Nickel/titanium/vanadium shape memory alloy
AssigneeRaychem Corporation
InventorMary P. Quin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Nickel/titanium alloys having a nickel:titanium atomic ratio between about 1:02 and 1:13 and a vanadium content between about 4.6 and 25.0 atomic percent show constant stress versus strain behavior due to stress-induced martensite in the range from about 0.degree. to 60.degree. C.
Claims8
A shape memory alloy consisting essentially of nickel, titanium, and vanadium within an area defined on a nickel, titanium, and vanadium ternary composition diagram by a hexagon with its first vertex at 38.0 atomic percent nickel, 37.0 atomic percent titanium, and 25.0 atomic percent vanadium;
- its second vertex at 47.6 atomic percent nickel, 46.4 atomic percent titanium, and 6.0 atomic percent vanadium;
- its third vertex at 49.0 atomic percent nickel, 46.4 atomic percent titanium, and 4.6 atomic percent vanadium;
- its fourth vertex at 49.8 atomic percent nickel, 45.6 atomic percent titanium, and 4.6 atomic percent vanadium;
- its fifth vertex at 49.8 atomic percent nickel, 44.0 atomic percent titanium, and 6.2 atomic percent vanadium;
- and its sixth vertex at 39.8 atomic percent nickel, 35.2 atomic percent titanium, and 25.0 atomic percent vanadium.
A shape-memory article comprising a shape-memory alloy consisting essentially of nickel, titanium, and vanadium within an area defined on a nickel, titanium, and vanadium ternary composition diagram by a hexagon with its first vertex at 38.0 atomic percent nickel, 37.0 atomic percent titanium, and 25.0 atomic percent vanadium;
- its second vertex at 47.6 atomic percent nickel, 46.4 atomic percent titanium, and 6.0 atomic percent vanadium;
- its third vertex at 49.0 atomic percent nickel, 46.4 atomic percent titanium, and 4.6 atomic percent vanadium;
- its fourth vertex at 49.8 atomic percent nickel, 45.6 atomic percent titanium, and 4.6 atomic percent vanadium;
- its fifth vertex as 49.8 atomic percent nickel, 44.0 atomic percent titanium, and 6.2 atomic percent vanadium;
- and its sixth vertex at 39.8 atomic percent nickel, 35.2 atomic percent titanium, and 25.0 atomic percent vanadium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.