What is it about?
A shape-memory alloy is an alloy that can be deformed when cold but returns to its pre-deformed ("remembered") shape when heated. It may also be called memory metal, memory alloy, smart metal, smart alloy, or muscle wire. Parts made of shape-memory alloys can be lightweight, solid-state alternatives to conventional actuators such as hydraulic, pneumatic, and motor-based systems. They can also be used to make hermetic joints in metal tubing.
Featured Image
Photo by Ilze Lucero on Unsplash
Why is it important?
SMA has many advantages over traditional actuators, but do suffer from a series of limitations that may impede practical application. In numerous studies, it was emphasized that only a few of patented shape memory alloy applications are commercially successful due to material limitations combined with a lack of material and design knowledge and associated tools, such as improper design approaches and techniques used. The challenges in designing SMA applications are to overcome their limitations, which include a relatively small usable strain, low actuation frequency, low controllability, low accuracy, and low energy efficiency. In recent days, it is being found that shape memory alloys can be used in the medicinal field which helps to alleviate numerous disabilities in people.
Perspectives
The biomedical field has developed a great interest in the mechanical properties of Shape memory materials (SMMs), which satisfy certain specifications required by their implantations. SMMs has applications in various medical devices where they interact with the organic materials and bodily fluids. Therefore it is important to provide attention when SMMs are interfaced with tissues or organic materials. Since they are man-made, they are alien to the body and hence need to full fill the prerequisites such as bio functionality, biostability, and biocompatibility during implantation.
Mr Arunabha Majumder
Siddaganga Institute of Technolgy
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Synthesis and Evaluation of Biocompatibility of Cu-Al-Mn Shape Memory Alloy, Materials Science Forum, August 2019, Trans Tech Publications,
DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.969.380.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
