Inconel alloys maintain a high level of tensile strength even at melting or burning temperatures of many other metals. Welding is the process of joining separate metal parts, often by heating them up to the melting points in order to fuse. Inconel produces a dense, stable, passive oxide layer when heated to shield the surface from further attack. Inconel maintains strength over a broad temperature range, desirable for high temperature applications where due to thermally induced crystal vacancies, aluminum and steel will succumb to the crawl.

INCONEL alloy’s excellent and flexible corrosion resistance under such a large range of temperatures and pressures is a primary reason for its strong adoption in the field of chemical processing Inconel alloys are components that are oxidation- that corrosion-resistant and are well designed for use in extreme environments under high pressure and kinetic energy. Inconel produces a dense and durable passivating oxide layer when heated that protects the surface from further attack.

Applications of Inconel Alloy

The Inconel alloys are corrosion-resistant superalloys that are commonly used in extreme environments where the quality of the end product is key despite immense heat and corrosion resistance. These Inconel super alloys are widely used by chemical processing, the nuclear, petrochemical, aerospace and marine industries. Inconel alloys can be used for a wide variety of applications, including seawater applications, owing to all these characteristics.

The applications of Inconel are found in industries such as

-Nuclear reactors

-Flare stacks on offshore oil platforms

-Components which require exposure to high mechanical stress and seawater

-Pollution control equipment

Welding of Inconel

Tip 1: Use an Automated Welding System for Inconel

Completing welds manually by hand is an incongruous operation, at best. Several welds could be sloppy as the welder slips into the flow while the next few are the fastest and most welds struggle because of the fatigue of the welder he / she allows the same motions over and over.

The Use of Inconel an Automated Welding System results in benefits such as increase in Consistency, Safety and quality of the final products. Instead of having a person carrying the Inconel welding rod and arc welder, they could easily set up a robot as if he were supervising the dangerous work.

Tip 2: Use of the Tungsten Inert Gas, (TIG)

Many expert welders recommend using a filler material added to the TIG welding process. Even if this electrical arc welding method does not generally require something like a filler material, Inconel welding is advised due to how challenging it is to connect two parts of the metal without breaking them.

Because most Inconel alloys have an extremely high melting point, joining two Inconel work pieces directly (especially larger ones) is often impractical. Instead, the best way to weld Inconel alloys is often to use a welding process which combines high temperatures with a filler material.

Tip 3: Inconel 625 is a reliable Filer Material.

Using a metal too dissimilar to the joined metals can cause problems such as bimetallic corrosion or differential thermal expansion when exposed to high temperatures. After all, if the welds joining his pieces fall apart during your heat treat process, it won’t do you much good to get a “heatproof” Inconel basket.

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What’s the difference?

Inconel alloy is a much costlier alloy than stainless steel alloys, for one thing. At high temperatures, Inconel has much better resistance to corrosion and pressure. Nevertheless, steels such as stainless 17-4PH will have a higher strength than Inconel at lower temperatures. The key determining factor is cost, temperature, and strength when deciding between the two different alloys. If there is a need for a lower cost but a relatively strong component, stainless steel is probably the way to go. Inconel is a much better alloy for that application if an air-critical part is needed with high temperature requirements.

Why Comparing Inconel Vs Stainless Steel Can Be Complicated

It is important to remember that there are different formulations for each when comparing stainless steel vs. Inconel. The stainless steel versions have drastically different tensile strength, recommended operating temperature and corrosive resistance. For example, stainless steel grade 316 appears to have better chlorine resistance than stainless steel grade 304 (but it also has an average higher cost).

In addition, some methods of treatment and shaping can influence a metal’s tensile strength. For example, the tensile strength of an Inconel 625 ® “as-rolled” bar is 120-160 ksi (827-1103 MPa), while the tensile strength of a “Solution-Treated” bar is 103-130 ksi (714-896 MPa).

It may be noted that rather than a specific number, a range is given for both ratings of tensile strength. That is because a metal’s strength can differ greatly depending on the exact ratio of components in it — a slight change in the content of carbon, nickel, or iron can drastically change the strength of the final product.

Here’s a quick comparison between Inconel and SS to know which is stronger:

Inconel 625 has a higher tensile strength than stainless steel grade 304 and does a better job at higher operating temperatures to maintain that strength.

However, the operating temperature limit is higher for 304 SS, the Inconel 625 has lower melting point. This is because Inconel has more oxidation resistance and scaling at high temperatures than stainless steel.

Specific chemicals, however, may be more resistant to stainless steel than to Inconel — such as sulfuric acid. Therefore depending on the specific application for which they will be used, the choice of these two metal alloys to be used.

For heat treatment applications and other high-temperature processes, Inconel alloys tend to be better. In the meantime, for use in sterile manufacturing, medical applications and corrosive applications, SS alloys are often a better choice.

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