Understanding Nickel Alloys – Monel and Hastelloy

Nickel is one of the main selections for functions that necessitate high strength, corrosion-resistant materials. Its power and versatility make this cloth an attractive preference in the engineering, energy, and plumbing industries. It has a melting factor of 1453° C, is magnetic, and is rather ductile on its own. However, one of nickel’s largest benefits is its potential to merge with different substances to create nickel alloys.

The special residences of nickel imply that producers can optimize nickel alloys to supply extra suitable features. Industrial applications, for example, will regularly make use of nickel alloys to create tougher, greater corrosion-resistant gear that performs nicely at each excessive and low temperatures. As nickel alloys regularly operate nicely at temperatures of up to 1000° C, they are specially acceptable for harsh, worrying environments.

There are approximately 3,000 different nickel alloys currently in use across a diverse range of industries. Stainless steel is one popular option, making up approximately two-thirds of nickel alloy production. Other common nickel alloys include Monel and Hastelloy. To create alloys, nickel is most commonly combined with:

Aluminum

Chromium

Copper

Iron

Titanium

The strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance of nickel alloys mean that they can be found in many types of products and equipment, including:

Aircraft and power turbines

Building materials

Cell phones

Aircraft

Food preparation equipment

Laboratory equipment

Medical equipment

Nuclear power systems

Pharmaceuticals

Transportation

What Is Monel?

Monel is a trademarked name that refers to copper-nickel alloys. There are a number of different types of Monel, each with its own advantages. This alloy is much stronger than nickel alone, highly resistant to corrosion, and highly weldable.

Each of the five major types of Monel is optimized for different applications, making this a versatile alloy that provides benefits to a number of different industries. Some properties and common usages of Monel include:

Monel Alloy 400: With a wide temperature range and excellent corrosion resistance, Monel Alloy 400 is well suited for a diverse range of applications, from gasoline tanks to electronic components.

Monel Alloy K-500:Exhibits low permeability with high strength and corrosion resistance, making it a popular choice for equipment such as marine propeller shafts, scrapers, and oil well tools.

Monel Alloy K-500 Rev E:Produced to conform to the QQN 286 Form 1 spec, Revision E is best suited to provide corrosion resistance in sour gas environments.

Monel Alloy K-500 Rev F:Designed for components that must be solution annealed at 2050°F because of the presence of titanium carbide Revision F conforms to the QQN 286 Form 2 spec.

Monel Alloy K-500 Rev G:Produced to pass the slow strain rate tensile test and conform to QQN 286 Form 2, Revision G is best suited for applications where susceptibility to intergranular cracking is not an option.

Monel Alloy R-405:Commonly found in fasteners, screw-machine products, and valve parts.

What Is Hastelloy?

Hastelloy is a superalloy, meaning that it has higher strength than standard alloy materials. It is primarily composed of nickel and molybdenum and comes in several grades, the most popular being Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy C22 and Hastelloy X.

Hastelloy C-276: Low carbon and silicon contents help to reduce concerns about welding with C-276.

Hastelloy C22: Higher chromium content allows C22 to provide exceptional resistance to chloride-induced pitting.

Hastelloy X: Provides excellent fabricability while maintaining strength at high-temperatures, ideal resistances to stress-corrosion cracking in petrochemical applications.

While each grade has its own advantages, they all exhibit exemplary levels of corrosion resistance. Other notable properties of Hastelloy include:

Oxidant resistance

High ductility

Strength at high temperatures

Hastelloy is simple to fabricate and has both forging and cold working capabilities. Its low carbon content contributes to this superalloy's corrosion resistance in welded products, as this minimizes carbide precipitation during the welding process.

Its many strengths mean that Hastelloy is an excellent option for harsh environments that are likely to create high levels of corrosion and oxidization. In particular, it can withstand corrosion from:

Chlorine

Acetic acid

Ferric chlorides

Seawater

Acetic anhydride

This superalloy is also a popular choice for piping material in the chemical processing and petrochemical industries, and can commonly be found in pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and nuclear reactors.