- Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Fördervereinigungen Otto von Guericke e.V
Nitinol is used in medical technology mainly because of its superelastic properties. In addition to the elastic deformation that can be observed in almost all metallic materials, Nitinol has a pseudoelastic behavior. Due to its high price, Nitinol is only used where its superior properties are absolutely necessary. Therefore, Nitinol often has to be combined with other materials such as stainless steels. Adhesive joining of Nitinol is extremely difficult.
In the project, the bonding of mixed nitinol compounds will be investigated in detail, especially with regard to medical applications. For this purpose, different pretreatment methods will be tested for their adhesive suitability, such as strength and resistance, and an evaluation will be made with regard to economic aspects. The aim of the project is to develop an optimisation of the surface pretreatment of nitinol and foreign materials, such as stainless steels, in order to improve the adhesive properties. The bondings must guarantee sufficient resistance without failure in use. In addition, when substituting a different joining process, an adhesive-technical design of the joints with an adapted, adhesive-fair construction will be worked out taking into account the requirements for surgical instruments and medical products (e.g. gap-free, disassembly, etc.).
The project includes the development of requirement profiles, the investigation of suitable and cost-effective surface pre-treatment procedures, the use of qualified laboratory and practical tests involving manufacturers and users and aims at the development of efficient, practical solutions by using the existing know-how of the participating research institutes and companies (specialised in material tests and the manufacture of surgical instruments and medical devices).