Staff at SPhTI TSU, with the support of the Russian Science Foundation, are researching the limits of the functional capabilities of titanium nickelide, the most popular material with shape memory. The scientists are analyzing the behavior of the alloy under high temperature and increased load, and also creating new heat treatment regimes to improve its functional properties. The results will help to find additional applications for titanium nickelide in the manufacture of devices for spacecraft, in aircraft manufacturing and the automotive industry, and in many other areas.
- Modern industry is constantly evolving, so engineers and researchers are faced with more and more complex technical tasks, -says Ekaterina Timofeeva, project leader, researcher at the Laboratory of Physics of High-Strength Crystals SPhTI TSU. - Titanium nickelide is the most popular material with shape memory, but despite its wide practical application, the potential of this material has not been exhausted yet.
One of the most significant features of titanium nickelide is its high compatibility with human biological tissues, so the alloy is widely used in the manufacture of implants. Along with this, materials with shape memory are used to manufacture automatic opening and closing devices for valves; operating mechanisms that perform mechanical work under the influence of heat; devices for damping or preventing vibrations arising in machines, devices, systems or structures during their operation; and others.
To fully reveal the operational capabilities of titanium nickelide, it is necessary to find out how stable the properties of the alloy are under extreme conditions - high temperatures above + 100°C and high voltages above 1000 megapascal.
In the course of research, physicists will experimentally simulate the operating conditions of devices made of titanium nickelide and analyze the structural and functional changes in the material. For example, to measure the amount of reversible (restored) deformation, parts from this alloy will be left under load at elevated temperature for some time. Creating such states will determine their effect on the functional properties of a material with shape memory.
The scientists will present the new data at international conferences. Along with researchers, representatives of large industrial companies are present at such events, because scientific results are the basis for creating new products and technologies.
