As an elastic component development and manufacturing company, when designing products for customers, we typically need to understand the operating conditions to confirm whether the product needs to possess high-temperature and corrosion-resistant properties. Understanding this is critical for selecting the appropriate material for production. Below is a discussion on high-temperature nickel-based alloys: Inconel X-750 and Inconel 718, from the perspectives of chemical composition, advantages, and applications.

Inconel X-750

Composition Analysis

Inconel X-750 is a precipitation-hardened nickel-based high-temperature alloy with a well-thought-out composition, where each element plays a key role in synergy.

  • Nickel (Ni) content is about 70%, which serves as the base of the alloy, providing excellent corrosion resistance and high-temperature stability, acting as the foundation for its performance.
  • Chromium (Cr) content is about 15%, which enhances the alloy’s oxidation and corrosion resistance, effectively preventing external corrosion.
  • Iron (Fe) content is about 7%, helping to maintain the alloy's basic structure and regulate its overall properties.
  • Niobium (Nb) content is about 2.5%, Titanium (Ti) content is about 2.5%, and Aluminum (Al) content is about 0.7%. These elements form the γ' phase (Ni₃(Al,Ti)) during heat treatment, which strengthens the alloy through precipitation hardening, improving strength and hardness, and allowing it to perform stably under high temperatures and stress.

Significant Advantages

  • Outstanding High-Temperature Strength: The γ' phase provides significant strengthening effects, ensuring Inconel X-750 maintains high yield strength and tensile strength at high temperatures. At 700°C, its yield strength remains above 500 MPa, meeting the rigorous demands of high-temperature components in aircraft engines.
  • Excellent Thermal Fatigue Resistance: Inconel X-750 withstands the thermal stress shocks caused by frequent start-stop cycles in aircraft engines, reducing the development and expansion of cracks from thermal fatigue, thereby extending the lifespan of components and reducing maintenance costs.
  • Exceptional Oxidation and Hot Corrosion Resistance: The chromium in the alloy forms a dense oxide layer on the surface, acting as a protective barrier against oxygen and corrosive media, ensuring stable performance in high-temperature gas environments and safeguarding the safety and reliability of aerospace and petrochemical equipment.

Wide Application Areas

  • Aerospace: Inconel X-750 is an ideal material for manufacturing critical high-temperature components in aircraft engines, such as turbine blades, turbine discs, and combustion chambers.
  • Petrochemical Industry: Inconel X-750 is widely used in high-temperature reaction equipment, pipelines, and valves, providing outstanding resistance to high-temperature cracking gas and corrosion in the manufacturing of ethylene cracking furnace tubes.

Inconel 718

Composition Analysis

Inconel 718 is a nickel-based precipitation-strengthened alloy, with carefully balanced chemical elements that contribute to its excellent properties.

  • Nickel (Ni) content is about 53%, serving as the primary component to provide good corrosion resistance and high-temperature stability.
  • Chromium (Cr) content is about 19%, enhancing oxidation and corrosion resistance.
  • Iron (Fe) content is about 18%, maintaining structural stability while affecting the alloy's mechanical properties.
  • Niobium (Nb) content is about 5%, which forms the γ'' phase (Ni₃Nb) and γ' phase (Ni₃(Al,Ti)), playing a crucial role in precipitation strengthening.
  • Molybdenum (Mo) content is about 3%, improving strength and corrosion resistance in complex environments.
  • Titanium (Ti) content is about 0.9%, and Aluminum (Al) content is about 0.5%. These elements help form the strengthening phase and improve overall mechanical performance.

Unique Advantages

  • Comprehensive Performance: Inconel 718 performs well over a wide temperature range from -253°C to 650°C, exhibiting excellent tensile, fatigue, creep, and fracture toughness. This makes it suitable for complex environments and demanding conditions in fields such as aerospace and energy.
  • Excellent Machining Performance: Compared to other high-temperature alloys, Inconel 718 offers better machinability, facilitating forging, machining, and production of components in various shapes and sizes, reducing manufacturing difficulty and production costs.
  • Excellent Welding Performance: Inconel 718 is ideal for manufacturing complex parts and joining them with high precision through reliable welding processes, ensuring the integrity and reliability of structures used in advanced equipment manufacturing.

Diverse Application Areas

  • Aerospace: Inconel 718 is essential for key components in aircraft engines and structural parts, such as combustion chambers, casings, and shafts. Its exceptional performance ensures that components can withstand high-temperature gas erosion and harsh environments, ensuring safe and stable engine operation.
  • Energy: In the energy sector, particularly in nuclear power plants and gas turbine power generation, Inconel 718 plays a critical role. It is used for manufacturing key components in nuclear reactors and gas turbines, ensuring reliability in extreme conditions of high temperatures, radiation, and pressure.
  • Automotive Industry: Inconel 718 is also used in the manufacturing of high-performance automotive engine components, such as turbocharger impellers and exhaust system parts, providing excellent support for engine durability and performance.