Crucible 60 NiTinol PM - Metal Alloy

[michaelm466]

excerpt from http://www.knifeart.com/stkndudwcual.html sounds like a very interesting metal, I'd love to see this in a more affordable BM or Spyderco and test it out.

Crucible Research is proud to announce that they have successfully manufactured the material 60 NiTiNOL PM for the first time in a production environment since its invention in the Naval Ordinance Laboratory in the 1960’s.

Eric Bono, Director of Engineering Services, said “We have developed a robust manufacturing process that takes advantage of our proprietary particle metallurgy process and are excited to introduce it to the market alongside Strider Knives. We believe the material will eventually have deep reaching applications in military and consumer products.”

The material, termed 60 NiTiNOL PM, is high strength, lightweight, non-magnetic, extremely corrosion resistant and inherently hard (65 Rc), making it a perfect solution to demanding ordinance missions and edged tool applications.

For those that missed it, Strider Knives debuted knives at the 2008 Blade Show with blades made of a metal named 60 NiTiNOL. NiTiNOL is short for Nickel Titanium Naval Ordinance Laboratory, indicating its’ composition and where it was originally developed. As the number 60 implies, NiTiNOL contains 60% nickel with titanium making up the remaining material. Since its’ invention, processes have been developed to make NiTiNOL a high strength, wear-resistant metal alloy.

In the last few months, Crucible Research was able to develop methods of production for NiTiNOL. Property sheets indicate that 60 NiTiNOL has a hardness of 62 Rockwell C or more. Strider material states that the 60 NiTiNOL used in their knives is 65 Rockwell C. Some of the other desirable traits of the metal are non-corrosiveness and approximately 25% less weight than steel.

 

[Noctis3880]

I wouldn't expect to see this in another knife for another 5-10 years because of the ridiculous price tag.

 

[bearcut]

Like every other technology, the price will eventually come down. Titanium and graphite products used to be rare, and ridiculously expensive, remember? (Maybe not, if you’re under 25…) Heck, just tooling and welding titanium used to be a “black” art. Now it’s commonplace, and everywhere.

I would love to see NiTinol offered in a larger fixed blade. It is probably the ultimate alloy for knife blades right now. Many medical products are using this material; all that’s needed is a supplier to offer it in flat stock, and a willing knife maker to exploit it.

 

[Joshua J.]

I want a NiTinol knife where you just stick it in hot water to repair a rolled edge or a bend in the blade

 

[MikeC]

There are also a couple of ingots floating around somewhere on the west coast of that was leftover from the original run done for the Navy. I've heard it is in the hands of a knife company (not strider) right now but they don't know what their going to do with it yet. I've also been told that the ingots of this stuff are better for manf. than the crucible stuff because of the crucible manf. method (powder). I'm not a metallurgist or engineer I'd love to know more about this stuff and if what I've heard is true or not.

I disagree with the cost of this stuff coming down rapidly or much at all really, the reason the Navy abandoned way back was cost and hell thats the Navy they have Congress bank rolling them, the stuff is still way expensive now and its 50 years later.

Same goes for titanium the cost of it never really dropped astronomically titanium is still expensive from a raw metal or materials stand point and it is still very expensive to have machined/tooled and use in fabrication.

 

[dcoffe01]

We tried to make gears out. No one could grind it. The austenite keeps transforming to Martensite.

Dan

 

[Shorttime]

If Crucible has a powdered metal version, they could press the blades to shape and sinter them.

Remember Diamondblade's selective heat-treat process using "stir welding"? Maybe something like that could be used to harden the edge, eliminating the need for grinding?

 

[Nebulae]

I have just been looking into this material recently it sounds fascinating, I cant wait to see what happens

 

[JayGoliath]

I wouldn't expect to see this in another knife for another 5-10 years because of the ridiculous price tag.

Check out SM-100 from Summit Materials. Makers like Strider,Elliot Williamson, Les George, Horton, Dalibor, Peter R, Hoback and a few had made them lately.

 

[shqxk]

I heard this kind of material never going to compete to steel in performance wish.

 

[mete]

dcoffe, that's like the Hadfield steels .The austenite transforms to a different type of martensite .They're still doing research on it though it's been around for many years. Handy for high wear applications like bulldozer grousers.

 

[Alchemy1]

Check out SM-100 from Summit Materials. Makers like Strider,Elliot Williamson, Les George, Horton, Dalibor, Peter R, Hoback and a few had made them lately.

I think this material is more likely to go "mass" production. However, this stuff is still EXPENSIVE. On the end user side of things, it increased the price of a knife I was going to have made by $200-$250. In the end I still ended up ordering a knife with it from a different maker, but it still came at a premium in the $100's.