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2.  Buehler’s discovery of an NiTi alloy (Nitinol) in
1962, formed the basis for commercial use.
Before then shape memory alloys had been
observed but where not affective enough for
practical use.
 SMA’s have seen commercial use since the late
1980’s when they where first used for coupling
on oil pipes.

3.  One way SMA’s are the most common type and can be deformed when cool, but
upon heating, they return to their trained shape.
 Two way SMA’s can be trained to have a cool shape as well as a hot one.
 Different types include
 Ag-Cd 44/49 at.% Cd
 Au-Cd 46.5/50 at.% Cd
 Cu-Al-Ni 14/14.5 wt.% Al and 3/4.5 wt.% Ni
 Cu-Sn approx. 15 at.% Sn
 Cu-Zn 38.5/41.5 wt.% Zn
 Cu-Zn-X (X = Si, Al, Sn)
 Fe-Pt approx. 25 at.% Pt
 Mn-Cu 5/35 at.% Cu
 Fe-Mn-Si
 Pt alloys
 Co-Ni-Al
 Co-Ni-Ga
 Ni-Fe-Ga
 Ti-Pd in various concentrations
 Ni-Ti (~55% Ni

4.  The most common commercial application
involves the pseudo-elastic property during it’s
high temperature state.
 This includes eye-glasses, cell phone antennas,
and so on, which are experiencing their high
temperature state at room temperature.

5.  In the future, if significant steps can taken in cost
reduction, SMA’s will be used for almost every metal
object. Mail boxes could pop back into shape on a sunny
day. That slinky you had as a child would have lasted
longer then thirty minutes.
 Imagine getting into a car wreck, then only needing to
hold a torch to your vehicle to repair the damage.
 There are endless new uses for Biomedical applications,
such as surgical equipment and mechanical devices.
 There could also be morphing airplanes and submarines
that could increase efficiency at different speeds.

6.  In the future, if significant steps can taken in cost
reduction, SMA’s will be used for almost every metal
object. Mail boxes could pop back into shape on a sunny
day. That slinky you had as a child would have lasted
longer then thirty minutes.
 Imagine getting into a car wreck, then only needing to
hold a torch to your vehicle to repair the damage.
 There are endless new uses for Biomedical applications,
such as surgical equipment and mechanical devices.
 There could also be morphing airplanes and submarines
that could increase efficiency at different speeds.