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Corrotherm specialises in nickel and nickel alloys, so we take an in-depth look at the element and why it proves so useful in producing high-quality alloys
All of the metal alloys that are supplied by Corrotherm have nickel as a key component part. This ranges from All of the metal alloys that are supplied by Corrotherm have nickel as a key component part. This ranges from commercially pure nickel , through INCONEL INCOLOY and MONEL alloys, which each have a difference percentage of nickel in their makeup.
The chemical element of nickel is both hard and ductile, and its also naturally corrosion resistant, which are key reasons why it is popular for use in metal alloys. Nickel has been used for many hundreds of years, tracing back as far as BCE when it was used in its natural meteoric nickel-iron alloy state. It was then isolated and classified as an element in .
Nowadays, a large percentage of the world&#;s production of nickel is for use in nickel-steel and stainless steel, as well as other common alloys and superalloys, including INCONEL and INCOLOY. To create these perfectly balanced superalloys, nickel is carefully blended with other choice elements to both enhance and expand upon its properties. The result is a range of materials that are highly resistant to many forms of corrosion, strong, easy to work with and capable of use in high-temperature environments.
Commercially pure nickel
Commercially pure nickel grades have a minimum of 99% nickel in their composition. They make an excellent material that is highly resistant to reducing chemicals and caustic alloys, has good electrical and thermal conductivity, and is both strong and ductile. Corrotherm offers both Nickel 200 and Nickel 201, which are similar, but Nickel 201 has less carbon.
Nickel 200 is used in a wide range of fields, such as aerospace and chemical shipping due to its high corrosion resistance. Nickel 201 is better suited in situations where temperatures will rise above 315°C due to its lower carbon content. They are also often dual certified to bring together the strength of Nickel 200 and the compositional controls of Nickel 201.
Nickel alloys
While commercially pure nickel has a lot of essential uses across a wide range of industries, it can be expensive, but also it cannot offer the benefits of some superalloys that introduce a blend of other elements to add more attractive properties.
In the oil and gas industry, for example, there are distinct advantages to using metal alloys over pure metals. INCONEL alloy 625, for example, has a minimum nickel content of 58% as well as high levels of both chromium and molybdenum, which all work together to offer outstanding corrosion resistance, particularly high strength and a wide temperature operating range. As such, the material is one of the best superalloys available, and it is employed across a whole range of industries such as aerospace, automobile, oil extraction, oil refining, marine, waste treatment, and the pulp and paper industry.
INCOLOY alloys have less nickel, which can make them a little cheaper for cost-effective projects. However, they still have a good proportion of nickel to benefit from its properties. INCOLOY alloy 825 blends 38-46% nickel with a minimum 22% iron, plus chromium and molybdenum, to produce a significant material for environments where stress cracking or general corrosion is a factor.
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To see all of our nickel alloys and commercially pure nickel products, please visit our Grades page. To discuss your requirements, contact a member of our team.
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Wrought Nickel
Pure nickel UNS N is used in the chemical industry for its corrosion resistance - particularly to alkalis. It is also used for its properties in shielding against electromagnetic interference and in transducers.
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Nickel-Iron Alloys
These are used as soft magnetic materials, as glass-to-metal seals and as materials with defined thermal expansion properties.
Invar® (UNS K), with 36% nickel and the remainder iron, is unique in having an almost zero coefficient of thermal expansion around room temperature. This makes it valuable where high dimensional stability is required, such as in precision measuring instruments and thermostat rods. It is also used at cryogenic temperatures because of its very low thermal expansion rates.
Alloys containing 72-83% nickel have the best soft magnetic properties and are used in transformers, inductors, magnetic amplifiers, magnetic shields and memory storage devices.
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Nickel-Copper Alloys
These are highly resistant to corrosion by alkaline solutions, non-oxidizing salts and seawater. The best-known is Alloy 400.
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Nickel-Molybdenum Alloys
These are highly resistant to reducing acids in the absence of oxidizing ions, such as ferric and cupric or dissolved oxygen. The best-known is Alloy B-2.
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Nickel-Chromium Alloys
These are characterised by their high resistance to corrosion at both normal and high temperatures (resistance to scaling), good high-temperature strength and high electrical resistance. There are three main groups of alloys:
- Ni-Cr (and also Ni-Cr-Fe) alloys with high electrical resistance for heating elements, such as 70-30 (UNS N) and C-Grade (UNS N)
- Ni-Cr alloys (with Fe and other alloying elements) with good corrosion resistance. The best-known are Alloy 600 (UNS N) and Alloy 601 (UNS N)
- Ni-Cr alloys with high-temperature strength and creep resistance, mostly age-hardenable, such as Alloy X-750 (UNS N)
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Nickel-Chromium-Iron Alloys
There are basically two groups of alloys:
- Ni &#; Cr &#; Fe alloys with excellent strength at high temperature and the ability to resist oxidation, carburisation and other types of high-temperature corrosion. The best-known is alloy 800 (UNS N) and its variants 800H (UNS N) and 800HT (UNS N). (Recently, these alloys were classified as stainless steels reflecting their high Fe content)
- Ni &#; Cr &#; Fe (with Mo and Cu) alloys with excellent corrosion resistance in specific applications. Probably the best-known is alloy 825 (UNS N), which offers exceptional resistance to sulphuric acid. Alloy G-3 (UNS N) offers exceptional corrosion resistance to commercial phosphoric acids as well as many complex solutions containing highly oxidizing acids.
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Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum Alloys
These are highly corrosion-resistant, of which Alloy C-276 (N) is the best-known. They offer exceptional resistance to reducing acids such as hydrochloric and sulphuric. There are a number of variants based on this composition, which have modified the Cr and Mo levels and, in some cases, added Cu or W in order to extend the corrosion resistance to conditions that are more oxidising or more reducing. These include Alloy C-22 (N), Alloy 59 (N), Alloy C- (UNS N), and Alloy 686 (N).
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Nickel-Chromium-Cobalt Alloys
The addition of cobalt and molybdenum imparts solid-solution strengthening and high levels of creep-rupture strength to alloy 617 (UNS N). The addition of cobalt to HR-160 (N) provides outstanding resistance to various forms of high-temperature corrosion attacks, such as sulphidation and chloride attack in both reducing and oxidizing atmospheres.
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Nickel-Titanium Alloys
55% nickel-titanium alloy (UNS N) (also known as Nitinol) has shape-memory properties. When formed at one temperature and then deformed at a lower one, it regains its original form when reheated. The transition temperatures can be adjusted through careful control of the composition. Medical devices and specialised connectors are two of specific the applications. The same alloy can also undergo considerable elastic deformation and still return to its original shape (super-elastic property). This property has been exploited for applications as diverse as spectacle frames and shock absorbers that provide earthquake resistance in historic stone buildings.
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