Both in its elemental state and in alloyed form, nickel has contributed a significant role in improving the ways of life of modern-day society. It has always been a valuable metal for a wide variety of industries due to its high versatility that can alloy with most other metals available. A nickel alloy is basically an alloy with nickel as the principal element. For instance, it can be alloyed with copper because of its solid solubility with that metal as well as with other metals such as iron, chromium, titanium, and more. This high “alloy-ability” or versatility, along with its excellent heat and corrosion resistance made nickel and its alloys useful in a wide range of applications.
A nickel alloy is usually used in aircraft gas turbines, steam turbine powerplants, nuclear power systems, chemical and petrochemical facilities, and medical applications. Moreover, there are also a number of other uses for a nickel alloy involving its unique physical qualities, including a shape memory alloy, soft magnetic alloy, low-expansion alloy, and electrical resistance alloy. Nickel alloys are categorized into different types according to the specific metals they are alloyed with such as copper-nickel alloy, nickel-chromium alloy, iron-nickel-chromium alloy, nickel-titanium alloy, and so on.
In addition, there are also high nickel alloys and super alloys, which are often used because of their superb corrosion and high-temperature resistance. Most of them are extremely highly alloyed with other metals like chromium and molybdenum for enhanced corrosion resistance, making them ideal for use in nuclear power plants and petrochemical industries. Another nickel alloy called super alloy refers to alloys that have exceptional high-temperature strength and oxidation resistance.
These alloys usually have a balanced amount of chromium, cobalt, aluminum, titanium, and other elements. These nickel alloys have temperature strengths at 1000°C, exceeding the capacity of ordinary steel at room temperature. They are created through a controlled solidification process to achieve the desired temperature resistance property.
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