Like NDC’s flagship SE508 alloy, SE508ELI is virtually carbon-free, thereby eliminating hard titanium-carbide (TiC) inclusions altogether.  Furthermore, the oxygen levels are nominally 60 parts per million (ppm).  Combined, these impurity levels are more than 10-times lower than the ASTM F2063 allowance, and 3- to 6-times lower than “standard” Nitinol alloys.

While the effect of inclusions on the durability and yields of Nitinol components remains unproven, a correlation has been established in other titanium alloys prompting the almost exclusive use of ELI-grade material in the medical industry (Saitova et al., Int J Fatigue 2009).  Regardless, the use of this ultra-pure material will undoubtedly result in the lowest likelihood of inclusions residing in safety-critical regions of finished components.

The interest and demand for this revolutionary advancement in Nitinol purity has already been outstanding.  Indeed, immediately upon the release of SE508ELI, 1,000 pounds of the material were purchased by a major medical device company for use in one of its implantable cardiovascular device products.

NDC offers SE508ELI to its customers in both a finished component form, as well as in its raw material form – tube, wire, sheet, and strip.  For more information regarding SE508ELI, or any other Nitinol needs, NDC can be reached at www.nitinol.com or sales@nitinol.com.

This is Danette’s second stint with NDC, having worked here from 2002 – 2007 then returning in early 2011. Prior to her return, Danette and a partner co-founded Human Resource Verities, a consulting firm with a mission to provide cost effective human resources consulting to companies primarily located in the Silicon Valley. Clients included Yahoo!, Cobham, GMS, CIRTEC Medical Systems, and Johnson & Johnson. Before consulting, she worked as a member of the senior management team at Sensiba San Filippo, LLC, and LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson company.