Many manufacturing processes rely on using metal alloys in high-temperature or high-pressure environments.
Inconel is one of the most durable alloys out there. The fact that it’s highly resistant to corrosion, damage incurred by extreme temperatures, and oxidation makes it indispensable for some of the most important manufacturing industries.
If you want to understand more about the uses of Inconel, this article is exactly what you’re looking for.
Even an average person working outside the manufacturing industry knows that extracting oil or gas is very intense.
Back in the day, oil and gas extraction was mainly conducted in easily accessible areas and shallow sites. As the consumption of fossil fuels increased, oil and gas companies had to move to difficult offshore oilfields to meet the growing energy demands.
Extracting fossil fuels today means drilling in high temperatures, under extreme pressure, and severe corrosive conditions.
Extraction holes typically contain large amounts of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfite, and chlorides on top of high temperatures. When you’re extracting oil and gas in such conditions, your equipment has to be made of durable materials that won’t break down.
That’s why the most essential tools and equipment parts for extracting oil and gas are made of Inconel alloys.
For example, Inconel is widely used to create subsurface safety valves, gas pipes and tubes, and a large variety of oil tools and their parts. It’s known for being highly resistant to corrosive conditions present at deep extraction sites.
Inconel also boasts exceptional strength, making it the ideal material choice for oil and gas extraction.
A report from Special Metals found that the melting point of Inconel maintains creep-rupture strength at temperatures as high as 700°C, with some Inconel alloys having even greater temperature resistance.
Inconel is cast specifically for some of the most challenging extraction activities you can imagine. It’s safe to say that it wouldn’t be possible to reach deep gas and oil wells without using Inconel to craft extraction tools and infrastructure.
Inconel also accommodates the challenging conditions of aerospace travel, which requires products built for sudden changes in temperature and pressure.
Imagine a typical flight. At 30,000 feet, the temperature around the aircraft is -49.9°F (-44.4°C) according to the International Standard Atmosphere model. At the same time, the combustion process inside the jet engine can create temperatures over 2,120°F (1,150°C).
Think about how tough the metal in the jet engine must be to withstand the challenge— and that’s not even mentioning the pressure changes that occur whenever the aircraft ascends or descends.
As we’ve said before, Inconel alloys have exceptional corrosion resistance abilities and thermal stability, and remain robust under extreme conditions. In addition, Inconel is light compared to other metals used for engines.
For instance, it weighs almost 3 times less than steel. This increases the aircraft’s load-carrying capacity and makes for a more fuel-efficient material of choice.
Have a look at a turbofan jet engine:
According to the Farinia Group, Inconel 718 accounts for half the weight of a turbofan jet engine. The engine’s key components, such as discs, pressure section casting, and blades, are built from the material.
Here are some other key aerospace parts made with Inconel alloys:
Inconel alloys continue to prove their worth in the aerospace industry and are at the forefront of jet engine engineering.
Pollution control and waste processing are some of the most crucial concerns of the industry today.
Manufacturing plants need to adhere to strict anti-pollution standards so that their operations don’t produce hazardous waste.
Also, when the manufacturing process is this demanding, the machinery has to be durable, so its parts won’t break and generate even more material waste. That’s why engineers rely on Inconel alloys while designing various manufacturing equipment and pollution control systems.
Here’s one extreme example: nuclear waste management.
Many industries, from power plants from the public sector or industrial manufacturing plants and research facilities, involve working with radioactive materials and produce nuclear waste as a result.
In addition to production itself, their operations involve waste packaging, storing, disposal, and transportation of hazardous waste.
It goes without saying that their manufacturing and processing operations need dependable materials to neutralize the effects of radiation.
Therefore, it is important to note that a study has found that using Inconel for steam-generator tubes in water reactors reduces the radioactivity in lower-level radioactive waste.
The metals used for waste processing must be resistant to corrosion, and it has to be able to withstand environments with heavy amounts of dangerous acids. Inconel is ideal for this journey, and it is also used for the construction of acid storage tanks.
Next, let’s talk about the automotive industry as a major user of Inconel alloys.
Inconel is one of the most commonly used alloys in the automotive industry, with many applications.
As you can imagine, manufacturing a safe and robust vehicle involves meeting a series of important requirements, both before and after production.
The metals used for manufacturing need to hold up to extreme environments where they’re constantly heated and cooled down.
For instance, a Mazda RX7 Turbo releases an exhaust gas that reaches temperatures of approximately 1700-2000°F (920-1100°C). If the metal components used for construction are not resistant to such heat, they can crack.
The second thing to consider besides the durability of the material is the fuel efficiency of the constructed vehicle.
Various Inconel alloys are considered lightweight metals, meaning that they reduce weight and thus save on needed fuel, which is just as important in car manufacturing as it is in the aerospace industry. It makes the vehicles more energy efficient.
Some giants of the industry that are prolific users of Inconel include:
These are just some examples. In reality, various Inconel alloys find innumerable applications in the automotive industry.
Its resistance to corrosion makes Inconel a go-to solution for facilities or operations that have to take into account the damaging effects of seawater.
When facilities or the outdoor machinery used in various operations are exposed to seawater, the salt causes severe corrosion over long periods of time.
If the metals that make up critical parts are susceptible to corrosion, they’re far more likely to break sooner than highly resistant metals.
This doesn’t simply include outdoor tools, vehicles, and machinery, but also sewers and parts of the infrastructure. Remember, many manufacturing facilities have pipes that go underwater and corrode.
A study from Hayes International has compared various Inconel alloys to stainless steel. As part of the experiment, the researchers tested some samples in the Atlantic Ocean for 180 days.
They found Inconel alloys offer superior resistance to corrosion in various seawater testing conditions. All things considered, Inconel is a reliable and cost-effective solution to aggressive seawater conditions.
Therefore, it makes sense that many industries use Inconel for seawater applications.
From extracting gas from deep underground deposits to flying jet airplanes thousands of miles in the sky, the use of Inconel makes these mechanical feats possible.
Now you understand why Inconel alloys are indispensable in so many branches of industry.
The demand for Inconel is only expected to grow over the following decades. If you need a metal alloy that can handle extreme environments, you don’t have to look further than its alloys.
To find out more about how we use Inconel alloys, contact us directly via the convenient website form or request a quote here. We welcome your inquiries.