What is Inconel?
Inconel, a nickel-chromium alloy, is widely utilized due to its remarkable corrosion resistance, high strength, and superior fabrication capabilities (including joining). Cryogenic temperatures up to 1800°F (982°C) are used in service.
What is Hastelloy?
The first wrought nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy, Hastelloy, allayed worries about welding (under extremely low carbon and silicon contents). As a result, it received widespread acceptance in the chemical process industry and other related industries, and it now has a 50-year history of demonstrated performance in a huge variety of corrosive chemicals.
Because of its exceptional qualities, including good workability, formability, fabricability, exact surface dimension, machinability, and a host of other attributes, Hastelloy C22 Pipes are employed in numerous applications.
Difference between Inconel and Hastelloy Pipes
Chemical Composition
Inconel: Inconel alloys primarily comprise nickel, chromium, and iron. They may also contain small amounts of other elements like molybdenum and niobium. The specific composition varies depending on the grade of Inconel alloy.
Hastelloy: Hastelloy alloys, on the other hand, are based on a nickel-molybdenum-chromium composition, with various grades having different proportions of these elements. Some Hastelloy grades may contain tungsten or cobalt for added strength and corrosion resistance.
Corrosion Resistance
Inconel: Inconel alloys are known for their excellent resistance to high-temperature corrosion, oxidation, and various corrosive environments, particularly in reducing conditions.
Hastelloy: Hastelloy alloys resist corrosion across various environments, including highly acidic or chloride-containing conditions. They are often chosen for applications where extreme corrosion resistance is crucial.
Temperature Resistance
Inconel: Inconel alloys maintain their strength and integrity at elevated temperatures, making them suitable for high-temperature applications, such as gas turbines and aerospace components.
Hastelloy: Hastelloy alloys are designed to withstand high temperatures and aggressive chemical environments, making them a preferred choice for applications involving heat and corrosion challenges, such as chemical processing and pollution control.
Application of Inconel and Hastelloy Pipes
It is clear that both alloys have a huge range of uses. This does not imply, however, that the two alloys can be switched for one another. Depending on the application environment, one should also select various alloys for the same application.
For instance, the subsurface environment of various oil fields is quite varied in oil and gas applications. In oil areas where the environment is oxidizing, Inconel 600 Pipes are proven to be a better choice. Hastelloy Pipes ought to be utilized in decreasing situations, such as oil fields.
Price: Hastelloy Pipes will often cost more since the price of molybdenum is typically a little greater than the price of chromium. However, there isn’t much of a difference in their costs overall.
Corrosion: Hastelloy pipes and Inconel pipes both exhibit strong corrosion resistance. More suited to oxidizing conditions are Inconel pipes. Whereas, more suited to decreasing conditions are Hastelloy pipes.
Conclusion
Pipes made out of both alloys were reinforced by solid solutions. Although the components that contribute to a solid solution’s strengthening effect differ, the mechanical similarities between the two are generally not great.
Although the two alloys’ pipe application ranges are comparable, they serve different purposes within the same application.
