Types of Nickel Alloys and their Properties

Nickel is a commonly known metal that was discovered and isolated years ago by a Swedish chemist. Nickel is a metal with a versatile nature and an endless number of applications. 

Where is nickel found?

Nickel is organically sourced from the crust of the earth. Miners dig up the crust to extract a certain ore that contains nickel. 

Why is nickel used widely? What are its appealing properties?

To start with, nickel has an incredibly versatile nature. When alloyed with numerous metals and components, nickel tends to exhibit spectacular properties. Nickel is an industrial-grade metal and is picked for its properties such as ductility, its value, corrosion-resistant properties, etc. 

Types and Properties of Nickel Alloy

  1. Nickel-Iron alloy:

For an application that desires a metal with low thermal expansion, nickel-iron alloys are the perfect match. Nickel-iron alloys referred to as Pernifer 6 exhibit an incredibly low rate of thermal expansion which is about 1/10 that of carbon steel. It is a dimensionally stable grade of a nickel alloy. These properties make nickel-iron alloys great for precision measurement equipment. These alloys have soft magnetic properties and are thus used in devices such as transformers, inductors, and memory storage equipment. 

  1. Nickel-Copper alloy:

Nickel-copper alloys such as Cu-Ni 90/10 Pipe Fittings are resistant to saltwater causing corrosion. Thus, they are found in marine applications such as shipbuilding. Monel 400 is among the most commonly used nickel-copper alloy. It is used in numerous marine applications including piping, shafts, pumps, valves, propellers, etc. This alloy consists of 63% nickel and 34% copper. 

  1. Nickel-Molybdenum alloy:

Molybdenum brings about incredible corrosion-resistant properties. Thus, nickel-molybdenum alloys are capable enough to resist highly chemical environments as well as acidic environments. Nickel-molybdenum alloys resist acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and phosphoric acid. There is a whopping 32% of molybdenum present in this alloy. 

  1. Nickel-Chromium alloy:

Chromium is generalized as a corrosion-resisting element. Nickel-chromium alloys have incredible corrosion as well as heat-resistant properties. Additionally, this alloy has brilliant electric resistivity. Nickel-chromium alloys are used to build components such as toasters and grills. Nickel-chromium wires are also referred to as “Nichrome wires”. 

These are the four main types of nickel alloys used in the industry. Besides these, alloys such as Nickel-chromium-molybdenum, nickel-chromium-cobalt, and nickel-titanium are used.