Nickel And Its Alloys A Versatile Element That Will Alloy With Most Metals
Nickel in elemental form or alloyed with other metals and materials has made significant contributions to our present-day society and promises to continue to supply materials for an even more demanding future. Nickel has always been a vital metal for a wide variety of industries for the simple reason that it is a highly versatile material that will alloy with most other metals.
Nickel is a versatile element and will alloy with most metals. Nickel alloys are alloys with nickel as principal element. Complete solid solubility exists between nickel and copper. Wide solubility ranges between iron, chromium, and nickel make possible many alloy combinations. Its high versatility, combined with its outstanding heat and corrosion resistance has led to its use in a diverse range of applications; such as Aircraft gas turbines, steam turbines in power plants and its extensive use in the energy and nuclear power markets.
Applications and Characteristics of Nickel Alloys
Nickel and nickel alloys are used for a wide variety of applications, the majority of which involve corrosion resistance and/or heat resistance. Some of these include:
- Aircraft gas turbines
- Steam turbine power plants
- Medical applications
- Nuclear power systems
- Chemical and petrochemical industries
- Heating and Resistance parts
- Isolators and Actuators for communication
- Automotive Spark plugs
- Welding consumables
- Power Cables
A number of other applications for nickel alloys involve the unique physical properties of special-purpose nickel-based or high-nickel alloys. These include:
- Electrical resistance alloys
- Nickel-Chromium alloys and Nickel-Chromium-Iron alloys
- Copper-Nickel alloys for heating cables
- Thermocouple Alloys for sensors and cables
- Nickel Copper alloys for Weaving-Knitting
- Soft magnetic alloys
- Controlled-expansion alloys
- Welding Filler Materials
- Dumet wire for Glass to metal seal
- Nickel plated Steel
- Lighting Alloys