Nickel 200, or Commercially Pure Nickel, has a nickel content of 99.5%. It offers good mechanical properties and resistance to a wide range of corrosive environments. Whilst Commercially Pure Nickel Strip cannot be hardened by heat treatment, strip, however, can be produced by cold rolling to a range of strengths. Other key characteristics within this group of alloys are high density, low electrical resistivity, high thermal conductivity and high magnetic properties. Commercially pure nickel strip has a wide range of applications and is extensively used in sectors with corrosive environments, high temperatures or high stresses. Sectors that utilise the benefits of nickel alloys include Aerospace, Chemical, Electronics, Heat Treatment, and Oil and Gas. One of the most common uses is within Chemical and processing plants. Owing to its excellent corrosion resistance in many chemical media, especially some strong alkalis, it is ideal for maintaining product purity in the handling of foods, synthetic fibres and caustic alkalis. An alternative commercially pure nickel grade is nickel alloy 201. Though sharing many properties with nickel alloy 200, grade 201 has a nickel content typically of 99.6% and reduced carbon content to avoid embrittlement at high temperatures. This grade is often used in the manufacturing of heat exchangers, but also in electrical and chemical industries.

Alloy 212, only available as wire, has similar chemical properties to alloy 200, but with the addition of 2% Manganese, offers manufacturers higher strength. Applications include electrode support wire, and cold tail connectors for heating cables and mats.

These alloys are intended for use in harsh environments where high strength and corrosion resistance are required and resistance to chloride stress corrosion cracking is desired. Nickel-copper alloys offer superior corrosion resistance in reducing chemical environments such as hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, sulphuric acid and alkalis, chloride and also in seawater. Nickel-copper alloys have greater resistance to cavitation corrosion when compared with other copper-base alloys. Consequently they are commonly found in Marine environments. In addition to their abilities to withstand severe environmental stresses, these alloys also have useful mechanical traits from sub-zero temperatures up to 549°C, such as good ductility and ease of fabrication. Typical applications include pickling plant and chemical processing equipment. The most popular grades are alloy 400 (Monel) and alloy K-500. While similar corrosion resistance, the latter benefits from the addition of titanium and aluminium offering increased hardness and enabling Alloy K500 to be heat treated to give higher strength. It is is an age-hardening alloy It retains its strength up to 650 °C and is strong and ductile at temperatures as low as -250 °C. This alloy has low magnetic permeability and is non-magnetic down to -130 °C.

This group of alloys led the way to higher strength and resistance to elevated temperatures so are ideal for applications that involve high-temperature exposure. The carburising environments and extreme temperatures within the Chemical Processing industry were the driving force in their development. Manufacturers found Stainless Steels unsuitable for such severe environments, whereas the addition of chromium in this group of nickel alloys results in greater corrosion protection. Nickel-Chromium- and Nickel-Chromium-Iron Alloys Nickel Strip are designed for use in environments where the material must be not only strong but also resistant to high temperatures. These alloys find applications in the automotive industry, including cylinder heads and exhaust systems, where they allow great flexibility in designing engines. They are also used in heat exchange applications, oil refineries and power generation plants.

Designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the oilfield, our line of 800-series alloys has a proven reputation for strength and durability. Nickel-iron-chromium alloys are often referred to as superalloys owing to their superior properties of high-temperature strength and good oxidation resistance, withstanding carburization and other types of high-temperature corrosion. With the benefit of titanium addition for stabilisation, these alloys offer benefits over their austenitic stainless steel counterparts. Alloys including 800, 800H and 800HT and 825 have found extensive use in the Petrochemical processing industry but can also be used in various industrial applications from furnace components and industrial incinerators, heat and chemical processing equipment, to sheathing for electrical heating elements. The carbon content present in 800 series nickel alloys is proportional to creeping and cracking properties, whereby increasing the carbon content will result in more creeping and cracking properties. As with other nickel alloy grades, 800 Series grades are readily formable and weldable using a variety of techniques.

Within both the scientific and lighting industry, glass-to-metal seals present a key challenge to manufacturers. Controlled Expansion Alloys expansion characteristics match both borosilicate (or Pyrex) glasses and alumina ceramics and therefore provide an ideal solution for components that incorporate a hermetic (glass to metal) seal and require good thermal conductivity. Equally, these alloys offer some more unusual characteristics, including their high strength, a low coefficient of thermal expansion and resistance to shock and cracking. As a result, Controlled Expansion Alloys also have significant benefits to electronic manufacturers and can be found in many electrical components and devices such as semiconductors and circuits, thermostat strips and rods, electric bulbs and industrial lamps.

Nickel-Chromium-Cobalt Alloys were introduced in the 1940s for Aerospace applications and now is commonly found in industrial thermal processing, furnace components and heat-treatment equipment. These grades are best suited for applications requiring oxidation and scaling resistance coupled with medium strength at high operating temperatures. Alloy 75 or Nimonic 75 is a Nickel Chromium Alloy, strengthened with the addition of titanium. It provides excellent corrosion resistance at elevated temperatures and is primarily used in low-stress, elevated-temperature conditions, which require some oxidation resistance. This grade remains popular for aerospace applications such as fasteners, in part due to its ease of fabrication and formability. Alloy 90 or Nimonic 90 is another popular aerospace grade nickel-chromium alloy with the addition of cobalt. The alloy is precipitation hardenable and has high strength and corrosion resistance at very high temperatures (up to 950 °C). Other beneficial properties include high-stress rupture strength and high creep resistance at high temperatures making it suitable for a variety of applications in challenging environments.