Inspenet, September 22, 2023.
It’s about a nickel composite material, an element commonly used in the manufacture of batteries and to accelerate chemical reactions in this type of processes and titanium, a metal widely recognized for its use in the manufacture of various devices and tools due to its three distinctive characteristics: its low density, high strength, and ability to resist corrosion caused by seawater and chlorine.
Nitinol: revolutionary new metal?
Nitinol is an innovative metal that stands out for its ability to retain its original shape . It emerged as part of a Kickstarter project and has the potential to become a highly relevant material in the construction of objects that require maintaining their tubular shape.
This means that it has a “memory” property, that is, it retains its shape even when subjected to forces that try to modify it . Only through exposure to high temperatures is it possible to alter its shape and, in addition, it presents notable resistance to corrosion , even in the presence of acids, for long periods of time.
Likewise, Nitinol presents a significant value proposition for a wide variety of everyday products, as well as those that play a crucial role in preserving lives. If we focus on its first advantage, it can be used in all those products that require a long-lasting spring, since thanks to its memory capacity, it can maintain a specific shape for a long period.
Another use could be in the manufacture of tubeless wheels, since a Nitinol spring would be able to maintain the cylindrical shape necessary for a bicycle to move efficiently. Furthermore, by dispensing with the inner tube and maintaining a constant shape, problems related to punctures could become obsolete.
However, there is another area that is even more intriguing: the area of health, because Nitinol is mainly composed of titanium, an element that is used in the manufacture of some prostheses to avoid rejection by the body and provide greater resistance. .
It is important to mention that this is not a revolutionary new material in the style of graphene, that is, it is not a substance with properties never seen before, but it is certainly a material with the potential to have a significant impact.
Source: https://www.adslzone.net/noticias/tecnologia/nitinol-material-metal-no-pierde-forma/