Copper Nickel 90/10 alloy - Knowledge

90/10 cupronickel is a 90% copper, 10% nickel alloy that also contains small but important additions of iron and manganese to enhance overall strength corrosion resistance. This, combined with high ductility and toughness, makes it a popular grade for marine, architectural and industrial applications.

90/10 alloy offers designers and specifiers excellent resistance to stress corrosion, erosion, and biofouling in seawater and brackish water, excellent fabrication and welding properties, a high resistance to hydrogen embrittlement and the retention of mechanical properties down to cryogenic temperatures.

The material is released to the Defence Standard DEF STAN 02-879 Annex C, which supersedes both DEF STAN 02-779 and NES 779.

The most popular specifications in Europe and America are C70600, CN102 and CW352. These grades are most commonly specified within the marine, offshore, chemical, petrochemical and shipbuilding industries and are also widely used for handling seawater in all types of heat exchanger and cooling plant.

90/10 has undergone tests that indicate it has excellent antimicrobial properties. It is capable of killing 99.9% of a wide range of organisms within two hours, including MRSA, E.coli, influenza A (H1N1) and clostridium difficile. This has created a higher demand for the alloy in application areas such as hygienic and sanitary environments in hospitals, kitchens, nursing homes and other healthcare environments.