Transformation behavior of nickel-titanium orthodontic wires under tensile load.

This study investigated transformations of nickel-titanium wires using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA) under tensile load (100 gf or 500 gf). Two nickel-titanium wires, 35°C Copper Ni-Ti and Nitinol SE, were selected. DSC analyses were performed between -90° and 100°C. Specimens prepared for TMA were approximately 150 µm thick and 12 mm long. TMA analyses were performed between -120° and 100°C. With TMA, all transformation temperatures for a tensile load of 500 gf, obtained from both the heating and cooling curves, were higher than those for a tensile load of 100 gf. While mean A(s) and A(f) temperatures for Copper Ni-Ti obtained by TMA were much higher than those obtained by DSC analysis, mean M(s) and M(f) temperatures obtained by TMA were much lower than those obtained by DSC analysis. The transformation behavior of nickel-titanium wires with change in temperature was affected by application of tensile load.