This book, the first dedicated to this exciting and rapidly growing field, enables readers to understand and prepare high-quality, high-performance TiNi shape memory alloys (SMAs). It covers the properties, preparation and characterization of TiNi SMAs, with particular focus on the latest technologies and applications in MEMS and biological devices. Basic techniques and theory are covered to introduce new-comers to the subject, whilst various sub-topics, such as film deposition, characterization, post treatment, and applying thin films to practical situations, appeal to more informed readers. Each chapter is written by expert authors, providing an overview of each topic and summarizing all the latest developments, making this an ideal reference for practitioners and researchers alike.

This book showcases different processes of fabrication and processing applied to shape memory alloys. It provides details and collective information on working principles, process mechanisms, salient features, novel aspects, process capabilities, properties of material and unique applications of shape memory alloys. The recent progress on fabrication and processing are specially addressed in this book. It covers major topics of manufacturing such as machining, joining, welding and processing of shape memory alloys.

The first dedicated book describing the properties, preparation, characterization and device applications of TiNi-based shape memory alloys.

Shape memory alloys offer the highest work output per unit volume among smart materials and have both high actuation stress and large recoverable strain. Miniaturization of materials and devices requires shape memory actuation which is uncompromised at a small scale. However, size effects need to be understood in order to scale shape memory actuation with the minimum size critical to device design. Controlling material quality and properties is essential in fabrication of shape memory alloys into nanometer regime. This work demonstrates a novel fabrication technique, biased target ion beam deposition (BTIBD), which uses additional adatom energy in order to fabricate high-quality nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloys thin films with nanometer thickness. These fabricated ultrathin NiTi films provide insight into the size scale dependence of shape memory functionality at nanoscale regime. BTIBD provides additional adatom energy to the growing film in order to fundamentally tailor the film growth mode for quality and properties. An independent ion beam source is customized in BTIBD to provide low-energy ions (tens of eV) during growth of films on substrates. Pure Ti and pure Ni targets are co-sputtering in BTIBD to fabricate NiTi thin films. The prepared NiTi films are continuous, and the thickness ranges from several tens to a few hundreds nanometers. The composition is controllable over the range of Ni-rich (>50.5 at% Ni), near-equiatomic, and Ti-rich (

With this grant we explored the properties that result from combining the effects of nanostructuring and shape memory using both experimental and theoretical approaches. We developed new methods to make nanostructured NiTi by melt-spinning and cold rolling fabrication strategies, which elicited significantly different behavior. A template synthesis method was also used to created nanoparticles. In order to characterize the particles we created, we developed a new magnetically-assisted particle manipulation technique to manipulate and position nanoscale samples for testing. Beyond characterization, this technique has broader implications for assembly of nanoscale devices and we demonstrated promising applications for optical switching through magnetically-controlled scattering and polarization capabilities. Nanoparticles of nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy were also produced using thin film deposition technology and nanosphere lithography. Our work revealed the first direct evidence that the thermally-induced martensitic transformation of these films allows for partial indent recovery on the nanoscale. In addition to thoroughly characterizing and modeling the nanoindentation behavior in NiTi thin films, we demonstrated the feasibility of using nanoindentation on an SMA film for write-read-erase schemes for data storage.

Shape memory alloys are suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications, such as dentistry, bone repair and cardiovascular stents. Shape memory alloys for biomedical applications provides a comprehensive review of the use of shape memory alloys in these and other areas of medicine. Part one discusses fundamental issues with chapters on such topics as mechanical properties, fabrication of materials, the shape memory effect, superelasticity, surface modification and biocompatibility. Part two covers applications of shape memory alloys in areas such as stents and orthodontic devices as well as other applications in the medical and dental fields. With its distinguished editors and international team of contributors, Shape memory alloys for biomedical applications is an essential reference for materials scientists and engineers working in the medical devices industry and in academia. A comprehensive review of shape memory metals and devices for medical applications Discusses materials, mechanical properties, surface modification and biocompatibility Chapters review medical and dental devices using shape memory metals, including stents and orthodontic devices