News
- Mar. 11, 2022 Nippon Steel's TranTixxii and NIPPON STEEL Stainless Steel Corporation's NSSC220M featured on the roof of an international conference center in Jiangsu, China
- April 22, 2021 Nippon Steel to Launch ZAM®-EX high corrosion resistant coated steel sheets for overseas markets
- Oct. 01, 2020 Our new product "FeLuceTM" (hairline-finished electroplated steel sheet) wins the Good Design Award 2020 ~Our first steel sheet to win the Good Design Award~
- Feb. 14, 2019 NSSMC Receives Shell’s Supplier Award
- Jul. 30, 2018 Execution of Strategic Partnership with BP Oman
- Jul. 30, 2018 "The beauty of distinctive gradations make people feel nature" was posted.
- Jul. 26, 2018 VAM® 21 HT CLEANWELL® DRY ST First Running
- Jul. 19, 2018 Steel Wires Joint Venture Company for Cold Heading and Forging in USA (NSCI) holds an Opening Ceremony
- Jun. 27, 2018 NSSMC and Standard Steel Receive TTX “Excellent Supplier 2017” Award
- May. 29, 2018 NSSMC Named a Top 100 Global Innovator in 2017 for Sixth Consecutive Year
- Apr. 25, 2018 Steel Wires Joint Venture Company for Cold Heading and Forging in USA (NSCI) Starts Commercial Production
- Apr. 17, 2018 Strengthening Supply System for Ultra-high-tensile Steel Sheets New CGL to be installed at Kimitsu Works
- Feb. 27, 2018 Nippon Steel & Sumikin Crankshaft, NSSMC’s manufacturing and sales subsidiary of crankshafts in the U.S., earns Diamond Supplier Award from Navistar
- Aug. 04, 2017 NSSMC’s proprietary titanium product TranTixxii™ is adopted for cladding of a theater in Jiangsu Province, China
Shape-memory alloys
Shape-memory alloys are metals that, even if they become deformed at below a given temperature, they will return to their original shape before deformation simply by being heated. Alloys with this unusual characteristic are used as functional materials in temperature sensors, actuators, and clamping fixtures.
These metals also have a quality called superelasticity; like rubber, when it is bent or stretched, it will return to its original shape when the deforming force is removed. This characteristic of recovering shape despite substantial deformation is exploited in applications in products for daily life, in electrical and electronic appliances, and in the medical field.
There currently are several dozen types of alloys with such shape-memory properties and superelasticity, but Ni-Ti alloys have the best shape-recovery performance, durability, and corrosion-resistance.
Born of our wealth of titanium and titanium alloy melting and fabrication technology, KTS-SM alloy is one of the most reliable of the Ni-Ti alloys of this type of shape-memory and superelastic alloys.

Characteristics
Shape-memory alloys and superelastic alloys
The shape-memory effect and superelasticity are the result of thermo-elastic martensitic transformation, in which the shape-memory effect is expressed as phase transformation and reverse transformation from the parent phase (austenite) to and from the martensite phase. Superelasticity is expressed as stress-induced transformation from the parent phase to a martensite phase due to load stress in the parent phase state, and then as reverse transformation when unloaded.
Typical behaviors are explained below using a stress-strain curve:
- Normally, metallic materials have a proportional relationship to deformation stress within the elastic range, but begin to yield when further deformed beyond the elastic range. After entering the yielding range, permanent deformation remains even after the strain is removed.
- Even with the shape-memory effect, when the martensite phase is deformed in a low temperature phase, the deformation apparently remains beyond the yielding range even when unloaded, just as in normal metals. However, when heated above the transformation temperature, the strain is nullified and the shape returns to the original state, returning the alloy to the parent phase state.
- In superelasticity as well, yielding occurs just as with normal metals, but when the load is removed, the material returns to its original shape in a phenomenon that is the reverse or that occurring under load. NiTi superelastic alloys will return to their original shape even when deformed under a nominal strain of around 8%.

Basic characteristics of KSM-SM alloy
Density | 6.4~6.5 [g/cm3] | |
---|---|---|
Specific heat | 0.3 [kJ / (kg・K)] | |
Electric resistance | 0.5~1.1 [10-6Ω・m] | |
Thermal Conductance | 21 [W / (m・K )] | |
Linear expansion coefficient | 10 [10-6 / K] | |
Modulus of transverse elasticity | Martensite phase | 5~10 [GPa] |
Austenite phase | 15~25 [GPa] | |
Young's modulus | Martensite phase | 15~30 [GPa] |
Austenite phase | 50~70 [GPa] | |
Hardness | Martensite phase | 180~300 [Hv] |
Austenite phase | 300~400 [Hv] | |
Rupture stress | Martensite phase | 700~1000 [MPa] |
Austenite phase | 1200~1500 [MPa] | |
Elongation | Martensite phase | ~30 [%] |
Austenite phase | ~20[%] |
Metal alloys
We have prepared a line of KTS-SM alloys according to their shape-memory and superelasticity characteristics.
Effect | Metal alloys | Transformation temperature (℃) |
Recoverable strain (%) |
Temperature hysteresis (℃) |
Temperature Cycle Properties |
Application examples |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shape Memory Effect | NiTi NiTi-Co |
-20~70 | 1 | 2~3 | >1,000,000 | Sensor actuator (Long life cycle) |
NiTi-Cu | 40~80 | 5~6 | 10~15 | <50,000 | Sensor actuator (Large stroke) |
|
NiTi | -10~100 | 6~8 | 20~40 | <100 | connectors Couplings |
|
Superelasticity | NiTi NiTi-Co,V,Cr |
− | 6~8 | − | − | Various spring elements |
Features of KSM-SM alloy
Substantial shape-memory, recoverable strain
Substantial shape-memory and recoverable strain.
Superb corrosion resistance
These alloys have superb corrosion resistance and wear resistance that is nearly equivalent to those of titanium and titanium alloys. They also have vastly superior wear resistance to wear-resistant materials such as titanium and nickel alloys.
Quality assurance through our integrated manufacturing system
We aspire to a total quality control system through an integrated manufacturing system from melting the parent material to the final treated shape-memory product.
High-precision device design
We can use our accumulated database to consult with customers to meet their needs from device design through prototyping.
Diverse shapes
We can provide a variety of diverse shapes, including round wire, square wire, ultrafine wire (from φ0.02mm), ribbon, coil springs, and 3D shapes.
Ultrafine wire

Ultrathin sheets

Wire

Various springs

Explore
KSM-SM alloy fields of application
Shape-memory alloys | Superelastic alloys | |
---|---|---|
Consumer electronics | Coffee makers | Mobile phone antennas |
Industrial machinery | Pipe seams, fire dampers | |
Household equipment | Mixing water faucets, gas water heaters, water regulator valves, subfloor vents, hot water shutoff valves for water purifiers |
|
Transport machinery and equipment | Evaporative emission control systems | |
Personal accessories | Brassiere underwires, eyeglass frames, shoulder pad wires, petticoats, accessories |
|
Medical equipment | Dental implants | Orthodontic braces wire, Guide wires |
Hobbies | Toys | Spinner lures, fishing through-wire |
Eyeglass frames

Contact Information
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