How much can I bend a Nitinol shape memory rod and still get full recovery?

Bend strain is rod diameter divided by (2 x bend radius + diameter). Keep it to about 4% or less for repeated use. A 10 mm rod bent to a 120 mm radius sees about 4%.

Nitinol Shape Memory Rod Manufacturer and Supplier in India

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The Nitinol Shape Memory Rod is a nickel-titanium (NiTi) material that is soft and bendable when cool and returns toward its set shape when heated above its Af temperature. The rods are made of ASTM F2063 Nitinol and can be supplied with a specified austenite finish (Af) temperature for controlled heat activated movement.These can be tailor-made according to diameter, cut length and configuration required for thermal actuators, medical equipment, robotics, sensors, etc. Material test certificate provides traceability and verification of quality. Sachin Steel Centre manufactures and supplies Nitinol Shape Memory Rods with customized specifications for engineering, research and industrial needs.

Table Of Content

Specifications of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod
Chemical Compositions of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod
Physical Properties of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod
Mechanical Properties of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod
Nitinol Shape Memory Rod Size Chart
Weight per Cut Piece of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod
Applications and Industrial Uses of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod
Frequently Asked Questions

Technical Data

Specifications of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod

Parameter	Specification
Material	Nickel titanium (NiTi, Nitinol), Ni 54.5 to 57.0 weight percent, Ti balance
Standard	ASTM F2063 / ASME SF2063 (wrought binary NiTi material)
Form	Round rod, straight, cut to length
Af Range (Austenite Finish)	Above room temperature, +35 °C to +110 °C (set by alloy composition and processing)
Diameter Range	3.0 mm to 94.0 mm (standard mill sizes per size chart; custom diameters available on request)
Length	100 mm to 2000 mm (10 cm to 2 m), or cut to required length
Straightness	0.5 mm per 1000 mm length (max 0.05% bow/deflection)
Diameter Tolerance	1.0 mm to 3.0 mm: ±0.02 mm 3.1 mm to 10.0 mm: ±0.05 mm 10.1 mm to 94.0 mm: ±0.10 mm
Surface Finish	Black oxide / oxidized, descaled, pickled, centerless ground, or mechanically polished
Density	6.45 g/cm³ (0.233 lb/in³)
Testing	Af transformation temperature verified by Bend & Free Recovery (ASTM F2082) or Differential Scanning Calorimetry (ASTM F2004). Tensile testing per ASTM F2516. Chemical analysis per lot.
Certification	Material Test Report (MTR) confirming chemical composition and mechanical parameters against ASTM F2063 per lot

Chemical Composition of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod

Element	Min (wt %)	Max (wt %)
Nickel (Ni)	54.5	57.0
Titanium (Ti)	Balance	Balance
Carbon (C)	—	0.050
Oxygen + Nitrogen (O + N)	—	0.050
Cobalt (Co)	—	0.050
Iron (Fe)	—	0.050
Niobium (Nb)	—	0.025
Copper (Cu)	—	0.010
Chromium (Cr)	—	0.010
Hydrogen (H)	—	0.005

Physical Properties of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod

Property	Metric Value	Imperial Value
Density	6.45 g/cm³	0.233 lb/in³
Melting Point	~1310 °C	~2390 °F
Electrical Resistivity (austenite)	~80 to 100 µΩ·cm	~31 to 39 µΩ·in
Electrical Resistivity (martensite)	~70 to 80 µΩ·cm	~28 to 31 µΩ·in
Thermal Conductivity (austenite)	~18 W/(m·K)	~10.4 BTU/(ft·h·°F)
Thermal Conductivity (martensite)	~8.5 W/(m·K)	~4.9 BTU/(ft·h·°F)
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (austenite)	~11.0 × 10⁻⁶ /°C	~6.1 × 10⁻⁶ /°F
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (martensite)	~6.6 × 10⁻⁶ /°C	~3.7 × 10⁻⁶ /°F
Specific Heat	~837 J/(kg·K)	~0.20 BTU/(lb·°F)
Latent Heat of Transformation	~24.2 J/g	~10.4 BTU/lb

Mechanical Properties of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod

Property	Austenite (above A_f)	Martensite (below M_f)	Note
Young’s modulus	About 83 GPa	About 26 to 48 GPa	Modulus changes with temperature
Yield strength	195 to 690 MPa	70 to 140 MPa	Depends on condition and test method
Ultimate tensile strength	About 895 MPa annealed, up to about 1900 MPa cold worked	Same material	Rod minimums depend on diameter
Recoverable strain	Up to about 8%	Up to about 8%	Design well below the maximum for repeated cycling
Poisson’s ratio	About 0.33	About 0.33	—

Nitinol Shape Memory Rod Size Chart

Diameter (mm)	Diameter (in)	Area (mm²)	Weight (kg/m)	Weight (lbs/ft)	Length per kg (m)
3 mm	0.118 in	7.1	0.046	0.031	21.9
4 mm	0.157 in	12.6	0.081	0.054	12.3
5 mm	0.197 in	19.6	0.127	0.085	7.90
6 mm	0.236 in	28.3	0.182	0.123	5.48
8 mm	0.315 in	50.3	0.324	0.218	3.08
10 mm	0.394 in	78.5	0.507	0.340	1.97
12 mm	0.472 in	113.1	0.729	0.490	1.37
15 mm	0.591 in	176.7	1.140	0.766	0.88
16 mm	0.630 in	201.1	1.297	0.871	0.77
20 mm	0.787 in	314.2	2.026	1.362	0.49
25 mm	0.984 in	490.9	3.166	2.128	0.32
30 mm	1.181 in	706.9	4.559	3.064	0.22
40 mm	1.575 in	1256.6	8.105	5.447	0.123
50 mm	1.969 in	1963.5	12.665	8.510	0.079
60 mm	2.362 in	2827.4	18.237	12.255	0.055
75 mm	2.953 in	4417.9	28.495	19.148	0.035
94 mm	3.701 in	6939.8	44.762	30.078	0.022

Weight per Cut Piece of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod

Diameter	100 mm	250 mm	500 mm	1000 mm
3 mm	4.6 g	11.4 g	22.8 g	45.6 g
5 mm	12.7 g	31.7 g	63.3 g	127 g
8 mm	32.4 g	81.1 g	162 g	324 g
10 mm	50.7 g	127 g	253 g	507 g
12 mm	72.9 g	182 g	365 g	729 g
20 mm	203 g	507 g	1013 g	2026 g

Applications and Industrial Uses of Nitinol Shape Memory Rod

Thermal Actuators
Temperature-Controlled Valves
Medical Devices and Implants
Robotic Actuation Systems
Aerospace Actuation Components
Automotive Thermal Actuators
Orthodontic and Surgical Instruments
Micro-Actuators and Precision Mechanisms

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Nitinol Shape Memory Rod?

A Nitinol Shape Memory Rod is a nickel-titanium (NiTi) rod that returns toward its preset shape when heated above its transformation temperature.

How does a Nitinol Shape Memory Rod work?

It works through the shape memory effect. When heated through its transformation range, the Nitinol changes from martensite to austenite and recovers its preset shape.

What is the shape memory effect in Nitinol?

The shape memory effect is the ability of Nitinol to recover a previously programmed shape after being deformed at a lower temperature and then heated.

What is the Af temperature of a Nitinol Shape Memory Rod?

The Af temperature is the temperature at which the transformation to austenite is complete. It determines when the rod finishes recovering its programmed shape.

Can Nitinol Shape Memory Rod be customized?

Yes, Nitinol Shape Memory Rod can be customized by diameter, length, shape, and transformation temperature according to the application requirements.

How do I choose the Af of a Nitinol shape memory rod?

Pick an Af above the highest temperature at which the rod must stay soft and below the temperature your heater reaches.

What is the difference between a shape memory rod and a superelastic rod?

A shape memory rod needs heat to recover. A superelastic rod springs back when the load is removed. See our Nitinol Super Elastic Rod page.

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