Applications and Industries
Applications of Nickel Alloys
Nickel Alloys are used in a variety of production processes in the following main industries:
- Oil & Gas Industry
- (Petro) Chemical Industry
Where are Nickel Alloys used?
- Highly corrosive environment
- High temperature environment
- High pressure environment
The main materials used in these environments are stainless steels, duplexes etc. However, once the application is too critical, with a high risk of corrosion due to medium, pressure and temperature, the decision is made to utilise High Nickel Alloys such as Alloy 200, 400, 600, 625, 825 or C276 and many others.
The choice for a particular alloy is determined by:
- The medium flowing through the pipes and its corrosiveness
- The temperature of the medium
- The pressure in the pipelines/fabrications
Hart b.v. with their many years of experience can advise with regards to cost of a particular alloy and the commercial availability.
(Petro) Chemical Industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that manufacture specialty chemicals. It converts raw materials (oil, natural gas, air, water, metals, and minerals) into more than 70,000 different products.
Petrochemical plant
During and after the refining process the manufacturing of plastics, PTA/PET, synthetic resins, artificial fibers and many others takes place, Alloy 400 and Alloy 825 are regularly used. Nickel Alloys are used in the equipment such as pressure vessels and heat exchangers.
Chemical plant
Where manufacturing of a multitude of products such as caustic soda, titanium dioxide, fertilizers, pesticides and industrial paints takes place, Nickel Alloys can be found in the equipment as well as in the critical parts of the pipelines. Alloy 200, 400, 600 and C276 are typical materials in this industry.
Oil & Gas Industry
The Oil & Gas Industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting (often by oil tankers and pipelines). In short, Downstream and Upstream activities.
Onshore Oil & Gas platform
Refineries (onshore), where fossil fuels are manufactured, Nickel Alloys are required. Alloy 625 and Alloy 825 are used regularly.
Offshore Oil platform
The seawater in combination with the Oil (or Gas) being sour demands for extremely corrosive resistant materials, Nickel Alloy 600, 625, 825 and C276 are used extensively.
Floating Production and Storage Offloading Vessel (FPSO)
When Oil or Gasfields offshore are too small, FPSO’s are the solution. Alloy 825 and 625 are important alloys in this environment.
Subsea
These are also known as Christmas Trees and comprise a complex network of pipe, cables and other equipment. The more corrosive the environment, the more likely it is that Nickel Alloys are used, for example Alloy 625.
Nickel Alloys are used in a multitude of other Industries as well but on a smaller scale
- Waste processing
- Biomass production
- Pharmaceutical
- Paper & Pulp
- Power Generation
- Food processing
