Smart materials have properties that allow them to react independently to changing environmental conditions such as temperature fluctuations and change shape. These include shape memory alloys. While so-called nitinol alloys made of nickel and titanium are already being intensively researched and are often used in medical technology, materials technology is still in its infancy when it comes to investigating iron-based alloys. In order to develop these further, researchers are trying to understand the mechanisms that take place in the materials. Iron-based materials are not only cheaper and easier to manufacture, they also have properties such as superelasticity, which make them particularly interesting for damping mechanical vibrations. They can be used in the construction of bridges and in building construction in general.

A project launched in January 2021 at the Institute of Materials Engineering with the University of Kassel has precisely this basic research as its task. Firstly, the processes involved in the superelasticity of iron-based shape memory alloys need to be better understood. The team is using characterisation techniques such as thermography and acoustic emission measurements to achieve this. The aim of the research is to increase stability and extend the superelastic effect. The first application-relevant results are expected in around 15 years.