This 0.005' Muscle Wire® (shape memory Nitinol) is a one - foot piece of nickel - titanium alloy. It's truly amazing! When you apply a specific amount of heat or current, it can flex and contract. It's not magic but science, due to the shape memory effect and the change between its weaker, low - temperature martensitic form and stronger, high - temperature austenite form. In its martensitic form, you can bend it into various shapes. Apply an electrical current of about 200mA or heat it to around 100°C, and it'll quickly revert to its austenite form and regain its previous shape with great force. You can even anneal it at about 500°C (using an industrial furnace or a simple lighter) to set it into a new desired shape, and it'll return to that shape when current or heat is applied. Features include a length of 305mm, a diameter of 0.127mm, 200mA current required for the austenite form, a pull force of 0.49lbs, and a resistance of 1.9 ohms/inch. There are also useful documents like a datasheet and a product video available.
Using this Muscle Wire is easy. First, when the wire is in its martensitic form (the weaker, low - temperature state), you can bend it into different shapes. Then, to make it change back to its previous or annealed shape, you have two options. You can either apply an electrical current of about 200mA or heat it to around 100°C. To set a new shape, you can anneal it at about 500°C using an industrial furnace or a lighter. Just be careful when annealing with a lighter to avoid overheating. When it comes to maintenance, keep it in a dry place. Avoid bending it too roughly when it's in the martensitic form to prevent breakage. Also, note that the datasheet provided is for Flexinol® actuator wire, which is similar but not exactly the same as this Muscle Wire.
