Nitinol wire, a kind of shape memory alloy, is a very special metal that can do very cool things. This metal is a combination of nickel and titanium and has some special features. Nitinol wire is super bendable and can return to its original shape when bent or twisted. This makes it versatile in a number of ways, and particularly in medicine.
Perhaps the coolest thing about Nitinol wire is that it can remember its shape. What this means is that when you bend or twist the wire, when heated, will always return to its original form. It’s also the reason doctors use Nitinol wire in medical devices such as stents and braces. The wire, which can be bent to fit inside a patient and then snap back to its original shape when it’s in place, can be pushed or pulled through critical arteries until it reaches the heart. That’s what makes this extremely useful for doctors and patients.”
It is the exclusive microscopic structure of Nitinol wire that gives it its remarkable characteristic features. When the wire is heated, the crystals inside stretch and revert to their original shape. That allows the wire to bend and even twist without breaking, then return to its original shape when it is heated up once more. Scientists and engineers have been fascinated with Nitinol wire for years, trying to figure how it works and how it can be used in a variety of ways.
Much of Nitinol wire finds application in medical devices. It is commonly shaped into stents, which are small tubes used to help keep blood vessels open. The wire can also be used to make braces that straighten teeth or support bones after surgery. Apart from medicine, Nitinol wire is employed in several industries, from robotics to aerospace, and even toys. Because of such qualities, it is an extremely useful material.
Crystals inside Nitinol wire allow it to bend or twist when the wire is heated. But after the wire cools, the crystals revert back to their original shape, and the wire returns to being straight. This process can occur multiple times, which makes Nitinol wire incredibly strong, as well as long-lived. The wire can also be taught to hold a shape, so when heated it will always assume that shape.
Nitinol wire is continually inspiring scientists and engineers to come up with new uses. They are developing new medical devices, such as heart valves and surgical tools, that exploit the wire’s unique qualities. Scientists are also researching how Nitinol wire can be used in other fields, including manufacturing and transportation. Given its incredible flexibility and strength, Nitinol wire is surely an actor to watch in the future.