Structural Nickel Alloys

Commercially Pure Nickel

The commercially pure nickel grades show magnetostrictive properties, have adequate electrical properties, keep good mechanical properties in sub-zero and high-temperature and have very good resistance to many corrosive agents.

Thus, commercially pure nickels are used for electronic applications:

• Leads and terminals exposed to high or sub-zero temperature.
• Grid sode rods, base pins, and transducers
• In fuel and galvanic cells: plates and parts of active and passive anodes and cathodes, such as cathode shanks and shields.
• Nickels of the highest purity (Nickel 270 for example) are useful for special electronics applications, such as parts of hydrogen thyratrons.

On the other hand, some nickels may be used in chemical and food processing. For example, Nickel 200 has excellent resistance to caustics, hot halogens and hydrogen halides and can be used in high purity food processing applications.

Low-alloy Nickels

Low-alloy Nickels contain around 2-7% alloying additions and impurities. Usually, they're used for applications, that require corrosion resistance of commercially pure nickel, but greater mechanical properties or better protection against sulfur.

Duranickel 301 contain 4-4.75% aluminium and 0.25-1% titanium, as a result of which, the solution is strengthened by intermetallic phases γ’. Duranickel 301 is stronger and has better tensile and spring properties than pure nickel.

Duranickel 301 is used for diaphragms, clips, springs and other structural elements exposed to high-temperature.

Nickel-Copper Alloys

Both nickel and copper are strong and have good corrosion resistance in various conditions. Nickel-copper alloys combine the advantages of both those metals.

Tensile properties of nickel-copper alloys are increased when iron and manganese is added. Physical properties and hardness depend primarily on nickel concentration.

Copper improves resistance to nonoxidizing acids, in particular to sulfuric acid H2SO4 and to all concentrations of nonaerated hydrofluoric acid HF.

General Monel properties:

• More resistant to reducing corrosion that nickel and more resistant to oxidation than copper.
• Immune to stress-corrosion cracking.
• Very resistant to seawater and brackish water.
• Resistant to many acids and almost all alkalies.
• Very good mechanical properties (age-hardened Monel K-500 is especially strong).

Different Monel grades are typically utilized:

• In chemical and petrochemical industries – chemical and petroleum processing equipment, tanks, heat exchangers, pump shafts, oil well drill collars and springs.
• In medicine – surgical tools.
• In shipbuilding – propeller shafts, fixtures, and fasteners.

Structural Nickel Alloys – Application

Nickel alloys listed in this category are generally used:

• In electronics and electrics – leads and terminals exposed to high or sub-zero temperature.
• In chemical industry – fittings and fixtures (tanks, pipes)
• In engineering industry – corrosion resistant machine components – heat exchangers, pumps, valves,