Abstract: A Nitinol ice blade includes a blade body having attachment structure by which it is held in a blade holder of an ice travel device, such as an ice skate or ice boat. The processes and products made by the processes. The processes include selecting a Type 60 Nitinol sheet or bar that has been hot-worked at a temperature of above about 900° C. to a reduction of at least 2% in the dimension of said hot-working. Blade blanks are cut from the sheet, and the blade blanks are heated to between 600° C. to about 800° C. and immediately quenched to ambient temperature to produce blanks having a hardness of about 48-53 RC. The running edge of the blade blanks a ground to a desired profile and sharpness. The ground blades may then be heated to an elevated temperature of about 850-1000° C. and immediately quenched to produce a hardness at the edge of above 56 RC.

Abstract: A process for making Type 60 Nitinol with shape memory effect from hot-worked material, such as hot rolled Type 60 Nitinol sheet or plate, includes heat treatment to a temperature of 600° C.–800° C. and holding the material at that temperature until the temperature has equalized throughout, and then heat soaking at that temperature for about 15 minutes. The material is then quenched immediately from that temperature, to a temperature below 300° C. This heat treatment produces Type 60 Nitinol in a condition denoted “ultraelastic”. Ultraelastic Type 60 Nitinol has a shape memory characteristic having a very low transition temperature. The transition temperature can be tailored within a wide temperature range by the temperature of the initial heat treatment and subsequent rate of cooling.

Abstract: A bearing having bearing elements made of Type 60 Nitinol made by an investment casting process for producing near net shape parts of Nitinol includes making a ceramic mold having a series of spherical cavities, pouring molten Nitinol into the mold cavities, cooling the mold and the Nitinol in the cavities to produce solidified Nitinol balls, and breaking the mold away from the Nitinol balls. Nitinol rods for roller bearings can be made by conventional casting directly from the crucible in a draw-down oven. The bars are hot machined or hot rotary swaged and then centerless ground and laser cut to length, or are first cut to length and then centerless ground individually for crowned roller elements. The balls are broken or cut from the risers, leaving the gates attached, and are consolidated by healing under pressure in a hot isostatic press, then ground to the desired size. The balls or rollers are polished, then treated to create an integral ceramic finish.

Abstract: A process for making Type 60 Nitinol with shape memory effect from hot-worked material, such as hot rolled Type 60 Nitinol sheet or plate, includes heat treatment to a temperature of 600° C.-800° C. and holding the material at that temperature until the temperature has equalized throughout, and then heat soaking at that temperature for about 15 minutes. The material is then quenched immediately from that temperature, to a temperature below 300° C. This heat treatment produces Type 60 Nitinol in a condition denoted “ultraelastic”. Ultraelastic Type 60 Nitinol has a shape memory characteristic having a very low transition temperature. The transition temperature can be tailored within a wide temperature range by the temperature of the initial heat treatment and subsequent rate of cooling.

Abstract: A liquid jet nozzle for forming a high velocity liquid jet from a pressurized liquid, includes a monolithic Nitinol body having an input side and an output side. A tapering lead-in channel opening in the input side and tapers to a central web, through which extends a small diameter orifice, communicating through the web from the lead-in channel to an egress opening in the output side of the body. The orifice interacts with the high pressure liquid to shape the pressurized liquid into a narrow, high velocity liquid jet which exits the body through the egress opening. A surface layer of nickel titanium oxide on the Nitinol in the orifice provides enhanced resistance to erosion by the high pressure liquid.

Abstract: A gun barrel for a gun has an elongated tube with an axial bore extending completely through the tube from the breech end to the muzzle end. The tube and the contact surface in the axial bore, which contains propellant gasses behind the projectile and engages the projectile while guiding it toward the target, are made of Nitinol having a transition temperature lower than the lowest ambient temperature at which a gun with the barrel is designed to be operated, or of a Nitinol formulation consisting essentially of 60% nickel and 40% titanium. A first sleeve may be mechanically coupled to the barrel tube by shape memory contraction thereon to prestress the barrel tube in compression.

Abstract: A projectile for being propelled toward a target includes a cylindrical body of Type 55 Nitinol that has a soft martensitic state that is readily deformed by rifling in the bore of a gun barrel to form grooves which ride on the rifling to spin the projectile. The Nitinol has a low coefficient of friction with the steel barrel and is sufficiently strong to prevent shedding particles or depositing projectile material in the bore. On impact with the target, the Nitinol undergoes a strain-induced shift to an ultra-high strength state in which the projectile is capable of remaining intact and concentrating its full energy on the small area of contact for maximal penetration and damage to the target instead of mushrooming widely and spreading its energy over a wide area as conventional projectiles do. Projectiles in the form of bullets, shotgun slugs, penetrating warheads, caseless ammunition and artillery shells are described.

Abstract: A process for making a cutting instrument includes cutting a blank from a plate or strip of Type 60 Nitinol, having a thickness of between 0.005″-0.500″ using an abrasive waterjet, wire electron discharge machining or laser cutting, and grinding top and bottom surfaces of the blank by rotating a grinder having cubic boron nitride or diamond abrasive particles on a cutting surface of said grinder against the knife blank at a surface speed of about 5000 to 7000 surface feet per minute and grinding to a depth of about 0.001 to 0.005 inches per pass to remove material along the blade surface. The surface of the blade is polished to a surface finish smoother than 20 microinches RMS using Turkish emery abrasive grinding/polishing materials on a buffing wheel driven by a high power motor. The blade is then finish polished to a mirror-like luster of 2 microinches RMS or less using a fine diamond buffing compound and a buffing wheel running at about 3000 RPM.

Abstract: An impact absorber for protecting a protected item against damage or injury upon impact includes a formed metallic structure having at least one Nitinol member having a grounded portion in contact with a first structure positioned to engage the protected item, and an impact receiving portion. In one embodiment, the formed metallic structure includes a plurality of Nitinol wires connected together at opposite polar regions in the form of a wire-frame sphere. The wires in the wire-frame sphere may be superelastic austenitic Nitinol in a strained condition. A release device holds the wire-frame sphere in a collapsed condition and may be actuated to release the strained superelastic Nitinol structure to a deployed position at which the deployed superelastic Nitinol structure is positioned to engage and absorb energy from the protected item impacting the impact absorber.

Abstract: A lock washer for locking a threaded fastener from loosening under vibration includes an annular body with a central opening cutting from a sheet or plate of Nitinol, and an integral layer of NiTiOx on at least one face of said body. The lock washer is made of a high transition temperature form of Type 55 Nitinol that remains in its martensitic state in all normal conditions of use. The martensitic Nitinol initially yields during torquing of the nut to allow the nut to indent itself slightly into the lock washer. The resulting cold working of the washer material causes a transformation into stress-induced martensite, which is strong and elastic to resist further deformation and also exerts a preload on the bolt shank. The nut, indented into the lock washer, strongly resists turning under vibration, which effect is further enhanced by the vibration absorbing characteristics of the material. The integral layer of NiTiOx on the surface of the washer provides electrical insulation, minimizing galvanic corrosion.

Abstract: A light weight horseshoe made of Type 55 Nitinol is bio-compatible and non-corrosive. It can be shaped at room temperature to fit the horse's hoof, and is extremely durable for long life and infrequent shoe changes, which helps avoid shoe nail damage to the hoof. It has low thermal conductivity to protect the horse's hoof from heat and a high specific damping capacity to protect the horse's hooves and legs from shock and vibration and also make it a quiet shoe. The horseshoe material has low initial yield strength, so it conforms to the microtopography of hard surfaces, which improves the grip of the horseshoe on such surfaces, but when strained its yield strength increases greatly so it becomes effectively unbreakable in use.

Abstract: A Nitinol element is threaded by first heating it to a temperature of about 800° C., and then applying a threading tool, such as a tap or die, to form the threads. Nitinol has a unique property of increasing yield strength as cold work is applied, but this property ceases to exist above a temperature of about 800° C. The strength of the material at this temperature, however, is sufficient to resist the torque applied by a threading die being screwed onto a Nitinol blank even though it is low enough to permit the Nitinol to flow when the cutting threads of the threading die are forced into the material. At this temperature, the Nitinol is not actually cut by the cutting threads of the tap, die or other threading tool, but instead, the material flows around the cutting threads to form threads in the Nitinol.

Abstract: The invention includes processes and products made by the processes. The processes include making forms and parts by friable mold casting or die casting using molten Nitinol poured or injected into the mold or die. After the Nitinol has cooled to a solid state, it is removed from the mold by disintegrating the friable material of the mold and is heated to an elevated temperature under high pressure to consolidate the Nitinol and remove any internal voids. The parts and forms are then heat treated to reduce brittleness and improve toughness and impact strength. The part may be hot machined to reduce it to near net size, and may be ground to reduce the part to the exact specified part size. For example, cylindrical parts can be centerless ground; balls can be ground in a conventional ball grinder; flat stock can be surface ground. For parts requiring a smooth surface finish, polishing or lapping provides the specified surface finish on the part, down to 0.5 microinch RMS or finer.

Abstract: A process for making a cutting instrument includes cutting a blank from a plate or strip of Type 60 Nitinol, having a thickness of between 0.005″-0.500″ using an abrasive waterjet, wire electron discharge machining or laser cutting, and grinding top and bottom surfaces of the blank by rotating a grinder having cubic boron nitride or diamond abrasive particles on a cutting surface of said grinder against the knife blank at a surface speed of about 5000 to 7000 surface feet per minute and grinding to a depth of about 0.001 to 0.005 inches per pass to remove material along the blade surface. The surface of the blade is polished to a surface finish smoother than 20 microinches RMS using Turkish emery abrasive grinding/polishing materials on a buffing wheel driven by a high power motor. The blade is then finish polished to a mirror-like luster of 2 microinches RMS or less using a fine diamond buffing compound and a buffing wheel running at about 3000 RPM.

Abstract: An electrical resistive heating system having a Nitinol heater element in the form of wire, rod strip or tube, is flexible, ductile, tough aid chemically non-reactive. The element has connectors at each end for leads from a controller that controls the flow of current through the heater element from a source of electrical power. The Nitinol heater element is treated to have an electrically insulating surface that is also hard and chemically non-reactive, so the heater element can be put in intimate contact with the materials or substrate to be heated without shorting or electrical shock to people or equipment. The controller uses temperature data feedback from a separate temperature sensor such as a thermocouple, or uses the resistance of heater element itself as a temperature sensor, since the resistance of the Nitinol changes with temperature in a predictable way.

Abstract: A process for making a cutting instrument includes cutting a blank from a plate or strip of Type 60 Nitinol, having a thickness of between 0.005″-0.500″ using an abrasive waterjet, wire electron discharge machining or laser cutting, and grinding top and bottom surfaces of the blank by rotating a grinder having cubic boron nitride or diamond abrasive particles on a cutting surface of said grinder against the knife blank at a surface speed of about 5000 to 7000 surface feet per minute and grinding to a depth of about 0.001 to 0.005 inches per pass to remove material along the blade surface. The surface of the blade is polished to a surface finish smoother than 20 microinches RMS using Turkish emery abrasive grinding/polishing materials on a buffing wheel driven by a high power motor. The blade is then finish polished to a mirror-like luster of 2 microinches RMS or less using a fine diamond buffing compound and a buffing wheel running at about 3000 RPM.

Abstract: A torsionally-damped ski having a durable, low friction ski base and non-rusting durable ski edges that have exceptional edge-retaining qualities, including an elongated snow-contacting base surface made of a Nitinol sheet having two opposed longitudinal edges on opposite sides of an elongated medial portion. A Nitinol ski edge structure extends longitudinally along both of the edges of the sheet, having a greater thickness than the medial portion of the sheet. The edge structures form an integral part of the Nitinol base sheet by welding the sheet along opposite edges thereof to the edge structures. Preferably, the ski edge structure is Type 60 Nitinol. The base sheet can be superelastic Nitinol or Martensitic Nitinol having shape memory characteristics. A torsional vibration structure is built into the ski, including Nitinol structures extending along one or more axes lying oblique to the longitudinal axis of the ski.

Abstract: A process for post processing a part that has a Nitinol coating applied by plasma spraying or PVD coating gives the Nitinol desirable properties of toughness and malleability. It also produces a layer of surface material that is extremely hard, chemically non-reactive, electrically and thermally insulating. The process includes selecting a part that has a surface coating of Nitinol applied by plasma spraying or PVD coating and polishing the surface coating to give it a smooth and shiny surface. The polished surface is then cleaned to remove all polishing residue. The surface of the Nitinol coating is heated a temperature in a range of about 400° C. to 900° C.; and is rapidly cooled by forced air flow over the surface coating or by low temperature air or liquid immersion. Thereafter, the outer surfaces of the layer of surface material may be repolished and reheated as before to enhance the layer of thermally produced surface material.

Abstract: A high security lock includes a shackle having two ends and a lock body having openings for receiving the ends of the shackle. A latch in the lock body has a catch movable into engagement with the shackle for securing at least one end of the shackle in the body. The latch is releasable to allow the one end of the shackle to move clear of the body to open the lock. The shackle is made of a shape memory effect alloy having a characteristic that its yield strength increases when work is impressed on it, so that cutting or breaking the shackle with common tools is more difficult and time consuming than with other shackle materials. The lock thus provides a level of security substantially superior to conventional locks.

Abstract: A rotary actuator (18) is provided, including an actuator assembly (20). The actuator assembly includes a torque tube (24) formed of a shape memory alloy, a super elastic NiTinol return spring (26) having a proximal end (46) and a distal end (44), and a torque tube heating element (30) positioned near the torque tube. The torque tube (24) includes a proximal end (32) and a distal end (34). The return spring and torque tube are connected at their ends, with the torque tube being pretwisted while in a martensitic state relative to the spring. Activation of the heating element causes the torque tube to enter an austenitic state in which it returns to its previous untwisted configuration. Removal of heat allows the torque tube to return to a martensitic state, further allowing the return spring to retwist the torque tube. Further provided is a unique locking assembly (22) for use with the actuator assembly.