Physics:Nitinol 60
NiTiNOL 60, or 60 NiTiNOL, is a Nickel Titanium alloy (nominally Ni-40wt% Ti) discovered in the late 1950s by the U. S. Naval Ordnance Laboratory (hence the "NOL" portion of the name NiTiNOL).[1] Depending upon the heat treat history, 60 NiTiNOL has the ability to exhibit either superelastic properties in the hardened state or shape memory characteristics in the softened state.[2]
Producing the material in any meaningful quantities, however, proved quite difficult by conventional methods and the material was largely forgotten.
The composition and processing parameters have recently been revived by Summit Materials, LLC under the trademarked name SM-100. SM-100 maintains 60 NiTiNOL's combination of superb corrosion resistance [NASA terms it "Corrosion Proof"[3]] and equally impressive wear and erosion properties.[4]
In bearing lifting tests conducted by NASA, SM-100 has been shown to have over twice the life of 440C stainless steel and over ten times the life of conventional titanium alloys with a significantly lower coefficient of friction.[5] The superelastic nature of the material gives it the ability to withstand compression loading of well over 350 ksi (2,400 MPa) with no permanent yielding.[citation needed]
Applications
Common applications for Nitinol 60 include:
- Bearings[6]
- High-end knives[7]
- High-end ice hockey skate blades[8]
- Implantable medical devices, including collapsible braided structures and stents[9]
Properties
The following table compares 60 NiTiNOL against commonly used bearing materials.[3]
| SM-100 | 440C | M-50 | |
| Density (g/cm3) | 6.7 | 7.8 | 8.0 |
| Hardness | 58-64 Rc | 58-62 Rc | 60-65 Rc |
| Corrosion Resistance | Excellent | Marginal | Poor |
| Magnetic | Non | Mag. | Mag. |
| Modell Number | 38 | 14 | 16 |
References
- ↑ US patent 6,422,010, Gerald J. Julien, "Manufacturing of Nitinol parts and forms", issued 2002-July-23
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 DellaCorte, 2010, "Nickel-Titanium Alloys: Corrosion Proof Alloys for Space Bearing, Components and Mechanism Applications", NASA-2010-216334
- ↑ "Bearing Components". http://www.summitmaterials.com/sm-100/bearing-components/.
- ↑ DellaCorte, 2009, "Intermetallic Nickel-Titanium Alloys for Oil-Lubricated Bearing Applications", NASA-2009-215646, https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20090019112.pdf
- ↑ "Metalworking Techniques Unlock a Unique Alloy". https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2015/ip_4.html.
- ↑ "Summit Materials". http://www.summitmaterials.com/sm-100/knives/.
- ↑ "Why Use Nitinol Blades". http://nitinolblades.com/why-use-nitinol-blades/.
- ↑ "Braided Structures for Medical Devices". http://www.usbiodesign.com/custom-manufacturing/braids.
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