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Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are metals that can return to their original shape following thermal input and are largely used as actuators for various applications across industries including space, aeronautics, automotive, and biomedical. These alloys can require long processing times to stabilize through repeated training cycles and suffer from loss of strength and stability during use. Precipitation strengthening (using heat treatments to grow small nanoscale regions of distinct metal phases within the base alloy) is one way to mitigate these issues. The NASA inventors have combined a modification of typical NiTi compositions by introducing Palladium (Pd) and small amounts of other metals and specific heat treatments to produce a novel SMA with improved properties. Specifically, the alloy is inherently stable, reducing both the need for extended processing times to stabilize the metal and the possibility of failure during high numbers of actuation cycles. Further, the SMA is specifically designed to have significantly lower hysteresis (the temperature difference between the heating and cooling) than current state of the art SMAs, i.e., at or below 10°C compared to 20°C or above. These properties combine for a SMA with enhanced properties usable across various industries and applications for reliable actuation. The related patent is now available to license. Please note that NASA does not manufacturer products itself for commercial sale.