Ni-Cr-Fe

The ternary diagram of Ni-Cr-Fe is one of the most used ternary diagrams in history. The two types of
alloys covered here from the Ni-Cr-Fe diagram are Stainless Steel and Inconel (tm).

Stainless Steel
There are a vast number of types of Stainless steel. A metal alloy with a Chromium content greater
than 11.5 % and an Iron content greater than 50 % is called a stainless steel. The stainless steels are
broken into three major classes:
1. Chromium (11.5-17%) -iron alloys with carefully controlled carbon content. Can be heat treated to
a magnetic martensite structure and are therefore known as martensitic stainless steels.
2. Chromium (17-27%) -iron alloys with low carbon content. Nonhardenable by heat treatment. Their
crystal structure is magnetic ferrite and therefore are known as ferritic stainliess steels.
3. Chromium (16-26%) Nickel (6-22%) -iron alloys with low carbon content. Nonhardenable by heat
treatment. Crystal structure of nonmagnetic austenite so are therefore called austenitic stainless steels.
The following table compares the composition and some basic properties of various types of stainless
steel.

A Comparison of Stainless Steels

Type
of
Steel
201

%
%
%
%
%
%
Corrosion Melting
Nickel Chromiium Carbon Manganese Silicon Nitrogen mpy (1) Range F
3.5 - 5.5

16.0 18.0

0.15
max

5.5 - 7.5

1.0
max

0.25
max

20

2550 2650

Young's
Modulus
x 10^6,psi
28.0

301

16.0 18.0

0.15
max

302 8.0 - 10.0

17.0 19.0

0.15
max

2.0 max

304 8.0 - 10.5

18.0 20.0

0.08
max

309

6.0 - 8.0

19.0 22.0

24.0 26.0

2.0 max

1.0
max

12

2550 2590

28.0

1.0
max

10 - 18

2550 2590

28.0

2.0 max

1.0
max

6 - 12

2550 2650

28.0

0.2 max 2.0 max

1.0
max

5-9

2550 2650

29.0

(1) Corrosion rate is in mils per year. The test was performed in 65% Nitric acid at 245 F.
(2) Table references
Types of Stainless steel and specific uses of each.
Stainless type 201
Stainless type 301
Stainless type 302
Stainless type 304
Stainless type 309

Inconel (tm)
Inconel (tm) is a specialty alloy that uses higher percentages of Nickel and Chrome than Stainless steel,
as well as many other elements in small quantities. It is actually a trademark name of Inco Alloys
International and is in a group of metals known as the Nickel based super alloys. These small additions
of other elements is solid-solution hardening. It is quite expensive and therefore usually reserved for
applications when some type of stainless steel won't suffice. The following tables compare Inconels
(tm) properties.

A Structural Comparison of Inconel (tm) Alloys

%
Mn

%
Si

%
Fe

%
S

%
Cu

%
Al

%
Ti

%
P

%
Co

%
Nb

%
B

%
Mo

14.0
0.15
max
17.0

1.0
max

0.5
max

6.0
10.0

.015
max

0.5
max

58.0 21.0
0.1
601
max
63.0 25.0

1.0
max

0.5
max

bal

.015
max

1.0
max

1.0
1.7

20.0
0.1
max
23.0

0.5
max

0.5
max

5.0 0.015
max max

1.0
max

3.15
4.15

8.0
10.0

Type

%
Ni

72.0
600
min

58.0
625
min

%
Cr

50.0 17.0

%
C

0.08

0.35

0.35

.015

0.3

0.4 0.4 .015

max max max
0.2

0.65

1.0

4.75

.006

2.8

718

max
55.0 21.0

max

max

0.1
max

0.8
max

.008
46.0
max

800 32.5 21.0

bal

max

max

0.8

.015
1.15

0.4

0.4

0.4

max
0

- max 5.5
3.3
0

(1) Table references

Corrosion of Inconel (tm)

One outstanding characteristic of high-nickel alloys, like Inconel (tm), is their good resistance to a wide
variety of corrosives. With few exceptions, high-nickel alloys do significantly better than martensitic,
ferritic, and austenitic stainless steels in corrosive environments.

A Comparison of Inconel (tm) Properties

Yield Strength
Melting
Type
70F
Range F
ksi

Rupture Strength; 100h at ____F, ksi

600

41.3

2471 - 2579

1600, 5.3

601

49.0

2471 - 2579

1600, 7.0

625

71

2300 - 2435

1600, 10.5

718

172

2300 - 2435

1200, 100

800

36.3

2471 - 2525

1800, 21

(1) Table references

The uses of Inconel (tm) are specific and quite costly:
Piping on Nuclear Reactors
Piping on Steam Generators
A Heat Exchanger on an unmanned ariel vehicle
Well Thermometers in high temperatures and pressures

Andrew Johnson 4/28/96

http://www.eng.vt.edu/eng/materials/classes/MSE2094_NoteBook/
96ClassProj/examples/nicrfe.html
Project Hompage | Examples Page | Fe-Fe3C Example