Nickel alloys, introduced in the 1940s for the aerospace industry and gas turbines, made it possible to overcome the limitations of traditional steels in terms of high-temperature strength and mechanical stability.

These alloys offer high mechanical properties at temperatures above 900–1000 °C, excellent resistance to fatigue, creep and corrosion, and good toughness even under extreme operating conditions.

Their specific weight is comparable to that of steel (8.5 versus 7.85). In summary:

• At room temperature, a nickel alloy such as Inconel 718 has more than twice the tensile strength of 316 stainless steel.
• At elevated temperatures (400–700 °C), where steel begins to lose strength, nickel alloys retain 5–10 times higher strength thanks to their structural stability and creep resistance.
• Their higher hardness provides greater wear resistance, while toughness remains competitive with steel, making nickel alloys ideal for critical components in turbines, aircraft engines and high-temperature industrial plants.

Thanks to these characteristics, nickel alloys are widely used in aerospace, power generation, oil & gas and high-performance mechanical components, where steel would not provide the same long-term reliability.

• Inconel (e.g. 600, 625, 718)
  High mechanical strength and excellent resistance at elevated temperatures
  Industries: aerospace, energy, chemical
• Hastelloy (e.g. C-22, C-276)
  Exceptional chemical resistance in highly aggressive environments
  Industries: chemical, petrochemical, offshore
• Monel (e.g. 400, K-500)
  Excellent resistance to marine corrosion combined with good mechanical strength
  Industries: marine, offshore, pumps and valves
• Alloy 20
  Excellent resistance to acids and chlorides
  Industries: chemical, pharmaceutical, food processing
• Pure nickel and nickel-copper alloys (e.g. CuNi 70/30, 90/10)
  High resistance to seawater corrosion, with good thermal and electrical conductivity
  Industries: marine, heat exchangers, seawater systems