Shape Memory Alloy with Adjustable, Wide-Ranging Actuation Temperatures

Innovators at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed a new Nickel Titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) with additions of Hafnium (Hf) and Zirconium (Zr) that offers a broader transformation temperature range and greater dimensional stability than any other SMA on the market. In spite of their many unique properties, broad commercial success of SMAs has remained elusive due to limited phase transformation temperatures and dimensional instability in high cycle applications.