title: Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses of superelastic and nonsuperelastic nickel-titanium orthodontic wires.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the transformation temperatures for the austenitic, martensitic, and rhombohedral (R) structure phases in representative as-received commercial nitinol (NiTi) orthodontic wire alloys, to reconcile discrepancies among recent publications. Specimens were examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) over a temperature range from approximately -170 degrees C to 100 degrees C, with a scanning rate of 10 degrees C per minute. Two different pathways, with the intermediate R structure either absent or present, were observed for the transformation from martensitic to austenitic NiTi, whereas the reverse transformation from austenitic to martensitic NiTi always included the R structure. The enthalpy (delta H) for the transformation from martensite to austenite ranged from 0.3 to 3.5 calories per gram. The lowest delta H value for the nonsuperelastic Nitinol wire is consistent with a largely work-hardened, stable, martensitic microstructure in this product. The DSC results indicate that the transformation processes are broadly similar in superelastic, body-temperature shape-memory, and nonsuperelastic NiTi wires. Differences in bending properties for the NiTi orthodontic wires at room temperature and 37 degrees C are due to the relative proportions of the metallurgical phases in the microstructures.
authors.affiliation: College of Dentistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Brantley
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Culbertson
mesh_terms: D000497:Alloys / Q000737:chemistry; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D003722:Dental Alloys / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D008422:Materials Testing; D008669:Metallurgy; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D009969:Orthodontic Wires; D018583:Pliability; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D003722:Dental Alloys; C040654:titanium nickelide; C013616:nitinol; D009532:Nickel; D014025:Titanium