Product focus – Popular Alloys for the Power Generation

The power generation industry requires materials that can stand up to the most demanding of environments.The choice of materials used must be able to cope with harsh conditions, including high temperatures and the presence of extensive corrosive media, while maintaining its strength in use.

At Corrotherm we specialise in alloys that offer the necessarily blend of qualities required by the power generation industry, with exceptional resistance to corrosion and heat, as well as a proven track record of performance within extreme environments.

Power-generation applications include nuclear power plants, wind- and tidal-generation systems, waste-to-energy boilers and coal-fired generators. In such usage, it’s imperative that alloys are chosen by engineers and designers to last a long time under difficult conditions, as the cost of repair can be high. A material that lasts without showing signs of weakness or corrosion is cost-effective in the long term.

An article in New Scientist looked at the necessity of finding and using materials that would make nuclear power plants more robust. It suggests using high-tech alloys to withstand the effects of radiation, and experimented on various alloy combinations to ascertain their effectiveness. The study focused on modern high-entropy alloys and is a good indication of where alloys could be going in the future when it comes to nuclear power.

Alloys for power generation

In the meantime, there are plenty of superalloys already on the market that have accepted uses within power generation fields.

For example, the popular INCONEL alloy 625, with its excellent mechanical properties and its outstanding corrosion resistance, is renowned for its ability to retain strength under extreme conditions. It’s a solid solution alloy of nickel, chromium and molybdenum with niobium, a combination that distorts the alloy’s atomic matrix and lends particularly high strength to the alloy. Its applications include reactor-core and control-rod components in nuclear water reactors, thanks to its ability to withstand the effects of very high temperatures.

INCONEL alloy 617 is a precise blend of nickel, chromium, cobalt and molybdenum, which give the alloy very high strength and stability at elevated temperatures, as well as maintaining its good corrosion resistance. Due to these attractive properties, it can be used for a wide range of components in power-generating plants, both fossil fuel and nuclear. As the alloy has developed, it has become a possible candidate for use in the latest generation of ultrasupercritical boiler tubes.

From the INCOLOY range of alloys – leaner nickel versions of the INCONEL range for a balance between cost and performance – INCOLOY alloy 800 offers a solid option for steam-generation plants. The iron, nickel, chromium alloy has good resistance to both oxidation and carburisation at intermediate temperatures, and its applications also include heat exchangers within the power-generation industry.

If you would like to discuss your requirements for alloys within the power-generation industry or find out more about Corrotherm’s product range, please contact our Sales team.