Nickel Base Alloy Casting

Nickel-base alloys are among the most versatile and high-performing materials available for investment casting. Their high nickel content — combined with additions of chromium, copper, molybdenum, iron, and other elements — delivers outstanding resistance to corrosion, oxidation, and high-temperature degradation in environments where stainless steels and standard alloy steels cannot perform reliably.

Precision Investment Casting Nickel Base Alloys

Engineered Precision Casting Company pours nickel-base alloys using an air melt process, offering three families of alloys for investment casting: Monel nickel-copper alloys, Hastelloy® alloys and Inconel alloys.

Monel alloys are nickel-copper alloys composed primarily of nickel with copper as the primary alloying element, along with additions of silicon, iron, manganese, and carbon. They are particularly resistant to hydrofluoric acid, fluorine gas, hydrochloric acid, strong alkalis, and seawater. All three grades are covered under ASTM A494.

Monel M35-1 (ASTM A494) is the most widely used Monel casting grade, offering a balanced combination of strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance. It is used in applications requiring high strength, good air tightness, mechanical wear resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance. It is supplied in the as-cast condition per ASTM A494 Class 1 and is the standard starting point for most Monel casting applications. Typical chemistry: Ni Bal | Cu 26–33 | Fe ≤3.5 | Si ≤1.25 | C ≤0.35

Monel M30H (ASTM A494) has a higher silicon content than M35-1, providing increased hardness, strength, and wear resistance. It is primarily used for wear-resistant parts such as wear rings, pump shafts, and bushings in corrosive environments. Typical chemistry: Ni Bal | Cu 26–33 | Si 2.7–3.7 | Fe ≤3.5 | C ≤0.30

Monel M25S (ASTM A494) is the highest-silicon grade of the three (S-Monel), providing the greatest hardness and wear resistance. It can be supplied in the as-cast, solution-treated, or age-hardened condition per ASTM A494, allowing properties to be tailored to the application. Typical uses include impellers, propellers, and pump components requiring maximum wear resistance in corrosive service. Typical chemistry: Ni Bal | Cu 27–33 | Si ~4.0 | Fe ≤3.5 | C ≤0.25

Hastelloy X (AMS 5390) is a nickel-chromium-iron-molybdenum alloy that possesses an exceptional combination of oxidation resistance, fabricability, and high-temperature strength. It has also been found to be exceptionally resistant to stress-corrosion cracking in petrochemical applications.

Hastelloy X is widely recognized for its outstanding oxidation resistance up to 2200°F (1204°C) and its ability to maintain exceptional strength at elevated temperatures, making it one of the most reliable materials for extreme thermal environments. It also resists carburization and nitriding — common failure modes in high-temperature alloys — making it well suited for gas turbine and furnace applications. Typical chemistry: Ni ~47 | Cr 20–23 | Fe 17–20 | Mo 8–10 | Co ≤2.5 | W 0.2–1.0 | C 0.05–0.15

Inconel 600 is a solid-solution strengthened nickel-chromium-iron alloy offering excellent resistance to oxidation, carburization, and corrosion by chloride-ion stress cracking. Inconel 600 offers superior impact resistance, stability, and high fatigue strength across a broad temperature range. It retains good mechanical properties from cryogenic temperatures to approximately 2000°F, making it suitable for a wide range of aerospace structural and fluid handling components. Typical chemistry: Ni ≥72 | Cr 14–17 | Fe 6–10 | Mn ≤1.0 | Cu ≤0.5 | C ≤0.15

Inconel 625 (AMS 5402) is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy offering an outstanding combination of high strength, corrosion resistance, and fabricability with no requirement for precipitation hardening. Inconel 625 investment castings are highly sought after due to their exceptional corrosion resistance, particularly in aggressive environments, with high tensile strength of approximately 130 ksi making it an ideal candidate for applications where structural integrity and durability are paramount. Typical chemistry: Ni ≥58 | Cr 20–23 | Mo 8–10 | Nb 3.15–4.15 | Fe ≤5.0 | C ≤0.10

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