Application of 3D-printed shape memory alloys

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) show unique shape memory effect and superelasticity, which are quite different from the conventional metallic materials (e.g., steels and titanium alloys), together with good biocompatibility and high damping properties, SMAs are the most promising functional metallic materials for practical applications in both medical and non-medical fields. 3D printing could serve as not only a method to fabricate SMAs with complicated structures (e.g., porous structures) but also a metallurgical method to tailor the microstructure and performance of SMAs (e.g., phase transformation temperatures), which opens a new era for the utilization of SMAs. This chapter introduces the opportunities and challenges in the applications of 3D-printed SMAs. It starts by summarizing the advantages and latest achievements in the application of 3D-printed SMAs. It then gives examples of the potential of utilizing 3D-printed SMAs. By the end of the chapter, the potential and future trends of 3D printing SMAs are discussed.