Shape Memory Effect–Intelligent Alloys

Published on 03 Jul 2021. Written by Bheru Singh

About the project

We are well aware of the fact that the required properties and characteristics for a certain application cannot be obtained from a single material for example glass is an insulator but it is not ductile so any impact would generate stress in the glass and lead to the formation of cracks in the glass causing failure or breakage.

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A solution was provided by a material manufacturing process called alloying of metals, composites. In this process, different materials with different properties are blend in a calculated proportion and manufactured so that the required properties for the specified application of material can be achieved.

Category of materials which inherit almost all the required properties in a good proportion is termed as a smart material which will have different properties like good conductivity, good strength, good hardness, good toughness, low weight, economical on cost grounds. These materials are sensitive to different properties like temperature, stress, electric fields, etc.

There are different types of smart materials depending on the application like the piezoelectric materials which gives potential difference on deformation, thermoelectric materials which give potential difference with temperature, shape memory alloys which gives deformation over temperature input, thermo chromic which changes color on temperature input etc.

Shape memory alloy is a metal which undergoes solid to solid transformation i.e. changes to a new solid shape under external force, but recovers its original shape when heat is given to the material and because of the property that the material can remember and recover the original shape these materials are called as shape memory alloys or intelligent materials. Shape memory alloys have two phases called austenite and martensite which provide the detailed information on the behavior of the material under temperature.

Different compositions are materials are used in shape memory alloys like Copper + Aluminium + Nickel, Nickel + Titanium etc. Intelligent materials have application in the areas of aircraft, orthopedic surgery, dental, transformer robots, space missions etc.

Kit required to develop Shape Memory Effect–Intelligent Alloys:

• Alloys
• Heat Chamber
• Mixer

Technologies you will learn by working on Shape Memory Effect–Intelligent Alloys:

• Material science and material properties
• Thermodynamic properties of materials

Any Questions?