Exotic alloys made in India for first time

HYDERABAD: Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd (MIDHANI), a Defence PSU engaged in the manufacture of special materials, alloys and other products used in sectors of strategic importance, has developed an exotic class of Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys for the first time in India.

Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys are used in making biomedical devices, and the Hyderabad-based PSU MIDHANI’s entry into the production of these special purpose alloys is expected to bring down the cost of intravascular stents and other biomedical devices almost by 50 per cent.

“Right now there is no domestic manufacturing of Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys for commercial applications in India, thus making us completely dependent on imports,” said Dinesh Kumar Likhi, Chairman and Managing Director of MIDHANI.

“India receives Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys imports mainly from USA, Europe and China, and that too at a very high cost. As a result, the products in which these special alloys are used also become expensive. The indigenous supply of Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys by us will make biomedical components such as intravascular stents, orthodontic wires, guide-wire, bone plates and other products cheaper and affordable, as their price can be brought down by about 50 percent,” said Likhi, explaining the impact of this new innovation.

The domestic market for Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys is estimated to be in the range of Rs 700–1000 Cr with biomedical applications accounting for 60 percent. Considered as smart metal, memory metal, Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys are functional alloys which have the unique capability of restoring their initial physical shape when subjected to heating after undergoing deformation.
The quality of MIDHANI’s alloys meets international standards, Likhi said.