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Analysis of New Nitinol Ingot Qualities

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Abstract

New ingot qualities, processed by optimized vacuum arc remelting (VAR), optimized vacuum induction melting followed by VAR and VAR followed by electron beam remelting, were compared with standard quality. Finished components as well as diamond-shaped samples representing a typical dimension of self-expanding stents were produced using Nitinol tubing drawn from the new ingot qualities. Metallographic longitudinal sections were prepared and analyzed to determine inclusion size and distributions of the various ingot qualities. Radial force and uniaxial tensile tests were used to determine the mechanical properties of fully processed material and tubing, respectively. Transformation temperatures of tubing as delivered from supplier and processed stents were measured by differential scanning calorimetry and deformation-and-free-recovery testing. Finally, fatigue tests were performed on diamond-shaped samples to evaluate the strain-life characteristics of the new ingot qualities. Results of this study are compared to ADMEDES historical data from standard Nitinol materials to gain an assessment of the new improved ingot qualities with regard to the production of Nitinol vascular implants. The latest developments in Nitinol ingot quality are highlighted and the results of the comparison from technical point of view are shown.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ADMEDES Schuessler GmbH, Rastatter Str. 15, 75179, Pforzheim, Germany

    Rainer Steegmüller, Michael Quellmalz, Markus Wohlschlögel & Andreas Schüßler

  2. G. Rau GmbH & Co. KG, Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 7, 75172, Pforzheim, Germany

    Jochen Ulmer

Authors
  1. Rainer Steegmüller
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  2. Jochen Ulmer
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  3. Michael Quellmalz
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  4. Markus Wohlschlögel
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  5. Andreas Schüßler
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rainer Steegmüller.

Additional information

This article is an invited paper selected from presentations at the International Conference on Shape Memory and Superelastic Technologies 2013, held May 20-24, 2013, in Prague, Czech Republic, and has been expanded from the original presentation.

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Steegmüller, R., Ulmer, J., Quellmalz, M. et al. Analysis of New Nitinol Ingot Qualities. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 23, 2450–2456 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-014-1054-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-014-1054-0

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