• A group of metallic alloys which show the ability

to return to their original shape or size when they are

subjected to appropriate thermal
procedure(heating/cooling) are called memory metals
or memory alloys.

•They are also called Shape Memory Alloy(SMA),

smart alloy, smart metal, muscle wire, active metals,
adaptive materials.
• At low temperature – plastic nature – easily deformable
under application of force
• At high temperature – behave like metals – induced
strain not recoverable.
•Examples:
Ni – Ti Alloy
Cu – Al – Ni Alloy
Cu – Zn – Al Alloy
Au – Cd Alloy
Ni – Mn – Ga Alloy
• SMAs are prepared in vacuum or in an inert gas
atmosphere.
• The methods such as plasma arc melting, vacuum
induction, casting etc. are used for commercial
preparations.
• These methods reduce the impurity present in the
alloys and enhance the mixing.
•The alloy is heated to 400C – 500C for 30mins.
• They are then shaped while hot and are cooled rapidly
by quenching in water or by cooling with air.
 SHAPE MEMORY EFFECT
• The change of
shape of a
material at low
temperature by
loading and
regaining of
original shape by
heating it, is
known as Shape
Memory
Effect(SME).
 HYSTERESIS
• Hysteresis is
defined as the
difference between
the temperature at
which the material is
50% transformed to
austenite upon
heating and 50%
transformed to
martensite upon
cooling. The
difference can be up
to 20 – 30C
 ONE WAY SHIFT
Under normal circumstances, a
shape memory alloy remembers
its high-temperature shape, but
upon heating to recover the high-
temperature shape, immediately
forgets the low-temperature shape.
 With the one-way effect, cooling
from high temperatures does not
cause a macroscopic shape
change. A deformation is
necessary to create the low-
temperature shape. On heating,
transformation starts at As and is
completed at Af .
 TWO WAY SHIFT
 The two-way shape
memory effect is the effect
that the material
remembers two different
shapes: one at low
temperatures, and one at
the high temperature
shape.
This can also be obtained
without the application of
an external force (intrinsic
two-way effect).
• Pseudo – elasticity occurs in the SMAs when the
alloy is completely in austenite (T>Af).
• It occurs without a change in temperature.
• The load on SMA is increased until the austenite
becomes transformed to martensite simply due to the
loading.
• If the loading is decreased the martensite is
transformed back into austenite since the temperature
is still above Af and thus getting back to its original
shape.
 PROPERTIES OF SMAs
ADVANTAGES
• They have simplicity,
compactness and high
safety mechanism.
• They have good bio –
compatibility.
• They are clean and silent.
• They have good
mechanical properties and
strong corrosion – resistant.
• They have high
power/weight ratio.
DISADVANTAGES
• They have poor fatigue
properties.
• They are expensive.
• They have low energy
efficiency.
• They have limited
bandwidth due to the
heating and cooling
restrictions.
• Aircraft industry – engines – reduces engine
noise
• Robotics – light weight robots
• Medicine – fixing devices in orthopedic surgery
and also for stent graft
• Orthodontics – holds teeth with a constant stress
• Optometry – spectacle frames
• Antenna wires – cellular phones
• Springs, shock absorbers and valves