Finite element analysis of hydrogen effects on superelastic NiTi shape memory alloys: Orthodontic application

Thanks to its greater flexibility and biocompatibility with human tissue, superelastic NiTi alloys have taken an important part in the market of orthodontic wires. However, wire fractures and superelasticity losses are notified after a few months from being fixed in the teeth. This behavior is due to the hydrogen presence in the oral cavity, which brittles the NiTi arch wire. In this article, a diffusion-mechanical coupled model is presented while considering the hydrogen influences on the NiTi superelasticity. The model is integrated in ABAQUS finite element software via a UMAT subroutine. Additionally, a finite element model of a deflected orthodontic NiTi wire within three teeth brackets is simulated in the presence of hydrogen. The numerical results demonstrate that the force applied to the tooth drops with respect to the increase in the hydrogen amount. This behavior is attributed to the expansion of the NiTi structure after absorbing hydrogen. In addition, it is shown that hydrogen induces a loss of superelasticity. Hence, it attenuates the role of the orthodontic wire on the correction tooth malposition.