#shape memory alloys

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Laser AM Advances Shape Memory Alloys For 4D Printing

A new research paper maps how laser additive manufacturing is bringing shape memory alloys closer to practical 4D printing. The paper, published in Innovation Discovery by researchers in Iran and Austria, synthesizes the last several years of work on shape memory alloys (SMAs) made by metal additive processes. It focuses on Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) for nickel titanium (NiTi) and increasingly for copper and iron systems, while also weighing Electron Beam Melting (EBM) and Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). If you are new to the term in this context, 4D printing is simply AM plus time — parts that change shape on cue via the shape memory effect or superelasticity. Typically this is done with polymers, but far less often with metals. That means metal microstructure, impurity control and thermal history right at the center of design, not just geometry.

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"Microstructure evolution in shape memory alloy nanocube"

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[materialsscienceandengineering]

New copper alloy shows shape memory effect at -200°C for space use

Researchers have developed a novel copper-based alloy that exhibits a special shape memory effect at temperatures as low as -200°C. The work has been published in the journal Communications Engineering. Shape memory alloys can be deformed into different shapes when cold, but will revert back to their original shape when heated (as if "remembering" their default state, like memory foam). This exciting new alloy has the potential to be used for space equipment and hydrogen-related technologies, where challenging, cold environments below -100°C are the norm. Previously studied shape memory alloys using Ni-Ti could not maintain their shape memory ability below -20°C, despite their otherwise practical characteristics.

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[materialsscienceandengineering]

A lightweight flexible alloy for extreme temperatures

Strong, lightweight, superelastic, and able to function across a range of temperatures, this newly developed alloy could be a game-changer f

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a groundbreaking titanium-aluminum (Ti-Al)-based superelastic alloy. This new material is not only lightweight but also strong, offering the unique superelastic capability to function across a broad temperature range -- from as low as -269°C, the temperature of liquid helium, to +127°C, which is above the boiling point of water. This discovery holds significant potential for a variety of applications, including those in space exploration and medical technology. Sheng Xu, an Assistant Professor at Tohoku University's Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, emphasized the importance of the alloy's wide operational temperature range. "This alloy is the first of its kind to maintain superelasticity at such an extreme range of temperatures while remaining lightweight and strong, which opens up a variety of practical applications that were not possible before. The alloy's properties make it ideal for future space missions, such as creating superelastic tires for lunar rovers to navigate the extreme temperature fluctuations on the Moon's surface."

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[materialsscienceandengineering]

No bolts about it: New technology improves structural strength

Researchers have significantly improved a new joining technology, interlocking metasurfaces (ILMs), designed to increase the strength and st

In a collaborative effort between Texas A&M University and Sandia National Laboratories, researchers have significantly improved a new joining technology, interlocking metasurfaces (ILMs), designed to increase the strength and stability of a structure in comparison to traditional techniques like bolts and adhesives, using shape memory alloys (SMAs). ILMs offer the potential to transform mechanical joint design in manufacturing for aerospace, robotics and biomedical devices. "ILMs are poised to redefine joining technologies across a range of applications, much like Velcro did decades ago," said Dr. Ibrahim Karaman, professor and head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering Department at Texas A&M. "In collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories, the original developers of ILMs, we have engineered and fabricated ILMs from shape memory alloys. Our research demonstrates that these ILMs can be selectively disengaged and re-engaged on demand while maintaining consistent joint strength and structural integrity."

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