NiTinol shows basically three
significant effects, which are already widely used in a multitude
of commercial products. All of these effects are based on the same
metallurgical fundamentals on a microscopic scale and lead to different
macroscopic behaviour: one and the same alloy can be very pliable
and easy to deform plastically, but it can also show an amazing
amount of pure elastic deformability (superelasticity). Temperature
changes lead to the spectacular thermal shape memory effect.
