INCONEL alloy 617 is a material that stays true to its name. It is a blend of nickel, chromium, cobalt, and molybdenum, and each of these component elements adding to its impressive specifications or features. While the high levels of both nickel (44.5% minimum) and chromium (20-24%) provides the alloy with a good resistance to both reducing and oxidizing media, cobalt (10-15%) and molybdenum (8-10%) combine together to impart solid-solution strengthening. A small quantity of aluminum (0.8-1.5%) is also included, to function with chromium for providing good oxidation resistance at high temperatures. One of the key characteristics of this alloy is that it can retain a high level of strength, even at elevated temperatures, without compromising its corrosion resistant capacity. The Inconel material is also very realistic, as it can be readily welded and formed with the help of conventional techniques. With all of these benefits, there is no doubt that Inconel 617 applications are going to be wide and it finds varied uses across a range of industries, where high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance is required.

The following points highlight some of the major Inconel 617 applications.

Applications

• INCONEL alloy 617 is considered a much wanted material for many components, such as combustion cans, and transition liners in both aircraft and land-based gas turbines. Due to its excellent resistance to various forms of corrosion in high-temperature, it is used for catalyst-grid supports in the production of nitric acid, for heat-treating baskets, and for reduction boats in the refining of molybdenum.
• Apart from this, it also finds its use in power generation in both nuclear fuel and fossil fuel power plants and is being used quite often for reformer tubes in steam generation at petrochemical plants, as well as high-temperature gas components. The features of this alloy are so advanced ad useful that it helps the engineers and designers to produce new products, and alloy 617 is the ideal material to be used in the generation of the latest ultra-supercritical boiler tubes.
• The high temperature nickel based alloy inconel bar 617 (A 617) is considered a suitable material for the 700 °C power plants due to its combination of creep strength and good fabricability. The use of this alloy has been evaluated in several publicly sponsored and privately financed programs with respect to its use in USC boilers. According to the experience gained from the use of alloy 617, the material has been customized to fit the specific purpose of USC boilers. While the first development step led to a modified version of Alloy 617 labeled Alloy 617 B, with creep strength at 700 °C and about 25% higher than that listed by ASME and VdTÜV the second step focused on the definition of welding procedures and heat treatment, thereby demonstrating that crack formation in large welded components can be easily avoided by suitable post-weld heat treatment.

Summing it up

Alloy 617 has good hot formability, but it requires comparatively high forces because of its inherent strength at elevated temperatures. Generally, the hot-forming characteristics of alloy 617 are quite similar to those of Inconel alloy 625. The temperature range for heavy forming or forging is 1850 to 2200°F. However, light working can be done at temperatures down to 1700°F.