A unique alloy has been created at the Siberian Physical-Technical Institute (SFTI) of Tomsk State University (TSU). The material remembers its shape and returns to its original state at temperatures from -70℃ to +100℃. This was reported by the university's press service.
The development will ensure safety in the production of icebreakers.
Our development will help improve various engineering devices, in particular, sensors and dampers, or damping structures that reduce the force of vibrations or impacts. A part made of the alloy will replace multi-component complex structures and extend the operation of such devices during multiple actuation cycles, improve their efficiency and increase performance, and eliminate emergency situations.
The new alloy is a three-component single crystal made of nickel, cobalt and aluminum CoNiAl. The material is capable of changing its dimensions by 12% under mechanical stress, and then restoring its original shape again.
The new properties of the alloy were obtained by thermomechanical treatment. To test the properties, the material was subjected to mechanical stress about 100 times.
This is necessary to check the stability of the properties: whether the material will return to its original state. The alloy has successfully passed these tests.
The development is planned to be used in the shipbuilding of icebreakers. The alloy will also find application in the creation of fire sensors and shape-memory sensors used in robotics.
Earlier www1.ru reported that a high-strength aluminum-based alloy was developed in Moscow.
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