Infrastructure protectionQuake-resistant superelastic alloy developed
Japanese scientists added a small amount of nickel to an iron-based alloy, and found that the new material can recover its original shape at any temperature from -196 to 240 degrees Celsius; the material may be used in environments that are constantly exposed to extreme temperatures, such as joints and controls in cars, planes, and spacecraft; it may also help buildings cushion stress and violent movement in earthquakes
Researchers in Japan have developed a superelastic alloy which can spring back to its original form in extreme temperatures. The scientists added that they hope it may be used in buildings to absorb shocks from earthquakes.
The Engineer reports that the experts, who published their findings last week in the journal Science, added a small amount of nickel to an iron-based alloy, and found that the new material can recover its original shape at any temperature from -196 to 240 degrees Celsius.
Lead author Toshihiro Omori at the Department of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering in Tohoku University, said this new material was far more elastic than other superelastic alloys, which cannot revert to their original form outside the -20 to 80 degrees Celsius range.
“Our ferrous alloy has temperature insensitivity by one order of magnitude. This property is very important because materials are subject to change in temperature in most cases,” the Engineer quotes Omori to say.
“Another advantage is its low cost. The raw material is cheap … resulting in the potential for large scale applications,” Omori said.
The material may be used in environments that are constantly exposed to extreme temperatures, such as joints and controls in cars, planes, and spacecraft, Omori and his colleagues said.
It may also help buildings cushion stress and violent movement in earthquakes, the materials science experts added.
— Read more in T. Omori et al, “Superelastic Effect in Polycrystalline Ferrous Alloys,” Science 333, no. 6038 (1 July 2011): 68-71 (DOI: 10.1126/science.1202232)
