Inconel 600 - UNS N06600 standard engineering material

Inconel 600 is a nickel-chromium alloy known for its excellent resistance to oxidation at high temperatures, as well as its resistance to carburization and environments containing chloride. It is used in a range of temperatures from cryogenic to elevated temperatures up to 2000°F (1093°C). The high nickel content of the alloy allows it to retain significant resistance under reducing conditions and makes it immune to corrosion by many organic and inorganic compounds. Additionally, the nickel content gives it excellent resistance to chloride-ion stress corrosion cracking and provides excellent capacity for alkaline solutions.

The chromium content of the alloy provides resistance to sulfur compounds and various oxidizing environments. The chrome content makes the alloy superior to commercially pure nickel under oxidizing conditions. However, in hot, concentrated nitric acid, Inconel 600 has negative resistance. The alloy is relatively unattacked by most neutral and alkaline salt solutions and is used in some caustic environments. The blend resists steam and mixtures of steam, air, and carbon dioxide.

Inconel 600 is non-magnetic, has excellent mechanical properties, and a combination of high strength and good workability, making it readily weldable. It exhibits cold forming characteristics typically associated with chromium-nickel stainless steels.

The alloy is used in a variety of applications, including titanium dioxide production (chloride route), perchlorethylene syntheses, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and magnesium chloride. It is also used in chemical and food processing, heat treating, phenol condensers, soap making, vegetable and fatty acid vessels, and more.

In terms of characteristics, Inconel 600 is resistant to a wide range of corrosive media. Its high nickel content provides better resistance than Alloy 200 and 201 under oxidizing conditions, while the high nickel content offers good resistance to reducing conditions. The alloy is virtually immune to chlorine-ion stress corrosion cracking and demonstrates sufficient resistance to natural acids such as acetic, formic, and stearic. It also has excellent resistance to high purity water used in primary and secondary lines of pressurized nuclear reactors. The alloy exhibits minor or no attack occurs at room and elevated temperatures during dry gases, such as chlorine or hydrogen chloride. At temperatures up to 550°C in these media, this alloy has been shown to be one of the most resistant of the common alloys. At higher temperatures, the annealed and solution-annealed alloy shows good resistance to scaling and has high strength. The alloy also withstands ammonia-bearing atmospheres, as well as nitrogen and carburizing fumes. Under alternating oxidizing and reducing conditions, the alloy can experience selective oxidation.

In terms of applications, Inconel 600 is used in thermocouple sheaths, ethylene dichloride (EDC) damage tubes, conversion of uranium dioxide to tetrafluoride touching hydrofluoric acid, production of caustic alkalis particularly in the presence of sulfur compounds, reactor vessels and heat exchanger tubing used in the production of plastic chloride, process equipment used in the production of chlorinated and fluorinated hydrocarbons, control rod inlet stub tubes, reactor vessel parts and seals, steam dryers, and m separators in boiling water reactors. In pressurized water reactors, it is used for control rod guide tubes and steam generator baffle plates. It is also used in furnace retort seals, fans, and fixtures, as well as roller hearths and radiant tubes, particularly during carbon nitriding processes.