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Voids of space between thin, curvy struts of metal alloy give the alloy magnetic shape memory.
The porous nature of nickel-manganese-gallium alloy gives it "shape-memory" properties. The material lengthens, or strains, up to 10 percent when subjected to a magnetic field. The NSF-funded researchers believe the porous alloy has great potential for uses that require light weight and a large strain, such as space and automotive applications and tiny motion control devices or biomedical pumps with no moving parts.
Credit: P. Müllner, M. Chmielus and S. Donovan, Boise State University, and D. Dunand and Y. Boonyongmaneerat, Northwestern University.
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