Nickel is a chemical element, which is represented by Ni symbol and an atomic number of 28. It is a silver-white lustrous metal featuring a tinge of gold hue. It comes under the transition metals and is extremely hard as well as ductile.
Nickel is a versatile metal and tends to alloy with a majority of metals. Nickel alloys are alloys wherein the nickel stand as the primary element. There is a complete solubility between nickel and copper.
Additionally, there is a wide range of solubility between chromium, iron, and nickel, allowing the formation of multiple alloy combinations. The high versatility of this material accompanied by its exceptional corrosion and heat resistance makes it an ideal material to use in many industrial applications.
Types of Nickel Alloy
Nickel can be easily alloyed with a majority of metals, including chromium, copper, molybdenum, iron, etc. Moreover, when nickel is added to other metal, the properties tend to alter. Below we are mentioning some common types of alloy –
- Nickel-Copper Alloys
Nickel-copper alloys are extremely resistant to corrosion by seawater and saltwater; thereby making with ideal for marine applications. This type of alloy has 63% nickel and 28-34% copper concentration.
- Nickel-Iron Alloys
Nickel-iron alloys are ideal for application where the thermal expansion in the property is at a low rate. It has a high degree of dimensional stability, making nickel-iron alloys quite useful in building applications such as thermostat rods, measurement equipment. Some nickel-iron alloys that hold a higher concentration of nickel are used in the manufacturing of transformers, memory storage device, inductors, etc.
- Nickel-Chromium Alloys
Nickel chromium-alloys are reckoned for their high resistance to corrosion, greater electrical resistance, and high-temperature strength. This type of alloy is used in making heating elements like toasters.
- Nickel-Molybdenum Alloys
Nickel-molybdenum alloys provide high chemical resistance to acids along with reducers such as hydrogen chloride, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid. The chemical formation of this type of alloy has 29-30% concentration of molybdenum and 66-74% concentration of nickel. Common applications of nickel-molybdenum alloys include gaskets, pumps and valves, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, piping, and heat exchangers.
- Nickel-Chromium-Iron Alloys
Nickel-chromium-iron alloys amalgamate to generate alloys that oxidation resistance, as well as high-temperature corrosion. The alloy typically is used for their high rapture and creep properties. It has composition generally stands at Nickel 30-35%, chromium- 19-23%, and Iron 39.5%.
- Nickel-Titanium Alloys
Nickel-titanium alloys hold shape retention or shape memory properties. When shaped in higher temperatures and deformed in lower temperatures, this type of alloy remembers its original shape and reform to it once header. The whole process is known as transition temperature. You can alter the transition temperature by controlling the alloy composition. Nickel-titanium alloy features high-elastic property that can be leveraged to be used as a shock absorber and assist in protecting the stone buildings.
- Nickel-Chromium Alloys
This type of alloy encompasses molybdenum and chromium in order to add more creep rupture strength. It concentration include chromium 20-24%, molybdenum 8-10%, cobalt 10-15%, and nickel 44.5%. Some of the common applications associated with this alloy include gas turbines, furnace components, catalyst grid supports, etc.
Nickel alloy is a highly versatile element, which comes with features including high heat and corrosion resistance. This characteristic makes nickel alloy an effective Al6Xn Tubing in many structures that generated a lot of heat. It is used in a wide range of application such as steam turbines, aircraft gas turbines, energy and nuclear power industries, etc.