SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS

Department of Applied Physics

 CONTENTS
◼ INTRODUCTION TO SMAs
◼ HOW SMAs WORK ???

◼ CHARACTERISTICS OF SMAs

◼ APPLICATIONS

◼ ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
 INTRODUCTION TO
SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS
 WHAT ARE SHAPE
MEMORY ALLOYS?

◼ DEFINITION: A shape memory alloy is

an alloy that "remembers" its shape, and can
be returned to that shape after being
deformed, by subjecting it to appropriate
thermal procedure.
 HISTORY OF SMAs
◼ First steps taken in 1930’s.
◼ A.Ölander discovered pseudo elastic behavior of
Au-Cd in 1932 .
◼ Greninger & Mooradian observed formation of
Cu-Zn alloy in 1938.
◼ Kurdjumov & Khandros reported Shape
memory effect of Cu-Zn in 1949.
◼ Ni-Ti alloys were first developed in 1962 by
Naval Ordnance Laboratory
 HOW SHAPE
MEMORY ALLOYS
WORK?
 MARTENSITE PHASE
◼ Martensite, is the relatively soft and easily
deformable phase of SMAs, which exists at
lower temperatures. The molecular
structure in this phase is twinned (refer
diagram).
◼ Stress and temperature of material greatly
influence martensite phase.
 AUSTENITE PHASE

◼Austenite, the stronger phase of shape

memory alloys, occurs at higher temperatures.
The shape of the Austenite structure is cubic,
symmetrical and has a crystal structure.
◼ The un-deformed Martensite phase is the
same size and shape as the cubic Austenite
phase on a macroscopic scale.
 DEPENDENCY OF
TEMPERATURE ON LOADING
CHARACTERISTICS OF
SMAs
 SHAPE MEMORY EFFECT
◼ “ The change of shape of a material at low
temperature by loading and regaining of
original shape by thermal process is known
as shape memory effect. ”
◼ The shape memory effect is observed
when the temperature of a piece of shape
memory alloy is cooled to below the
temperature Mf.
 PSEUDO ELASTICITY
◼ Pseudo elasticity occurs in SMAs when
the alloy is completely composed of
austenite phase (T>Af).
◼ Pseudo elasticity is an elastic response to
relatively high stress caused by a phase
transformation between the austenitic and
martensitic phases of a crystal.
 HYSTERISIS
◼ Hysteresis is the difference between the
temperature at which the material is 50%
transformed to austenite phase upon
heating and 50% to martensite upon
cooling.
◼ Generally difference in around 25.C.
APPLICATIONS OF SMAs
AERONAUTICAL APPLICATIONS

Figure 1: Typical Wing and Flap

Figure 2: Electromechanical Actuator
Figure 3: Hinge less shape memory alloy Flap
MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

1.Bone Plates

Figure 1 :
Conventional
bone Plate
Figure 2 : Typical Osteosynthesis tools
Figure 3: Badly Fractured face is reconstructed
2. Muscle Wires Figure 1
Figure 2: Model of palm of hand
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

⚫ PIPING
⚫ Optometry
⚫ Dentistry
⚫ Springs and shock absorbers
BIBLIOGRAPHY

⚫ INTERNET
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_memory_alloy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_memory_alloy
⚫ Engineering Physics _ P.Mani
THANK YOU !!!