NiTiNOL 60, or 60 NiTiNOL, is a
Nickel Titanium
Nickel titanium, also known as Nitinol, is a metal alloy of nickel and titanium, where the two elements are present in roughly equal atomic percentages. Different alloys are named according to the weight percentage of nickel; e.g., Nitinol 55 and ...
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).
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.
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
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used only for a ...
, LLC under the trademarked name SM-100. SM-100 maintains 60 NiTiNOL's combination of superb corrosion resistance [NASA terms it "Corrosion Proof"
[DellaCorte, 2010, "Nickel-Titanium Alloys: Corrosion Proof Alloys for Space Bearing, Components and Mechanism Applications", NASA-2010-216334]] and equally impressive wear and erosion properties.
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. The superelastic nature of the material gives it the ability to withstand compression loading of well over with no permanent yielding.
Applications
Common applications for Nitinol 60 include:
* Bearings
* High-end knives
* High-end ice hockey skate blades
*Implantable medical devices, including collapsible braided structures and stents
Properties
The following table compares 60 NiTiNOL against commonly used bearing materials.
References
{{Reflist
Nickel alloys
Smart materials
Materials science
Nickel–titanium alloys