NICKEL ALLOY

Nickel based alloys are very useful materials for the manufacture of high quality tubing products. One of the key reasons is that they offer excellent corrosion resistance in both aqueous and high temperature applications.

Nickel\'s high degree of corrosion resistance is due to the fact that it is a relatively noble metal within the galvanic electrochemical series of metals.

Adding chromium, molybdenum, copper and other elements to the alloys gives them an even higher resistance to oxidation and corrosion which makes it possible to use them in a wider range of applications. Seamless tubes and pipes made of corrosion resistant nickel alloys are the first choice for a lot of applications due to their excellent resistance to various acids (sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid) and alkaline solutions.

A further increase of specific alloy elements (such as chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, aluminium, niobium, etc.) improves the high temperature, high strength characteristics of austenitic steels. The disadvantage of austenitic stainless steels occurs in the fact that these elements have a reduced solubility. In order to compensate this effect and to reach the desired result, the nickel concentration can be increased. The highest alloyed types of high temperature nickel based alloys contain only a very low iron concentration.

Nickel based alloys have a higher ability to accept alloying elements in solid solution than other stainless steel or iron-based alloys. They can therefore maintain higher metallurgical stability. The combination of high alloying with multiple elements can provide very good corrosion resistance in a wide range of environments while still maintaining good welding and forming characteristics.