Nichrome

Last updated

Nichrome (also known as NiCr, nickel-chromium or chromium-nickel) is a family of alloys of nickel and chromium (and occasionally iron [1] ) commonly used as resistance wire, heating elements in devices like toasters, electrical kettles and space heaters, in some dental restorations (fillings) and in a few other applications.

Contents

Patented in 1906 by Albert Marsh (US patent 811,859 [2] ), nichrome is the oldest documented form of resistance heating alloy.

The A Grade nichrome alloy is 80% nickel and 20% chromium by mass, but there are many other combinations of metals for various applications.

Properties

C Grade Nichrome is consistently silvery in colour, is corrosion-resistant, has a high melting point of about 1,400  °C (2,550  °F ), and has an electrical resistivity of around 112 μΩ–cm, which is around 66 times higher resistivity than copper of 1.678 μΩ–cm. [3]

Almost any conductive wire can be used for heating, but most metals conduct electricity with great efficiency, requiring them to be formed into very thin and delicate wires to create enough resistance to generate heat. When heated in air, most metals then oxidize quickly, become brittle and break. Nichrome wire, when heated to red-hot temperatures, develops an outer layer of chromium oxide, [4] which is thermodynamically stable in air, is mostly impervious to oxygen, and protects the heating element from further oxidation.

Nichrome alloys are known for their high mechanical strength and their high creep strength. [5] The properties of nichrome vary depending on its alloy. Figures given are representative of typical material and are accurate to expressed significant figures. Any variations are due to different percentages of nickel or chromium.

Standard compositions

Nichrome alloys for use in resistance heating are described by both ASTM and DIN standards. [6] [7] These standards specify the relative percentages of nickel and chromium that should be present in an alloy. In ASTM three alloys that are specified contain, amongst other trace elements:

Properties by composition

Each standard composition of nichrome has unique material properties. Some general ones are given as follows: [8]

Table of nichrome alloys
Alloy% ContentDensity

[g/cm3]

NiCrFe
NiCr 80/20802008.3
NiCr 70/30703008.1
NiCr 60/166016Remainder8.2
NiCr 35/203520Remainder7.9

Uses

Because of its low cost of manufacture, strength, ductility, resistance to oxidation, stability at high temperatures, and resistance to the flow of electrons, nichrome is widely used in electric heating elements in applications such as hair dryers and heat guns. Typically, nichrome is wound in coils to a certain electrical resistance, and when current is passed through it the Joule heating produces heat.

Nichrome is used in the explosives and fireworks industry as a bridgewire in electric ignition systems, such as electric matches and model rocket igniters.

Industrial and hobby hot-wire foam cutters use nichrome wire.

Nichrome wire is commonly used in ceramic as an internal support structure to help some elements of clay sculptures hold their shape while they are still soft. Nichrome wire is used for its ability to withstand the high temperatures that occur when clay work is fired in a kiln.

Nichrome wire can be used as an alternative to platinum wire for flame testing by colouring the non-luminous part of a flame to detect cations such as sodium, potassium, copper, calcium, etc.

Other areas of usage include motorcycle mufflers, in certain areas in the microbiological lab apparatus, as the heating element of plastic extruders by the RepRap 3D printing community, in the solar panel deployment mechanism of spacecraft LightSail-A, and as the heating coils of electronic cigarettes.

The alloy price is controlled by the more expensive nickel content. Distributor pricing is typically indexed to market prices for nickel.

Toxicity

Nickel is a common allergen, a 1984 study by the University of Puerto Rico showed that 28.5% of people tested had some kind of allergic reaction following contact with nickel. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Resistor</span> Passive electrical component providing electrical resistance

A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that implements electrical resistance as a circuit element. In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust signal levels, to divide voltages, bias active elements, and terminate transmission lines, among other uses. High-power resistors that can dissipate many watts of electrical power as heat may be used as part of motor controls, in power distribution systems, or as test loads for generators. Fixed resistors have resistances that only change slightly with temperature, time or operating voltage. Variable resistors can be used to adjust circuit elements, or as sensing devices for heat, light, humidity, force, or chemical activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stainless steel</span> Steel alloy resistant to corrosion

Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES) and rustless steel, is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 10.5% chromium and usually nickel, and containing 0,2-2,11% carbon, to obtain the desired properties. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion results from the chromium, which forms a passive film that can protect the material and self-heal in the presence of oxygen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazing</span> Metal-joining technique

Brazing is a metal-joining process in which two or more metal items are joined by melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint, with the filler metal having a lower melting point than the adjoining metal.

Refractory metals are a class of metals that are extraordinarily resistant to heat and wear. The expression is mostly used in the context of materials science, metallurgy and engineering. The definition of which elements belong to this group differs. The most common definition includes five elements: two of the fifth period and three of the sixth period. They all share some properties, including a melting point above 2000 °C and high hardness at room temperature. They are chemically inert and have a relatively high density. Their high melting points make powder metallurgy the method of choice for fabricating components from these metals. Some of their applications include tools to work metals at high temperatures, wire filaments, casting molds, and chemical reaction vessels in corrosive environments. Partly due to the high melting point, refractory metals are stable against creep deformation to very high temperatures.

Resistance thermometers, also called resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), are sensors used to measure temperature. Many RTD elements consist of a length of fine wire wrapped around a heat-resistant ceramic or glass core but other constructions are also used. The RTD wire is a pure material, typically platinum (Pt), nickel (Ni), or copper (Cu). The material has an accurate resistance/temperature relationship which is used to provide an indication of temperature. As RTD elements are fragile, they are often housed in protective probes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heating element</span> Device that converts electricity into heat

A heating element is a device used for conversion of electric energy into heat, consisting of a heating resistor and accessories. Heat is generated by the passage of electric current through a resistor through a process known as Joule Heating. Heating elements are used in household appliances, industrial equipment, and scientific instruments enabling them to perform tasks such as cooking, warming, or maintaining specific temperatures higher than the ambient.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superalloy</span> Alloy with higher durability than normal metals

A superalloy, or high-performance alloy, is an alloy with the ability to operate at a high fraction of its melting point. Key characteristics of a superalloy include mechanical strength, thermal creep deformation resistance, surface stability, and corrosion and oxidation resistance.

Kanthal is the trademark for a family of iron-chromium-aluminium (FeCrAl) alloys used in a wide range of resistance and high-temperature applications. Kanthal FeCrAl alloys consist of mainly iron, chromium (20–30%) and aluminium (4–7.5 %). The first Kanthal FeCrAl alloy was developed by Hans von Kantzow in Hallstahammar, Sweden. The alloys are known for their ability to withstand high temperatures and having intermediate electric resistance. As such, it is frequently used in heating elements. The trademark Kanthal is owned by Sandvik Intellectual Property AB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orthodontic archwire</span> Wire used in dental braces

An archwire in orthodontics is a wire conforming to the alveolar or dental arch that can be used with dental braces as a source of force in correcting irregularities in the position of the teeth. An archwire can also be used to maintain existing dental positions; in this case it has a retentive purpose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot cathode</span> Type of electrode

In vacuum tubes and gas-filled tubes, a hot cathode or thermionic cathode is a cathode electrode which is heated to make it emit electrons due to thermionic emission. This is in contrast to a cold cathode, which does not have a heating element. The heating element is usually an electrical filament heated by a separate electric current passing through it. Hot cathodes typically achieve much higher power density than cold cathodes, emitting significantly more electrons from the same surface area. Cold cathodes rely on field electron emission or secondary electron emission from positive ion bombardment, and do not require heating. There are two types of hot cathode. In a directly heated cathode, the filament is the cathode and emits the electrons. In an indirectly heated cathode, the filament or heater heats a separate metal cathode electrode which emits the electrons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intergranular corrosion</span> When crystallite boundaries are more corrosive than their interiors

In materials science, intergranular corrosion (IGC), also known as intergranular attack (IGA), is a form of corrosion where the boundaries of crystallites of the material are more susceptible to corrosion than their insides.

Chromel is an alloy made of approximately 90% nickel and 10% chromium by weight that is used to make the positive conductors of ANSI Type E (chromel-constantan) and K (chromel-alumel) thermocouples. It can be used at temperatures up to 1,100 °C (2,010 °F) in oxidizing atmospheres. Chromel is a registered trademark of Concept Alloys, Inc.

Resistance wire is wire intended for making electrical resistors. It is better if the alloy used has a high resistivity, since a shorter wire can then be used. In many situations, the stability of the resistor is of primary importance, and thus the alloy's temperature coefficient of resistivity and corrosion resistance play a large part in material selection.

Alloy steel is steel that is alloyed with a variety of elements in total amounts between 1.0% and 50% by weight to improve its mechanical properties.

Nickel aluminide refers to either of two widely used intermetallic compounds, Ni3Al or NiAl, but the term is sometimes used to refer to any nickel–aluminium alloy. These alloys are widely used because of their high strength even at high temperature, low density, corrosion resistance, and ease of production. Ni3Al is of specific interest as a precipitate in nickel-based superalloys, where it is called the γ' (gamma prime) phase. It gives these alloys high strength and creep resistance up to 0.7–0.8 of its melting temperature. Meanwhile, NiAl displays excellent properties such as lower density and higher melting temperature than those of Ni3Al, and good thermal conductivity and oxidation resistance. These properties make it attractive for special high-temperature applications like coatings on blades in gas turbines and jet engines. However, both these alloys have the disadvantage of being quite brittle at room temperature, with Ni3Al remaining brittle at high temperatures as well. To address this problem, has been shown that Ni3Al can be made ductile when manufactured in single-crystal form rather than in polycrystalline form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infrared heater</span> Device designed to create radiative heat

An infrared heater or heat lamp is a heating appliance containing a high-temperature emitter that transfers energy to a cooler object through electromagnetic radiation. Depending on the temperature of the emitter, the wavelength of the peak of the infrared radiation ranges from 750 nm to 1 mm. No contact or medium between the emitter and cool object is needed for the energy transfer. Infrared heaters can be operated in vacuum or atmosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass-to-metal seal</span> Airtight seal which joins glass and metal surfaces

Glass-to-metal seals are a type of mechanical seal which joins glass and metal surfaces. They are very important elements in the construction of vacuum tubes, electric discharge tubes, incandescent light bulbs, glass-encapsulated semiconductor diodes, reed switches, glass windows in metal cases, and metal or ceramic packages of electronic components.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobalt-chrome</span>

Cobalt-chrome or cobalt-chromium (CoCr) is a metal alloy of cobalt and chromium. Cobalt-chrome has a very high specific strength and is commonly used in gas turbines, dental implants, and orthopedic implants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartridge heater</span>

A cartridge heater is a tube-shaped, heavy-duty, industrial Joule heating element used in the process heating industry, usually custom manufactured to a specific watt density, based on its intended application. Compact designs are capable of reaching a watt density of up to 50W/cm² while some specialty high temperature designs can reach 100w/cm².

References

  1. Flournoy, Blake. "What Is Nichrome Wire Used for?". sciencing.com. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  2. "US Patent 811,858"
  3. "Resistivity of some common materials". MWS Wire Industries, Inc.
  4. ""Advanced Topic: Oxidation Resistant Materials" (PDF). Sciences Education Foundation. General Atomics. 2002" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  5. "Nichrome - Union City Filament". Union City Filament. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  6. B02 Committee. Specification for Drawn or Rolled Nickel-Chromium and Nickel-Chromium-Iron Alloys for Electrical Heating Elements (Report). ASTM International. doi:10.1520/b0344-20.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. DIN 17470:1984-10, Heizleiterlegierungen; Technische Lieferbedingungen für Rund- und Flachdrähte (Report). Beuth Verlag GmbH. doi:10.31030/1164343.
  8. Hegbom, Thor (2017-12-19). Integrating Electrical Heating Elements in Product Design. CRC Press. ISBN   978-1-4822-9220-6.
  9. Blanco-Dalmau, L., Carrasquillo-Alberty, H., & Silva-Parra, J. (1984). A study of nickel allergy. The Journal of prosthetic dentistry, 52(1), 116-119.