Puris LLC, Bruceton Mills, W. Va., recently signed a limited (partially) exclusive, term license agreement with NASA Glenn Research Center to produce a high-performance, hafnium-enhanced shape-memory powder metallurgy alloy that provides resistance to both wear and corrosion.
Marketed under the brand name SM-103, the 60NiTi(Hf) alloy demonstrates a lower residual stress than other 60 nitinol alloys, resulting in improved response to heat treatment and easier processing. It delivers resistance to both wear and corrosion, traditionally considered to be mutually exclusive, in addition to favorable load-bearing properties. These attributes make it well suited to industrial bearings and precision bearing applications.
“Puris anticipates strong demand for SM-103 for industrial bearings in such applications as wind turbines, turbochargers, aircraft engines, gears, and valves,” Puris CEO Craig Kirsch said. “We also expect it to find a market in precision bearings for timepieces, machine spindles, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, among others. But the most exciting opportunity for us will be the new applications where the alloy could enhance performance and endurance.”
Puris previously partnered with NASA to produce a wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant 60nitinol alloy, SM-100, which is being used to produce bearings for the International Space Station’s wastewater.
