Trained straight - the wire is very soft and pliable at room temperatures, and becomes stiff and straightens out at a very low heat point of 40C (about 100F), making it suitable for demonstrations without getting burned.
1.0 mm (0.04") diameter is very thick, this wire can hold or pull many pounds of weight and it is virtually unbreakable.
Wire can be trained to take on a different shape by heat treating it at 500C and quenching in water.
Thick, strong & smooth - black oxide finish is shiny and low friction, with a mysterious sheen.
5 feet (1.5 meters) of 1mm diameter Nitinol SMA (shape memory alloy) wire. One of our favorites due to a comfortable warm, not-too-hot transition phase. This wire will become rigid and return to straight when exposed to temperatures above 40 C (hot water, lighter, heat gun, etc). Yes - it comes pre-trained STRAIGHT from the factory which is how you want it. You can re-train it if you want by heating it (500 C for 45 minutes) in the new desired shape. The wire has a lustrous titanium color (dark grey) with a bluish oxide tint on its surface. When freshly cut, the inner core is nickel white. Nitinol is very abrasion resistant and has self-healing properties, so the wire is quite hard to cut and kink. It feels very smooth and shiny to the touch. It does not require any special handling or protections from oxidation or moisture, and is non-toxic. Do not over heat it, as that will damage the property. If you are using electricity instead of hot water to activate it be sure to use a current limiting circuit.