Superalloys
The characteristics of superalloys seem to include many metallic elements, but superalloys are typically characterized as having an austenitic face-centered cubic crystalline structure, as well as typically having a base alloying element of non ferrous metals such as
nickel, nickel-iron or cobalt, or ferrous metals such as carbon steel, iron, and stainless steel. Some common examples of super alloys include Incoloy®, Hastelloy®, Inconel®, TMS alloys and Rene® alloys. With such exceptional properties, super alloys can be beneficial for use in a wide range of applications in industries including: aerospace, in critical applications such as turbine blades for high temperature sections of jet engines as well as space exploration; industrial manufacturing, for use in processing applications such as
forgings, casting or other heat treating metal processes; automotive, for use in high-performance vehicles such as sports cars and luxury sedans; and power generation, used in equipment such as nuclear reactors and gas turbines.
Although there is an extremely broad spectrum of super alloys, the most basic breakdown is likely the division of super alloys based on either a ferrous or a
non-ferrous base alloying element. As the most common base alloying element of the non-ferrous metals, nickel is such an excellent base alloy for super alloys because nickel itself already has the advantageous characteristics of high toughness, excellent resistance to corrosion and rust, superior malleability, ductility and exceptional heat resistance. Nickel-based super alloys typically also include the metallic elements of aluminum and/or titanium, which provide the super alloy with the increased temperature and creep resistance. The most common type of nickel-based super alloys is Inconel, which is also referred to as either Nickel alloy 718 or Inconel 718. When it comes to super alloys with a ferrous base alloying element, which means that they must be iron-based; however, the most common ferrous metallic element is steel. Steel is a diverse metal in itself, varying from more carbon-based steel to
stainless steel which features the reduction of carbon and the addition of chromium in order to increase the corrosion-resistance of the metal. Some common stainless steel-based super alloys include duplex and super-duplex stainless steel, which feature incredible strength and corrosion resistance, while performing well in high temperature applications.
