Muscle Wire - 0.005" Diameter (1 foot)

Muscle Wire - 0.005" Diameter (1 foot)

This 0.005″ Muscle Wire (aka shape-memory Nitinol) is a one-foot long piece of nickel-titanium alloy that can flex and contract when a specific amount of heat or current is applied to it. If you are asking yourself “What sorcery is this?!” We assure you, this isn’t magic, it’s just simple science thanks to shape memory and a change between the wires’ weaker, low-temperature form (martensitic), and it’s stronger, high-temperature form (austenite).
When the Muscle Wire is in its martensitic form, it can be formed and bent into different shapes. However, when an electrical current of ~200mA is applied to the wire or is heated to ~100°C it reverts to austenite form and recovers its previous shape with great force. Additionally, you can anneal at ~500°C (use an industrial furnace or simply a lighter) it to whatever shape you would want, next once that current or heat is applied it will return to that new shape.

Muscle Wire Specifications:

• Current Required for Austenite Form: 200mA
• Pull Force: 0.49lbs
• Resistance: 1.9 ohms/inch

Muscle Wire Dimensions:

• Length: 305mm
• Diameter: 0.30mm