High-performance alloys

Nikel, Cobalt and zirconium materials and a wide range of speciality stainless steels

VDM METALS - Products

Nickel and nickel alloys have useful resistance to a wide variety of aqueous corrosive environments typically encountered in the chemical process industry and energy technology. Nickel by itself is a versatile corrosion resistant metal. More importantly, its metallurgical compatibility over a considerable composition range with a number of other metals as alloying elements has become the basis for many binary, ternary, and other complex nickel alloy systems, having very unique and specific corrosion resistant behaviour for handling the modern day corrosive environments of the chemical process industry.

Corrosion resistance depends on the chemical composition of the alloy, the alloy’s micro-structural features, the chemical nature of the environment, and the nature of the alloy / environment interface.

One of the main alloying element is chromium, which is necessary for a stable passive surface layer, upon which the corrosion resistance depends. After chromium, molybdenum is the most important alloying element by increasing the resistance to general corrosive attack in reducing media. Together with chromium it is of paramount importance for pitting and crevice corrosion resistance.

Zirconium owes its excellent corrosion resistance to a passivating oxide layer (ZrO2) which forms very quickly on the surface. This layer makes the material resistant to virtually all organic acids and alkaline solutions as well as to mineral acids.

Nickel (commercially pure)

Nickel-chromium

Nickel-chromium-molybdenum

(Nickel)-(iron)-chromium-molybdenum-copper

Nickel-copper

Zirconium

High-temperature alloys from VDM Metals are characterized by their specific resistance to the attack of hot gases and combustion products above 550 ℃. This specific resistance requires the formation of protective oxide layers on the surface. Of the three elements aluminium, silicon and chromium which can be used for the formation of the protective oxide layers, chromium can be used most universally. However, aluminium has to be used for service temperatures in oxidizing atmospheres above 1,000 ℃.

The addition of small amounts of yttrium and of rare earth elements increases the adhesive strength of the protective oxide layer. Addition of silicon is effective, mainly in the initial stages of oxidation, as it contributes to a very rapid oxide film formation. Increasing nickel content produces increasing resistance to uniformly carburizing gases but has a more detrimental effect with regard to resistance to sulfur bearing media.

Nickel-chromium-iron

Nickel-chromium-(iron)-(aluminum)

Iron-nickel-chromium-aluminum

Iron-nickel-chromium-silicon

Superalloys are nickel or cobalt based alloys that are, on the one hand, used at significantly heightened temperatures, but on the other hand also in extremely corrosive environments. The driving force in the development of these materials were the increasingly higher requirements of the aviation industry, caused by higher temperatures in turbines.Chromium supports the oxidation and corrosion resistance, the addition of aluminum and titanium promotes the creation of the γ’ phase, which influences the materials’ mechanical strength.

Nickel-chromium

Nickel-chromium-cobalt-molybdenum

Nickel-chromium-iron-molybdenum-niobium

Nickel-chromium-iron-molybdenum-niobium

Cobalt-chromium-(tungsten)-(nickel)

Resistance alloys are characterized by relatively high and/or constant specific electrical resistance values. The materials spectrum ranges from austenitic nickel-iron-chromium alloys to aluminum-containing ferritic chrome steels.

Nickel-chromium-(iron)-silicon

Copper-nickel-manganese

Iron-chromium-aluminum

Soft magnetic materials are characterized by high magnetic conductivity (permeability) and have a long application tradition in electrical engineering. VDM Metals has been producing soft magnetic iron-nickel alloys for many years in the form of toroidal tape cores, transducers, transformers, heat shields and as yokes and armatures of relays.

Iron-nickel

Nickel-iron-(molybdenum)-(copper)

Controlled expansion alloys are characterized by extremely low thermal expansion coefficients at low- as well as in high-temperature ranges; furthermore, they possess good ductility and toughness, as well as good mechanical properties and a low propensity to fatigue at low temperatures.

Iron-nickel

Iron-nickel-cobalt

VDM Metals, a company of Acerinox, is the world market leader for nickel alloys and high-alloyed special stainless steels. The company offers a wide product range of welding consumables - from wire electrodes up to welding strips. Materials are suitable for joint welding and overlay welding (cladding).

The product range is rounded out by consulting services and training opportunities the company offers to customers in its welding centre.

Please note that process parameters for welding nickel alloys differ from those for carbon steels or stainless steels. Most of the known welding processes are suitable for nickel alloys and high-alloyed special stainless steels. However, the welding parameters need to be customized for the special requirements of these materials.

Please check out VDM Metals’ material data sheets and welding consumables catalogue for further information.

https://www.vdm-metals.com/en/products-and-services/alloys-and-semi-finished-products/welding-consumables/

Products forms

• Wire electrodes and welding wires in diameters of 0.6 to 3.2 mm.
• Welding rods in diameters from 1.6 to 4 mm.
• Core wires in diameters from 2 to 5 mm.
• Welding strips for welded cladding, mostly 0.5 mm thick.
• Welding consumables are available as well in imperial sizes from either mill production or inventory in the US and outside the US.

Packaging options

• Welding wire is available on standardized spools, as special spools or in various barrel types.
• Electrodes/rods are delivered in storage tubes.
• Welding strip is available as coil.

Quality standars

• Narrow tolerance fluctuations in the alloying elements and in the dimensions.
• Setting of optimized cast and helix values for trouble-free wire transport in automated welding processes.
• Optimum preparation of raw stocks for clean and fault-free surfaces.
• All quality-relevant processing steps are carried out by VDM Metals.

Out of stock delivery

In addition to individually produced filler metals, VDM Metals’ Servcie Centers hold a permanent stock of numerous materials in the form of solid wire and welding rods in order to ensure quick delivery.

We can deliver our solid wire on basket coils (15 kg/33 lbs) or in barrels (250 kg/450 kg/551lbs/992 lbs). We also supply welding rods for TIG welding in quivers (5 kg/11 lbs). Other formats are also available on demand. Please visit our webshop:

www.vdm-metals.com/shop

Welding consumables alloys (download pdf file)