INCONEL ALLOYS – PIPES AND TUBES

We explore which INCONEL alloys are used for pipes and tubes, and the industries that employ them in their essential operations

Pipes and tubes are among the most-used components manufactured with nickel alloys, and there is a wide range available on the market. We’ve already taken an in-depth look at how MONEL alloys are used to produce exceptional nickel alloy pipes and tubes, which are employed across a number of industries, particularly in marine environments.

Another popular range used to create these components is INCONEL. INCONEL pipes and tubes retain all of the key characteristics associated with these nickel alloys. This includes industry-leading corrosion resistance, good strength and excellent high-temperature performance.

Many different Grades of INCONEL are used to produce pipes and tubes, and they have various applications.

INCONEL ALLOY 601

INCONEL alloy 601 is a very useful nickel alloy for the production of pipes and tubes. It has wide-ranging applications. One of its long-term uses has been for tubing in ceramic tile production. These tubes are used in roller hearth ovens where they are exposed to blasts of very high temperatures, as well as the corrosive glazes applied to tiles. It’s also used for oxygen injection tubes in metal and glass making, as well as condenser tubes in sour-water conditions. Its key specifications help it to cope in these demanding conditions. It consists of nickel, a high amount of chromium and a significant addition of aluminium, which enables it to resist the effects of a high-temperature oxidising environment. It is not, however, ideal for sulphuric conditions.

INCONEL ALLOY 718

For applications that require a high-strength and corrosive-resistant material, INCONEL alloy 718 is worthy of consideration. The combination of nickel+cobalt, chromium and molybdenum produces a nickel alloy that can be used in a huge range of temperatures, from -423° to 1300°F. It’s easy to produce and readily manufactured, which has led to its use across a wide range of industries. It is often employed in rocketry, creating tubes and pipes for liquid-fuelled rockets, as well as in the aerospace industry.

INCONEL ALLOY 625

The most versatile of the INCONEL product range, INCONEL alloy 625 is used widely, thanks to its high strength, excellent fabricability and outstanding corrosion resistance. Its high strength comes from its carefully balanced composition, made up of nickel, chromium and molybdenum, a combination known for its toughness. It also has niobium in the mix, which works alongside the molybdenum to distort the alloy’s atomic matrix to provide strength in annealed condition without heat treatment. This also lends the material its corrosive properties – it can withstand highly corrosive environments. As such, pipes and tubes made with INCONEL alloy 625 can be used in sour gas pipelines, as well as in seawater heat exchangers, power plants and chemical processing. More recently, it’s also found used in biofuel production as part of the superheater tubing systems.

If you are interested in our range of INCONEL pipes and tubes, please contact a member of our Sales team to find out more.