Nitinol: Hype, Confusion and Controversy

It is likely that no other metal suffers from the paparazzi-like atmosphere that has surrounded Nitinol since its discovery almost fifty years ago.  Contributing to this recently is Nitinol’s unusual durability—unusually good or unusually bad, depending upon the mode of use, but always unusual.  Yet another “hot topic” is the importance of the interstitial elements carbon and oxygen and the inclusions they form—while anecdotes are common, valid and definitive data remain elusive.  A third example that will be discussed is shape setting and aging—extensively studied and broadly applied, but much more poorly understood than most people realize.  This talk will dig into each of these areas, attempting to separate fact from fiction, and to pose provocative questions for future researchers.