Is INCOLOY better than copper?
For most of us, we see metals as they are: things are either metallic (made of metal) or they aren't. But, did you know that metals exist in many different forms? Did you know that some metals are pure elements produced by Mother Earth, while other metals are man-made? No matter how useful some natural metals are, they may not be entirely suitable for our purposes. For example, some natural metals may be very strong but may rust easily, while other metals are lightweight in their purest form but are too soft and weak to be of much use. This is why, in an effort to create materials that better serve our needs, humans began experimenting with combining pure metals with other metallic and/or non-metallic elements. This creates artificial metals called alloys, which are essentially substances with enhanced properties, such as reduced cost, extra durability, reduced corrosion levels, electrical conductivity, and faster heat transfer rates.
Incoloy is one of several alloys that is a superalloy or high performance alloy. Created and produced by the Special Metals Corporation group of companies, Incoloys are known for their excellent corrosion resistance as well as high temperature processing and heat transfer.
Incoloy was first introduced to the market in the 1950s as an economical alternative to another high-temperature alloy, Inconel, which is primarily a nickel-chromium alloy containing more than 50% nickel. At the time, nickel was an expensive metal, so Incoloy was invented primarily to reduce the nickel content (less than 50% nickel) to reduce overall production costs while still retaining its rust-proof and heat-transfer properties.
Composed of nickel, iron, and chromium, Incoloy is widely used for its ability and strength to withstand high temperatures, oxidation, and other types of high-temperature corrosion.
These properties make the alloy ideal for manufacturing industrial products such as electric heating pipes and other high-temperature products such as water heaters.
