Nitinol Memory Wire by the Foot

(16 reviews)

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Nitinol Memory Wire (by the foot)
Item #: HS-6
$5.25

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*SPECIAL* Nitinol Memory Wire (10 ft pack)
Item #: HS-610
$24.95

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Bend it, drop it into hot water and watch it return to its original shape!

Description

This crystalline metal changes phase around 50^oC. Bend it, then drop it into hot water and watch it return to its original shape! Can be set into different shapes by heating with a candle flame. (0.0297" diameter)

Austinite Strain Temperature, A_S = 54^oC
Austinite Peak Temperature, A_P = 69 to 70^oC
Austinate Final Temperature, A_F = 73 to 74^oC

Martensite Strain Temperature, M_S = 41^oC
Martensite Peak Temperature, M_P = 35 to 36^oC
Martensite Final Temperature, M_F = 27 to 28^oC

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Reviews

16 reviews

Great stuff - know your material!

Mar 30, 2016

Nitinol or 'memory wire' is a very interesting material and a great source of 'wow' in demonstrations. The metallurgy/materials science behind its behavior is simple in terms of crystal forms yet complex in terms of thermodynamics and state theory, so be careful when launching into an explanation as to WHY the material behaves the way it does - it's easy to confuse yourself (first) and your students (second, and more important). Some care is required when working with the material, as a coiled piece, dropped in a cup of near-boiling water, can eject with significant velocity - enough to destroy an eye or inflict serious injury to an observer - barrier protection or safety glasses are essential. The wire supplied by EI is coiled yet the crystalline state is straight - a piece, when heated above the first transition temperature, will become straight. Making forms that, when heated to the first transition temperature, become curves, is a bit more difficult. You must lock the material into the desired form and heat it above the second transition temperature (but not too much above), then cool it down. There are some instructions packed with the material from EI and more information on the EI website. The Instructables website, although a fee-based site, has some excellent material on forming Nitonol curves. wb

Warren Buckles

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Super cool and draws people in

Oct 11, 2015

Works just as I imagined and will work great for my science project.

colten sarver

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Nitinol Memory Wire

Oct 10, 2015

This works as advertised.

k. Smith

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Nitinol

Apr 24, 2015

Got it right away. Excellent service.

Joven Calara

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Nicely done!

Sep 6, 2013

product was as described, fast shipping! will do business with again, thank you!

Philip W Clodfelter

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Wonderful material

Jul 12, 2013

I did some work with memory metals when they first came on the market years ago and kept a few pieces in my desk drawer. Over the years they wandered off and I have been looking for some ever since. A spool of this wire is good for many demonstrations - I heat treat a 6 inch piece by wrapping it around a 1/2" bolt, slipping a 1/2" ID copper tube over the assembly and holding it over the gas stove. Straighten it out then drop it in a cup of coffee or boiling water. This is a lot safer than making a coil of untreated wire and doing the same - it will take off like an arrow and endanger nearby eyes and other body parts - and it's hard to find.

Warren Buckles

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Mrs.

May 12, 2013

The kids are wowed by this!

D. B rewer

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Nitinol Wire

Apr 27, 2013

This stuff is definitely impressive! It comes trained "straight", but I trained it into other shapes using nuts and bolts and metal backing plate to write words that appear upon heating! Kids love it and ask how it works!

Ashley

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Memory Wire Activity

Mar 5, 2013

I used this for an engineering activity for 5th and 6th grade girls and they really enjoyed it. I let them use hot water and a battery to make the wire move back to its "memorized" form. The only issue I had was resetting the wire to remember a new form. I was unable to get the wire to set using a candle flame. I ended up using a butane torch and that worked fine.

Lauren

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Nitinol wire

Jan 25, 2013

This is a metal wire with a "memory". I am very satisfied with the quality of the wire and also delivery time from USA to Slovenia was excellent. Also the reshaping of wire is working OK. I am really recommending the firm to other teachers for splendid handling of order.

Ivan Leban

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Thanks!

Nov 3, 2012

My order was promptly filled and shipped. Everything was just as shown on the web site. It was a pleasure to do business with you.

mary

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teacher

May 29, 2012

This product is great! The students enjoyed the demonstration as well forming the wire into different shapes.

Tina Schisler

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Nitinol wire

May 29, 2012

For a middle school physical science class, whose interest will be descriptive, or for a high school class dealing with alternate molecular structures, this stuff is great. Kids can make connection between their classroom and the real world (nitinol has many uses) and they can design their own experiments with the material. Open ended labs and great fun, too.

Cary Seidman

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Wonderful!!

May 22, 2012

I love this wire. As an stage entertainer this item appears as an ordinary object found on the floor. But with my presentation, this "ordinary object" becomes a piece of magic.

Dan Cain

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Great Demo

May 16, 2012

My students loved this demo!

Jamie Morrison

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Nitinol memory wire

May 16, 2012

This worked very well as a demonstration of shape memory at the local Elementary school science olympiad (WESO) on April 21, 2012. The kids had a lot of fun and most elementary school kids seemed to understand the concept! We did need to have a continuous supply of hot water though, but it worked out fine with an electric kettle.

Nirmala Rajaram

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NGSS

This product will support your students' understanding of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)*, as shown in the table below.

Elementary

Middle School

High School

2-PS1-2

Students can analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.

2-PS1-4

Students can use the Nitinol Wire in an investigation to construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.

5-PS1-3

Students can use Nitinol Wire to make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.

MS-PS1-2

Students can analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

MS-PS1-4

Students can use Nitinol Wire to develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

MS-PS1-6

Students can use Nitinol Wire in the design of a project. Students can construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy.

HS-PS1-5

Students can use observations made of the Nitinol Wire as evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which the reaction occurs.

HS-PS2-6

Students will observe and communicate scientific information about why the molecular-level structure is important in the functioning of a material.

Suggested Science Idea(s)

2-PS1-2
2-PS1-4
5-PS1-3
MS-PS1-2
MS-PS1-4
MS-PS1-6
HS-PS1-5
HS-PS2-6

Students can conduct simple tests using Nitinol Wire to understand the rate at which the wire will straighten when immersed in hot water. Students can run trials to evaluate Nitinol Wire based on its properties and/or the reactions.

* NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this product.

Nitinol Memory Wire by the Foot

NGSS

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