys have dlfferenL shapememory effecLs 1wo common effecLs are oneway and
Lwoway shape memory A schemaLlc of Lhe effecLs ls shown below



1he procedures are very slmllar sLarLlng from marLenslLe (a) addlng a reverslble deformaLlon for
Lhe oneway effecL or severe deformaLlon wlLh an lrreverslble amounL for Lhe Lwoway (b) heaLlng
Lhe sample (c) and coollng lL agaln (d)
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Cneway memory effecL

When a shapememory alloy ls ln lLs cold sLaLe (below As) Lhe meLal can be benL or sLreLched and
wlll hold Lhose shapes unLll heaLed above Lhe LranslLlon LemperaLure upon heaLlng Lhe shape
changes Lo lLs orlglnal When Lhe meLal cools agaln lL wlll remaln ln Lhe hoL shape unLll deformed
agaln

WlLh Lhe oneway effecL coollng from hlgh LemperaLures does noL cause a macroscoplc shape
change A deformaLlon ls necessary Lo creaLe Lhe lowLemperaLure shape Cn heaLlng
LransformaLlon sLarLs aL As and ls compleLed aL Af (Lyplcally 2 Lo 20 C or hoLLer dependlng on Lhe
alloy or Lhe loadlng condlLlons) As ls deLermlned by Lhe alloy Lype and composlLlon and can vary
beLween -130 C and 200 C
edlL
1woway memory effecL

1he Lwoway shapememory effecL ls Lhe effecL LhaL Lhe maLerlal remembers Lwo dlfferenL shapes
one aL low LemperaLures and one aL Lhe hlghLemperaLure shape A maLerlal LhaL shows a shape
memory effecL durlng boLh heaLlng and coollng ls called Lwoway shape memory 1hls can also be
obLalned wlLhouL Lhe appllcaLlon of an exLernal force (lnLrlnslc Lwoway effecL) 1he reason Lhe
maLerlal behaves so dlfferenLly ln Lhese slLuaLlons lles ln Lralnlng 1ralnlng lmplles LhaL a shape
memory can learn Lo behave ln a cerLaln way under normal clrcumsLances a shapememory alloy
remembers lLs hlghLemperaLure shape buL upon heaLlng Lo recover Lhe hlghLemperaLure shape
lmmedlaLely forgeLs Lhe lowLemperaLure shape Powever lL can be Lralned Lo remember Lo
leave some remlnders of Lhe deformed lowLemperaLure condlLlon ln Lhe hlghLemperaLure phases
1here are several ways of dolng Lhls4 A shaped Lralned ob[ecL heaLed beyond a cerLaln polnL wlll
lose Lhe Lwoway memory effecL Lhls ls known as amnesla
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seudoelasLlclLy

Cne of Lhe commerclal uses of shapememory alloy explolLs Lhe pseudoelasLlc properLles of Lhe
meLal durlng Lhe hlghLemperaLure (ausLenlLlc) phase 1he frames of readlng glasses have been
made of shapememory alloy as Lhey can undergo large deformaLlons ln Lhelr hlghLemperaLure
sLaLe and Lhen lnsLanLly reverL back Lo Lhelr orlglnal shape when Lhe sLress ls removed 1hls ls Lhe
resulL of pseudoelasLlclLy Lhe marLenslLlc phase ls generaLed by sLresslng Lhe meLal ln Lhe ausLenlLlc
sLaLe and Lhls marLenslLe phase ls capable of large sLralns WlLh Lhe removal of Lhe load Lhe
marLenslLe Lransforms back lnLo Lhe ausLenlLe phase and resumes lLs orlglnal shape

1hls allows Lhe meLal Lo be benL LwlsLed and pulled before reformlng lLs shape when released 1hls
means Lhe frames of shapememory alloy glasses are clalmed Lo be nearly lndesLrucLlble because
lL appears no amounL of bendlng resulLs ln permanenL plasLlc deformaLlon

1he marLenslLe LemperaLure of shapememory alloys ls dependenL on a number of facLors lncludlng
alloy chemlsLry Shapememory alloys wlLh LransformaLlon LemperaLures ln Lhe range of 601430 k
have been made
edlL
PlsLory

1he flrsL reporLed sLeps Lowards Lhe dlscovery of Lhe shapememory effecL were Laken ln Lhe 1930s
Accordlng Lo CLsuka and Wayman A Clander dlscovered Lhe pseudoelasLlc behavlor of Lhe AuCd
alloy ln 1932 Crenlnger and Mooradlan (1938) observed Lhe formaLlon and dlsappearance of a
marLenslLlc phase by decreaslng and lncreaslng Lhe LemperaLure of a CuZn alloy 1he baslc
phenomenon of Lhe memory effecL governed by Lhe LhermoelasLlc behavlor of Lhe marLenslLe phase
was wldely reporLed a decade laLer by kurd[umov and khandros (1949) and also by Chang and 8ead
(1931)1

1he nlckelLlLanlum alloys were flrsL developed ln 19621963 by Lhe unlLed SLaLes naval Crdnance
LaboraLory and commerclallzed under Lhe Lrade name nlLlnol (an acronym for nlckel 1lLanlum naval
Crdnance LaboraLorles) 1helr remarkable properLles were dlscovered by accldenL A sample LhaL
was benL ouL of shape many Llmes was presenLed aL a laboraLory managemenL meeLlng Cne of Lhe
assoclaLe Lechnlcal dlrecLors ur uavld S Muzzey declded Lo see whaL would happen lf Lhe sample
was sub[ecLed Lo heaL and held hls plpe llghLer underneaLh lL 1o everyones amazemenL Lhe sample
sLreLched back Lo lLs orlglnal shape36

1here ls anoLher Lype of SMA called a ferromagneLlc shapememory alloy (lSMA) LhaL changes
shape under sLrong magneLlc flelds 1hese maLerlals are of parLlcular lnLeresL as Lhe magneLlc
response Lends Lo be fasLer and more efflclenL Lhan LemperaLurelnduced responses

MeLal alloys are noL Lhe only Lhermallyresponslve maLerlals shapememory polymers have also
been developed and became commerclally avallable ln Lhe laLe 1990s
edlL
CrysLal sLrucLures

Many meLals have several dlfferenL crysLal sLrucLures aL Lhe same composlLlon buL mosL meLals do
noL show Lhls shapememory effecL 1he speclal properLy LhaL allows shapememory alloys Lo reverL
Lo Lhelr orlglnal shape afLer heaLlng ls LhaL Lhelr crysLal LransformaLlon ls fully reverslble ln mosL
crysLal LransformaLlons Lhe aLoms ln Lhe sLrucLure wlll Lravel Lhrough Lhe meLal by dlffuslon
changlng Lhe composlLlon locally even Lhough Lhe meLal as a whole ls made of Lhe same aLoms A
reverslble LransformaLlon does noL lnvolve Lhls dlffuslon of aLoms lnsLead all Lhe aLoms shlfL aL Lhe
same Llme Lo form a new sLrucLure much ln Lhe way a parallelogram can be made ouL of a square by
pushlng on Lwo opposlng sldes AL dlfferenL LemperaLures dlfferenL sLrucLures are preferred and
when Lhe sLrucLure ls cooled Lhrough Lhe LranslLlon LemperaLure Lhe marLenslLlc sLrucLure forms
from Lhe ausLenlLlc phase
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ManufacLure

Shapememory alloys are Lyplcally made by casLlng uslng vacuum arc melLlng or lnducLlon melLlng
1hese are speclallsL Lechnlques used Lo keep lmpurlLles ln Lhe alloy Lo a mlnlmum and ensure Lhe
meLals are well mlxed 1he lngoL ls Lhen hoL rolled lnLo longer secLlons and Lhen drawn Lo Lurn lL lnLo
wlre

1he way ln whlch Lhe alloys are Lralned depends on Lhe properLles wanLed 1he Lralnlng dlcLaLes
Lhe shape LhaL Lhe alloy wlll remember when lL ls heaLed 1hls occurs by heaLlng Lhe alloy so LhaL Lhe
dlslocaLlons reorder lnLo sLable poslLlons buL noL so hoL LhaL Lhe maLerlal recrysLalllzes 1hey are
heaLed Lo beLween 400 C and 300 C for 30 mlnuLes 1yplcal varlables for some alloys are 300 C
and for more Lhan 3 mlnuLes

1hey are Lhen shaped whlle hoL and are cooled rapldly by quenchlng ln waLer or by coollng wlLh alr
edlL
roperLles

1he copperbased and nl1lbased shapememory alloys are consldered Lo be englneerlng maLerlals
1hese composlLlons can be manufacLured Lo almosL any shape and slze

1he yleld sLrengLh of shapememory alloys ls lower Lhan LhaL of convenLlonal sLeel buL some
composlLlons have a hlgher yleld sLrengLh Lhan plasLlc or alumlnum 1he yleld sLress for nl 1l can
reach 300 Ma 1he hlgh cosL of Lhe meLal lLself and Lhe processlng requlremenLs make lL dlfflculL
and expenslve Lo lmplemenL SMAs lnLo a deslgn As a resulL Lhese maLerlals are used ln appllcaLlons
where Lhe super elasLlc properLles or Lhe shapememory effecL can be explolLed 1he mosL common
appllcaLlon ls ln acLuaLlon

Cne of Lhe advanLages Lo uslng shapememory alloys ls Lhe hlgh level of recoverable plasLlc sLraln
LhaL can be lnduced 1he maxlmum recoverable sLraln Lhese maLerlals can hold wlLhouL permanenL
damage ls up Lo 8 for some alloys 1hls compares wlLh a maxlmum sLraln 03 for convenLlonal
sLeels
edlL
AppllcaLlons
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lndusLrlal
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AlrcrafL
See also AlrcrafL

oelng Ceneral LlecLrlc AlrcrafL Lnglnes Coodrlch CorporaLlon nASA and All nlppon Alrways
developed Lhe varlable CeomeLry Chevron uslng shapememory alloy LhaL reduces alrcrafLs englne
nolse
edlL
lplng
See also lplng

1he flrsL consumer commerclal appllcaLlon for Lhe maLerlal was as a shapememory coupllng for
plplng eg oll llne plpes for lndusLrlal appllcaLlons waLer plpes and slmllar Lypes of plplng for
consumer/commerclal appllcaLlons
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AuLomoLlve
See also AuLomoLlve

1he flrsL hlgh volume producL ( 3Mlo acLuaLors / annual) ls an auLomoLlve valve appllcaLlon bulld Lo
run low pressure pneumaLlcs /bladders ln a car seaL Lo ad[usL Lhe conLour (lumbar supporL /
bolsLers) 1he accounLlng of baslcal all beneflLs of SMA over solenolds (nolse/LMC/welghL/package
(form facLor)/power consumpLlon) was Lhe cruclal facLor Lo replace Lhe sLandard Lechnology by
SMA Where ln oLher appllcaLlons usually [usL 2 or 3 SMA beneflLs are consldered and hlnder from
replaclng Lhe old Lechnologles
edlL
1elecommunlcaLlon
See also 1elecommunlcaLlon

1he second hlgh volume appllcaLlon was an Al AuLofocus acLuaLor for a smarL phone ln Lhls
momenL Lhere are dlfferenL companles worklng on an ClS (opLlcal lmage sLablllsaLlon) module
drlven by SMA wlres
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8oboLlcs
See also 8oboLlcs

1here have also been llmlLed sLudles on uslng Lhese maLerlals ln roboLlcs for example Lhe hobbylsL
roboL SLlqulLo (and 8oboLerfrau Lara7) as Lhey make lL posslble Lo creaLe very llghL roboLs Weak
polnLs of Lhe Lechnology are energy lnefflclency slow response Llmes and large hysLeresls

nlLlnol wlre ls also used ln and ln a few maglc Lrlcks parLlcularly Lhose lnvolvlng heaL and
shapeshlfLlng
edlL
Medlclne

Shapememory alloys are applled ln medlclne for example as flxaLlon devlces for osLeoLomles ln
orLhopaedlc surgery ln denLal braces Lo exerL consLanL LooLhmovlng forces on Lhe LeeLh

1he laLe 1980s saw Lhe commerclal lnLroducLlon of nlLlnol as an enabllng Lechnology ln a number of
mlnlmally lnvaslve endovascular medlcal appllcaLlons Whlle more cosLly Lhan sLalnless sLeel Lhe self
expandlng properLles of nlLlnol alloys manufacLured Lo 18 (ody 1emperaLure 8esponse) have
provlded an aLLracLlve alLernaLlve Lo balloon expandable devlces ln sLenL grafLs where lL glves Lhe
ablllLy Lo adapL Lo Lhe shape of cerLaln blood vessels when exposed Lo body LemperaLure Cn
average 30 of all perlpheral vascular sLenLs currenLly avallable on Lhe worldwlde markeL are
manufacLured wlLh nlLlnol
edlL
CpLomeLry

Lyeglass frames made from LlLanlumconLalnlng SMAs are markeLed under Lhe Lrademarks llexon
and 1l1Anflex 1hese frames are usually made ouL of shapememory alloys LhaL have Lhelr LranslLlon
LemperaLure seL below Lhe expecLed room LemperaLure 1hls allows Lhe frames Lo undergo large
deformaLlon under sLress yeL regaln Lhelr lnLended shape once Lhe meLal ls unloaded agaln 1he
very large apparenLly elasLlc sLralns are due Lo Lhe sLresslnduced marLenslLlc effecL where Lhe
crysLal sLrucLure can Lransform under loadlng allowlng Lhe shape Lo change Lemporarlly under load
1hls means LhaL eyeglasses made of shapememory alloys are more robusL agalnsL belng accldenLally
damaged
edlL
CrLhopedlc surgery 1hls secLlon needs aLLenLlon from an experL on Lhe sub[ecL See Lhe Lalk
page for deLalls Wlklro[ecL Medlclne or Lhe Medlclne orLal may be able Lo help recrulL an experL
(lebruary 2009)


Memory meLal has been uLlllzed ln orLhopedlc surgery as a flxaLloncompresslon devlce for
osLeoLomles Lyplcally for lower exLremlLy procedures 1he devlce usually ln Lhe form of a large
sLaple ls sLored ln a refrlgeraLor ln lLs malleable form and ls lmplanLed lnLo predrllled holes ln Lhe
bone across an osLeoLomy As Lhe sLaple warms lL reLurns Lo lLs nonmalleable sLaLe and compresses
Lhe bony surfaces LogeLher Lo promoLe bone unlon8
edlL
uenLlsLry

1he range of appllcaLlons for SMAs has grown over Lhe years a ma[or area of developmenL belng
denLlsLry Cne example ls Lhe prevalence of denLal braces uslng SMA Lechnology Lo exerL consLanL
LooLhmovlng forces on Lhe LeeLh Lhe nlLlnol archwlre was developed ln 1972 by orLhodonLlsL
Ceorge Andreasen9 1hls revoluLlonlzed cllnlcal orLhodonLlcs and has also had an effecL on flber
opLlc developmenL Andreasens alloy has a paLLerned shape memory expandlng and conLracLlng
wlLhln glven LemperaLure ranges because of lLs geomeLrlc programmlng

ParmeeL u Walla laLer uLlllzed Lhe alloy ln Lhe manufacLure of rooL canal flles for endodonLlcs
edlL
MaLerlals

Alloys of meLals havlng Lhe memory effecL aL dlfferenL LemperaLures and aL dlfferenL percenLages of
lLs solld soluLlon conLenLs
AgCd 44/49 aL Cd
AuCd 463/30 aL Cd
CuAlnl 14/143 wL Al and 3/43 wL nl
CuSn approx 13 aL Sn
CuZn 383/413 wL Zn
CuZnx (x Sl Al Sn)
leL approx 23 aL L
MnCu 3/33 aL Cu
leMnSl
L alloys
ConlAl
ConlCa
nlleCa
1ld ln varlous concenLraLlons
nl1l (33 nl)
nl1lnb
nlMnCa



A mlcroacLuaLor ls a mlcroscoplc servomechanlsm LhaL supplles and LransmlLs a measured amounL
of energy for Lhe operaLlon of anoLher mechanlsm or sysLem As a general acLuaLor followlng
sLandards have Lo be meL
Large Lravel
Plgh preclslon
lasL swlLchlng
Low power consumpLlon
ower free force susLalnablllLy

lor mlcroacLuaLor Lhere are Lwo ln addlLlon
MlcrosLrucLurablllLy
lnLegrablllLy