Mind Boggling Information about Nickel Alloy Forgings

For thousands of years society has used nickel in many different ways. Thousands of years ago they were unable to realize the possibilities that open when nickel is used as an alloy. Nickel is a versatile metal, a chemical element that has an atomic number of 28 and its’ chemical symbol on the periodic table is Ni. It is lustrous and often silvery-white, with a golden tinge, in appearance. It is a ferromagnetic element that is hard and ductile at room temperature.

The properties of nickel are divided into the atomic, physical, isotope and chemical properties. Its’ atomic properties include the electron configuration, electron structure, and other electron-related stabilities. The physical properties include the color and ferromagnetic ability.. Nickel has five isotopes and each of them has their own set of properties as well as their own characteristics.

Nickel alloys are mostly used in power, gas, and oil plants as well as processing facilities. Products that mainly use nickel today are rechargeable batteries, coins, guitar strings, magnets, and nickel alloys with industrial applications. These nickel alloys also have bronze, lead, gold, silver, cobalt, aluminium, and chromium contained within them. They also make up nickel cast irons and nickel steels.

Nickel Alloy forgings can be used in the production of a great deal of product. They are good at corrosion resistance as well as heat regulation, hence their use in the power, gas, and oil plants and they are utilized in nuclear reactors and solar engineering as well. Nickel alloys or cobalt alloys are employed in environments where the temperatures used are in excess of 1000 degrees F.

In creating these alloys, it can cost a great deal of money and a pretty long lead time between ordering and shipping. Nickel alloys exhibit high heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and electrical resistance, coupled with an enhanced durability. They are the ideal materials for parts and components of pumps, valves, processing equipment, piping systems, turbines and assemblies in the marine, chemical processing, oil and gas, aerospace, and military industries. Nickel alloy forgings hold up as die forging tools and they can be made to specifications that include odd sizes and custom lengths. Forging with nickel alloy demonstrates its thermal expansion properties, resistance to corrosion, and heat deformation resistance.

It is for these many advantages and resistances that nickel alloys are used for commercially forged products, as their properties are in demand. The presence of more chromium content helps with the prolonged exposure to heat and avoids damage via oxidation. A company can use these forgings in either saltwater or freshwater due to their resistance to said oxidation and corrosion. They can use them in high temperature environments as well, due to their high resistance to thermal expansion and contraction.

Originally published at alloysteelmetal.wordpress.com