Molybdenum in Powder Material for Alloy 59 Product Line

VDM Metals GmbH, Werdohl, Germany, announces VDM® Powder 59 with molybdenum as the latest addition to the Alloy 59 product line. The alloy is one of the most frequently used nickel alloys for demanding applications in corrosive environments. Applications for this alloy have been steadily growing in recent years as new processes have been developed for the chemical and petrochemical industries.

As raw materials and energy become less and less available, costs become correspondingly higher and the demands on process parameters become more demanding due to increasingly stringent environmental regulations. This leads to high operating temperatures, high pressures, and high concentrations of process media that can only be safely managed by highly alloyed materials. VDM Powder 59 has particularly low concentrations of carbon and silicon and excellent corrosion resistance.

Dr. Christina Schmidt, Head of Powder Production, Research, and Development at VDM Metals, explains: "All elements analyzed are within the standard chemical composition of Alloy 59. The material is versatile in many chemical processes with oxidizing and reducing media. In addition, due to the high concentration of nickel, chromium, and molybdenum, this alloy is more resilient in chlorine-containing media when receiving an impact."

"In addition, based on the attention paid by the developers to the balance and workability of the chemical composition, the powder shows excellent printing properties, which makes it possible to achieve very complex geometries without cracking," she continued. "Preliminary results from different corrosion tests show that the printed parts yielded comparable results to conventionally produced materials."

Alloy 59 was originally developed for use in chemical processes and environmental technology because the material is able to work in aggressive areas where the so-called C-series nickel alloys (such as the well-known Alloy C-276) are different from the large number of commercial nickel alloys that are not resistant to prevailing conditions. C-series alloys typically contain 55 to 66% nickel, 16 to 23% chromium, and 13 to 19% molybdenum.

The high content of Mo gives them excellent corrosion resistance in reducing corrosion conditions and high chromium content in oxidizing media. The addition of tungsten may have an additional positive effect on corrosion resistance, but it can also impair thermal stability.

Dr. Schmidt added: "In developing Alloy 59, VDM Metals explored this direction further. Compared to the previous generation C series, the chromium content was increased by 7 wt.% to 23 wt.%, tungsten was excluded and the iron content was reduced to approximately 1 wt.%. Mo was kept at a high level of approximately 16 wt.%."

This composition is said to have good resistance in reducing media due to the high molybdenum content, while resistance in oxidizing media is also greatly improved due to the significantly higher chromium content. In addition, the material offers better resistance to intergranular corrosion. Another important aspect is excellent workability, especially weldability. Alloy 59 is widely used not only for the production of complex structures but also directly in the field for service and maintenance tasks.

Dr. Schmidt believes that the new alloy powder variant will be a top seller in the future and concludes, "From a technical point of view, we made sure that everything was ready for use in Additive Manufacturing."

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