Nitinol, the Shape Memory Metal #funfacts #science

Nitinol - Metallic Muscles with Shape Memory.

NiTiNOL's shape-memory effect arises from a reversible phase transformation between its austenite and martensite crystal structures. At higher temperatures, in the austenite phase, NiTiNOL maintains a specific shape due to its ordered crystal structure. When cooled below a transition temperature, it transforms into the martensite phase, becoming flexible and deformable. This is where you can bend the wire and deform it into any shape you’d like. Upon heating above the transition temperature (the