The use of MONEL alloys in the oil and gas industry

    MONEL alloys have myriad uses, and they are often found in the oil and gas industry. We take a closer look at these materials and how they are used

    In the oil and gas industry, selecting the right material for every project is incredibly important. These materials need to withstand extreme temperatures, high pressure and incredibly corrosive environments.

    These nickel alloys are strong, more so than even commercially pure nickel, and they can resist many different kinds of corrosion, making them versatile and cost-effective. Different Grades of Monel are used in a wide range of industries, from aerospace to marine applications. They also play a large part in the oil and gas industry at every step from extraction to storage, production to refining.

    For both onshore and offshore extractions, MONEL nickel alloys are often employed for the manufacture of things like pumps, valves and process-control equipment. These alloys are made up of nickel and copper as the main constituents, with balanced amounts of iron, manganese, silicon and carbon. They are also used in units where they come in direct contact with hydrofluoric acid, to which they are exceptionally resistant.

    MONEL alloy 400

    Money alloy 400 is made with roughly the same proportions of nickel and cooper as would be found naturally in nickel ore. It has similar characteristics to commercially pure nickel, but it comes at a lower cost. This solid-solution alloy can be hardened by cold working, and it benefits from high strength and toughness.

    It is widely used within the oil and gas industry, thanks to this strength as well as its excellent corrosion resistance. Typically, it is used to create things like valves, pumps, pump and propeller shafts, gas tanks for storage and crude petroleum stills.

     It is also used for the manufacture of tooling, well head and exchanger equipment. As you can see, its uses are broad, making it a highly useful material.

    MONEL alloy K500

    MONEL alloy K500 is a widely used variant on MONEL alloy 400. During the melting of the basic alloy, titanium and aluminium are added in specific quantities to give a material that is even stronger and tougher than the basic alloy. It’s really important that the composition is exact to give it these characteristics without any integrity issues, and it must be processed under tightly controlled conditions. This is why we only use trusted suppliers to provide these highly technical and superior alloys, as there are many imitations of this alloy that don’t meet these stringent requirements.

    This alloy can be used for oil extraction, where its increased toughness is of real benefit. It’s also very resistant to corrosion by hydrofluoric acid, which means that it can be used to build valves, stems and internals, where other materials may be unable to withstand the extreme conditions. It’s also used for things like oil well drill collars. Its corrosion resistance is equal to MONEL alloy 400, though it can, in age-hardened condition, be more prone to stress-corrosion cracking in some environments. Therefore, it’s not unusual for both of these MONEL alloys to be used in combination to play to their strengths.

    MONEL alloys or contact a member of our Sales team to speak to them about your next project.

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