Inconel 600 Springs

Inconel 600 Spring Manufacturer

Coiling Technologies can produce Inconel 600 springs for a variety of industries and applications. Inconel 600 is one of the most common materials we use at Coiling Technologies for the energy and chemical processing industrial sectors.

Inconel 600 Spring Features & Benefits

Though more expensive than stainless steel, this alloy excels at elevated temperatures up to 650°F (345°C), handling compression springs stressed to 65,000 psi (450 MPa) with minimal load loss. At 50,000 psi (345 MPa), it offers a much longer fatigue life. This corrosion-resistant material is extensively used for heat-treating baskets and conveyor belts in furnaces up to 2200°F (1200°C). It’s also ideal for compression springs in steam valves, regulating valves, boilers, compressors, turbines, and jet engines.

Inconel 600 is available in a variety of conditions from annealed to spring temper. The most common wires are No. 1 temper and Spring Temper wire for spring making. No 1 temper tensile range is 105 -135 Ksi whereas Spring Temper grade is typically utilized for higher stressed applications with a material tensile capacity as high as 220 Ksi. It should be noted the only way to achieve a higher tensile strength with Inconel 600 is to cold work the material by reducing it from a larger diameter to its final size. Unlike a precipitation hardening alloy like Inconel X750 age-hardening, the material is not possible. Typically, the material is stress relieved for 1 hr. at 850 – 900 F (450 – 480 C) for 1 hr. after coiling.

We can produce .008”-.625” wire and larger bar materials above 0.625” – 2.500”.

Inconel 600 Spring Types

• Compression Springs
• Disc Springs
• Extension Springs
• Torsion Springs
• Wire Forms
• Wave Springs

Inconel 600 Steel Spring Applications

Inconel 600 is commonly used in a variety of industries and applications. Inconel 600’s excellent corrosion resistance makes it a popular option for a wide range of applications.

• Chemical
• Energy
• Food
• Marine
• Nuclear
• Offshore
• Valve

Coiling Technologies can provide you with a variety of options when it comes to springs. Contact us today if you need Inconel 600 springs for your application!

Inconel 600 Springs FAQs

What is Inconel 600 and why is it used for springs?

Inconel 600 is a nickel chromium alloy running 72 percent nickel minimum, with 14.0 to 17.0 percent chromium and 6.0 to 10.0 percent iron. The high nickel content carries corrosion resistance in reducing conditions and the chromium handles oxidizing conditions, so one grade covers both sides of a process cycle. It is one of the most common materials CTI uses for the energy and chemical processing sectors. Density is 0.306 lb/in³ (8.47 g/cm³), with a modulus of elasticity of 31.1x10^3 ksi and a modulus of rigidity of 11.7x10^3 ksi at 70°F (20°C).

Where are Inconel 600 springs used?

CTI lists chemical, energy, food, marine, nuclear, offshore, and valve work for this grade. Typical parts are compression springs in steam valves, regulating valves, boilers, compressors, turbines, and jet engines. The alloy is also used extensively for heat treating baskets and conveyor belts in furnaces operating up to 2200°F (1200°C), though that is a structural application rather than a spring one. Available spring types in Inconel 600 include compression springs, disc springs, extension springs, torsion springs, wave springs, and wire forms. It costs more than stainless steel, so it earns its place where stainless would relax or crack.

Can Inconel 600 be age hardened?

No. Inconel 600 is solid solution strengthened, so age hardening is not possible and the only way to reach a higher tensile strength is cold work, meaning the wire is drawn down from a larger diameter to its final size. That is the central difference between this grade and precipitation hardening alloys such as Inconel X-750 and Inconel 718, which gain most of their strength from a post-coiling aging cycle. After coiling, Inconel 600 springs are typically stress relieved for one hour at 850 to 900°F (450 to 480°C), which relieves coiling stress without altering the strengthening mechanism.

How does Inconel 600 compare with Inconel X-750 or 718 for spring service?

The trade is strength against simplicity. X-750 and 718 age harden, so they hold far higher loads and resist relaxation at temperature, but they require a controlled aging cycle after coiling and the spring geometry has to account for dimensional change during aging. Inconel 600 arrives at its final properties from the wire mill, needs only a stress relief, and gives predictable behavior in both oxidizing and reducing chemistry. Choose Inconel 600 when corrosion resistance and process stability matter more than peak load, and an age hardenable grade when the required spring rate demands it.

What are the maximum service temperature and minimum wire size for Inconel 600 springs?

The Technical Specification table lists a Max Temp of 320°C (700°F) and a Min Size of 0.004 in (0.100 mm). For production, CTI coils Inconel 600 from 0.008 in through 0.625 in wire and works larger bar material above 0.625 in up to 2.500 in. Load retention on this grade is good, with compression springs stressed to 65,000 psi (450 MPa) showing minimal load loss at high temperature and considerably longer fatigue life at 50,000 psi (345 MPa). Published temperature figures vary with stress level, so confirm your service temperature and design stress with the engineering team.

What corrosion environments suit Inconel 600 springs?

The grade is immune to chloride stress corrosion cracking, the failure mode that ends most austenitic stainless springs in hot chloride service. High nickel content also gives good resistance to caustic environments and to reducing acids, while the chromium addition covers oxidizing conditions and high temperature oxidation. Electrical resistivity is 40.6 μΩ.in (130 μΩ.cm) and thermal conductivity is 103 Btu-in/ft²hr-°F (14.9 W/m-K), both relevant if the spring sits in a heated or instrumented assembly. Halide pitting resistance is not this alloy's strength, so heavily oxidizing chloride solutions call for a different grade.

Which Inconel 600 wire tempers are available, and what tensile strength do they deliver?

Inconel 600 is available in conditions from annealed through spring temper. The two common spring making conditions are No. 1 temper and spring temper. No. 1 temper covers a tensile range of 105 to 135 ksi and suits moderately stressed springs and wire forms that need more formability. Spring temper is used for higher stressed applications, with material tensile capacity as high as 220 ksi. Specify the temper on your drawing, since the same geometry coiled in No. 1 temper and in spring temper will not produce the same rate or the same relaxation behavior at temperature.

What information should you provide to quote an Inconel 600 spring?

Send a drawing if you have one. If you do not, CTI's engineering team can work from a load and geometry specification or from a performance requirement, so free length, outside or inside diameter, wire size, working deflection, and required load at working height are enough to begin. Include service temperature, the process chemistry the spring will see, wire temper if you have a preference, expected cycle life, and any customer standard such as an AMS or ASTM specification the spring must be built to. State end configuration and squareness requirements for compression springs.