The unique two-dimensional structure of a nitinol sheet enables designers to overcome a number of design obstacles when working with nitinol wire or tube. The flat substrate allows nitinol to be processed in ways that cannot be done on wire or tube, such as stamping and laser cutting.
nitinol sheets are a form of shape memory alloy and take advantage of the stress-induced martensitic transformation to achieve incredible amounts of flexibility, strain recovery, and kink resistance. In addition, this product form is able to take advantage of superelastic properties when the Active Af temperature is below room temperature and up to 37degC.
Nitinol is a high strength, nickel titanium alloy that can be formed into a variety of shapes and forms such as tubes, wires, and sheets. These materials are typically processed with a combination of hot working and cold working to achieve the desired mechanical properties.
Processing of nitinol includes complete annealing cycles for as-drawn wire and rolled ribbon and flat strain annealing and shape set strain annealing for sheet products. Flat strain annealing requires a final heat treatment to establish the proper balance of mechanical properties and to permanently set the flat product into a permanent shape.
Nitinol is also a biocompatible material that can be used for a number of medical applications including catheters, guidewires, orthopedic implants and neurovascular interventions. Nitinol is also a popular choice for self-expanding stents that support blood vessels and keep them open.
