TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY: NiTi Alloy Ball Bearings (LEW-TOPS-129)

NASA's Technology Transfer Program solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses. THE TECHNOLOGY: Innovators at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed a new method for making small diameter, high-grade Nickel Titanium (NiTi) ball bearings that set a new standard for precision performance in the bearing field. Using non-corrosive NiTi alloy instead of steel is an inexpensive way to increase the load capability and reduce the weight of a ball bearing. It has been difficult, however, to produce balls less than 0.375" in diameter using the standard baseline 60NiTi alloy. To address this challenge, Glenn innovators have created a new, more advanced alloy consisting of NiTi and Hafnium (Hf) that can produce high-quality ball bearings of any size, but most notably less than 0.25" in diameter. Glenn's NiTi-Hf ball bearings are superior to any previously used alloy or steel. They are corrosion-resistant, shockproof, and have been rated at a grade 10 or higher on the Annular Bearing Engineering Committee (ABEC) scale (an industry-accepted tolerance standard for bearings). Thanks to their high strength and Rockwell hardness (HRC 58-60), these customizable ball bearings will facilitate new high-speed precision applications in a broad range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, industrial, medical, and more. To express interest in this opportunity, please submit a license application through NASA's Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by visiting https://technology.nasa.gov/apply/license/LEW-TOPS-129 If you have any questions, please contact NASA Glenn's Technology Transfer Office at [email protected] with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this FBO notice and your preferred contact information. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at https://technology.nasa.gov/ These responses are provided to members of NASA's Technology Transfer Program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.