Using the right material is extremely important in the oil and gas industry to withstand high pressure, temperature, and environments that are incredibly corrosive. The alloys of nickel are stronger than the pure nickel that is manufactured commercially. Not only are these alloys known to combat different types of corrosion, are cost-effective and versatile. When it comes to industrial use, different grades of this alloy are used right from applications in the marine world to the aerospace. From production, storage, extraction to refining, Monel plays a crucial role in the oil and gas industry.

• State of oil and gas industry

As oil and gas are considered as the base of power generation, selection of right material for different components in this industry plays a vital role. Several conventional reserves of oil and gas have exhausted, and the newer facilities are present in hostile locations. Quite naturally, the equipment used becomes susceptible to the degradations related to the harsh environment. The temperature and pressure that were applicable in the past are no longer viable in the present day conditions. When you consider the parameters of operations that exist today in the oil and gas industry, you will come to know about the serious challenges that this industry faces today due to the limitation on the existing technology and equipment.

• Emergence of new alloys

A decade ago, the oil and the gas industry relied on the low end of the corrosion resistant alloys. Due to the failures that this industry experienced in the existing equipment, the awareness generated due to the cost of beating corrosion, and safety, the corrosion resistant alloy such as Monel 400 is used to optimize the integrity and the performance. The nickel-based alloys are used in the extraction facilities located on and offshore. This alloy is widely used in this industry for manufacturing valves, pumps, and the process-control equipment. Along with nickel and copper and the balanced amounts of silicon, carbon, manganese, and iron, they are considered ideal for those units that come into contact with hydrofluoric acid to which the nickel-based alloys have proved exceptionally resistant.

Using Monel 400

When you analyze the effectiveness of this alloy, you will learn that it contains a similar proportion of nickel and copper as you would find in nickel that is extracted from the ore. Even though it retains all the qualities you get in commercially pure nickel, the cost is lower. It is a solid-solution alloy to be hardened with the cold working process and picks the benefit from the durability and high strength. Thanks to the strength of this alloy which is highly used across the oil and gas industry. However, it is also recognized for its ability to resist corrosion. It is extensively used for manufacturing exchanger equipment, well head, and tooling. By using this advanced material to prevent the corrosive effects of shale gas and high-pressure conditions that prevail during the operation, the oil and gas industry has contributed to its high demand in this industry. The demand for the corrosion resistant alloys is likely to grow further in the future as well.