NiTi shape memory alloy cellular meshes: manufacturing by investment casting and characterization

Recent studies have shown that conventional meshes comprising pure titanium and its alloys can be used to assist the recovery of bone fractures in various parts of the human body, such as the face, jaw, skull and knee. In anticipation of an improved efficiency for these applications and other applications, this work analyses the thermomechanical behaviour of a type of metallic mesh that is fabricated with NiTi shape memory alloys (SMAs), which are smart metals that exhibit functional properties, such as the shape memory effect (SME) and superelasticity (SE). The development of NiTi SMA meshes with different cell designs, good mechanical strength and recoverable deformation to replace titanium meshes and enhance biomedical applications (as well as applications in other fields) can be considered a current technological challenge. In this framework, this study aims to perform the fabrication and mechanical characterization of NiTi SMA meshes produced by investment casting with three different cell geometries (circular, hexagonal and square) in two states (as cast and heat treated). The obtained results show that the manufactured meshes present functional properties even in the as-cast state, as thermoelastic phase transformation and deformation recovery on the order of 6% is demonstrated. The results show that between the heat treatment and mesh cell geometry, the latter factor is the most influential factor in the mechanical behaviour of the meshes. A brief numerical simulation of the tensile behaviour of the meshes is used to deepen the analysis of the influence of cell geometry on their mechanical behaviour. Overall, as-cast meshes with circular and square cells present a high stiffness under tension and bending. The produced meshes show enough thermomechanical features to enhance biomedical applications. These results support the replacement of conventional titanium alloys, which do not possess functional properties, with NiTi SMAs.