nitinol

[ nit-n-awl, -ol ]

noun

1. a paramagnetic alloy of nickel and titanium that, after heating and deformation, resumes its original shape when reheated.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nitinol¹

1965–70; ni(ckel) + ti(tanium) + N(aval) O(rdnance) L(aboratory) , Silver Spring, Maryland, where the alloy was developed

Example Sentences

There is room for just one small bottle in the world's first refrigerator that is cooled with artificial muscles made of nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy.

From Science Daily

Known as 'artificial muscles', the shape-memory wires made of super-elastic nitinol absorb heat in the cooling chamber and release it to the outer environment.

From Science Daily

To transport heat, the researchers use the special 'superpower' of the artificial muscles made of nitinol: shape memory.

From Science Daily

The reason for this lies deep inside the nitinol, which has two crystal lattices -- two phases that can transform into each other.

From Science Daily

Unlike water, whose phases are solid, liquid and gaseous, the two phases of nitinol are both solid.

From Science Daily