USE OF TiNi IN MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS.

Abstract

The first product is the Cryofit line of permanent couplings for aircraft hydraulic tubing. In terms of conceptual design, a Cryofit union is a hollow cylinder which has been expanded in its martensitic range and which shrinks down on the tubes to be joined as it is heated through its A//s-A//f range. Installation of these couplings is straightforward: a pre-expanded part is removed from the liquid nitrogen in which it has been shipped and stored, then the ends of the hydraulic tubing to be joined are inserted. As the assembly heats to room temperature, the coupling contracts and effects a permanent tube union. The second application is an electrical pin-and-socket contact. When the device is cooled, the pin can be inserted or withdrawn with zero force but when the contact is at or above room temperature the pin cannot be removed. These products are called Cryocon devices.