What Makes Up Monel Metal?
The first Monel metal was a binary alloy made up of nickel and copper. While the metal is generally a manmade alloy today, it was based upon a naturally occurring ore with approximately the same ratio of nickel and copper as the original alloy. The International Nickel Company developed the first Monel metal alloy and patented it in 1906.
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Discovery of Monel Alloy
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An alloy is a material comprised of two or more elements. Monel is a metal alloy since it has metal as one or more of its components. Robert Cook Stanley discovered the alloy while working for the International Nickel Company (INCO) in 1901. The material was named in honor of Ambrose Monell who was the president of INCO. Monel is currently the trademark of Special Metals Corporation.
Metals
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The traditional definition of metals focuses upon physical characteristics. Under these guidelines, metals are considered to be easily shaped or formed, good conductors of electricity and lustrous. Newer definitions of metals include bonding characteristics with other elements, although metalloids and even nonmetals may share some of these bonding characteristics.
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Monel Casting Metals
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Monel alloy 410 had silicon added to the original Monel alloy to increase viscosity in the molten state. Significant amounts of iron and silicon were added to S and H alloys to make them suitable for high-strength casting. Monel alloy 506 had 3 percent silicon and 1.5 percent iron to increase tensile strength. Monel alloy 505 had 4 percent silicon and 2 percent iron and could be heat-treated for even greater tensile strength than 505. Although these alloys are no longer cast, some other nickel and copper alloys probably evolved from them.
Monel K Alloys
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In 1926, a patent was issued to INCO engineer Paul D. Merica for K Monel. This alloy was created by adding aluminum to the alloy and heat treating it. The material was extremely hard. Gradual improvements in technology allowed greater hardness. Morel K500 alloy had nearly three times the strength of the original alloy. The K Monel was especially useful in naval applications since it was nonmagnetic and would not attract magnetic mines. Monel K500 is still in use today.
Monel Alloy Filler Metals in Inert Gas Welding
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Monel alloy showed suitability for welding as a filler material. Monel alloys were widely used in oxyacetylene welding during the first half of the 20th century. These alloys were used to weld wrought and cast Monel. Monel filler 40 had welding characteristics improved by adding small amounts of silicon and manganese. Specialized Monel alloys with lower nickel-to-copper ratios were welded with Morel filler metal 43, which was composed of 60 percent nickel and 40 percent copper.
Monel Alloys in Arc Welding
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In the latter half of the 20th century inert gas-shielded welding processes became popular due to the versatility of the process. Monel metal filler 60 was developed in the 1950s for use in these processes and is still employed. Monel welding electrodes 130, 140 and 180 were developed for joining Monel products with arc welding. However, problems arose when they were diluted with iron or other metals during welding. The addition of manganese improved welding characteristics, including providing resistance to cracking. Monel welding electrode 190 is popular for joining dissimilar metals.
Varied Uses of Monel Metal Alloy
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Stainless steel began to replace Monel metal alloys in the 1950s because of lower cost. The lower cost was due to reduced nickel content in the stainless compared to Monel. Monel metal alloys are still widely used where high corrosion resistance is critical. Uses include marine and chemical applications since the material is resistant to alkalis. Fasteners such as bolts and screws used in marine applications are often made from Monel alloys. When the Statue of Liberty was refurbished, 65,000 rivets were replaced with Monel screws. Parts of musical instruments and eyeglass frames can also be made from Monel metal alloys to resist corrosion from organic substances.
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References
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- Photo Credit welding image by glgec from Fotolia.com
