Nitinol Bone Plate

Exploring the elements behind this extraordinary alloy

This book considers the materials used in a bone plate made from Nitinol, an alloy of nickel and titanium.  The bone plate is designed to change shape on implantation in order to pull the two ends of the broken bone together and speed up the healing process. 

Nickel and titanium are both very important metals in their own right and both are derived from natural resources.  The methods of extraction differ slightly for the two metals and these techniques are described along with background information about their properties and other uses.

Nitinol is useful as it is a shape memory metal, a type of smart material.  Smart materials are a group of functional materials which are becoming increasingly popular in everyday applications.  The science behind shape memory metals is discussed along with other interesting uses of these materials.

Logged in IOM3 members and subscribers to our School Affiliate Service can download the resource by clicking the image below.  If you are a secondary school teacher and would like to access this and other useful resources, please subscribe to our free School Affiliate Service here.