superelastic

When high loads are applied to superelastic materials they can deform to large strains which would result in a permanent strain in conventional materials without break.

In the most well-known superelastic material, i.e.

In contrast, In Fe3Al consisting of common metals of iron and aluminum, the superelastic properties are caused not by the change of crystal structure but by dislocation slip, which is the relative displacement of atoms keeping crystal structure.

Heat transfer via the superelastic wires also works for heating applications.

During these phase transitions of the crystalline structure, the wires absorb heat and release it again: 'The shape-memory material releases heat when it is stretched in a superelastic state and absorbs heat when it is released,' explains Professor Paul Motzki, who holds a cross-institutional professorship at Saarland University and ZeMa, where he heads the Smart Material Systems research group.