Material Family

Commercially Pure Nickel (Unalloyed)

The baseline, ductile nickel bar material with no intentional alloying additions for strength.

Common Forms (Bar)

Hot Rolled, Forged, or Cold Drawn Rounds, Hexagons, Squares. Also as Forging Billet.

Available in a wide range of diameters and sections for machining and forging.

Chemical Composition (Typical wt.%)

Ni (+Co): ≥ 99.0
C: ≤ 0.15
Fe: ≤ 0.40
Mn: ≤ 0.35
Cu: ≤ 0.25
Si: ≤ 0.35
S: ≤ 0.01

High purity is key to its corrosion resistance and electrical properties. Note: For service >315°C, Nickel 201 bar must be used.

Mechanical Properties (Annealed, Room Temp)

Tensile Strength (Rm): 380 - 550 MPa
Yield Strength (Rp0.2): 100 - 275 MPa
Elongation (A): 40 - 55%

Lower strength than alloyed nickels but exceptional ductility and toughness.

Physical Properties

Density: 8.89 g/cm³
Melting Point: 1435-1445 °C
Thermal Conductivity: 70 W/m·K (at 100°C)
Electrical Conductivity: ~25% IACS
Useful Service Range: Cryogenic to ~315°C (600°F).

Notable for its high thermal and electrical conductivity among nickel alloys.

Key Corrosion Resistance Attributes

• Excellent resistance to hot, concentrated caustic alkalis (NaOH, KOH) in all concentrations up to the boiling point.

• Excellent resistance to neutral and reducing salts, and organic acids.

• Good resistance to dilute hydrochloric and sulfuric acids at room temperature.

• Poor resistance to oxidizing acids (e.g., nitric acid) and ammonia solutions.

The benchmark bar material for handling hot, concentrated caustic soda (NaOH).

Key Standards (Bar)

ASTM B160 / ASME SB-160 (Standard Specification for Nickel Rod and Bar), DIN 2.4060, 2.4066

ASTM B160 is the primary specification for bar (rod) products.

Common Sizes & Conditions

Diameter/Thickness: 5mm (0.2") up to 250mm (10")+ for hot rolled.
Condition: Hot Rolled, Annealed, or Cold Drawn. Available in various tempers (Annealed, Half Hard, Hard).

Cold Drawn bar offers excellent surface finish and tighter tolerances for precision machining.

Machinability

Machinability Rating: ~50% (relative to free-machining brass). One of the more machinable nickel alloys, but still gummy. Requires sharp tools, positive rake angles, and adequate feeds to control chip formation.

Significantly easier to machine than alloys like Inconel or Hastelloy.

Typical Bar Applications

• Chemical Processing: Stirrer shafts, valve stems, fasteners, spacers for caustic evaporators and handling systems.
• Electroplating: Anode hooks, bus bars, fixture components.
• Food & Pharmaceutical: Machined parts for processing equipment requiring high purity and cleanability.
• Aerospace & Electronics: High-purity support structures, waveguides, battery components.
• Alkaline Battery & Fuel Cell Manufacturing.

The primary bar material for caustic handling and applications requiring pure nickel's unique combination of properties.