What does Monel® mean?

Monel is a trademark belonging to Special Metal Inc and is applied to a family of nickel-copper alloys. Such is the recognition of the trademark that it is generically used to describe such alloys even if produced by another manufacturer.

The most widely used Monel alloys are Alloy 400 (Monel 400, UNS N04400, 2.4360) and Alloy K500 (Monel 500, UNS N05500, 2.4375), the latter of which is a higher-strength alloy. Both are widely used in marine and chemical process industries due to their excellent corrosion resistance in selected mediums. Monel is a solid-solution binary alloy, with nickel and copper mutually soluble in all proportions, making this a single-phase alloy.

When was Monel Created?

Monel was created in 1901 by Robert Crooks Stanley, an employee of the International Nickel Company (INCO), and was named after the company president Ambrose Monell. It was patented by 1906. One L was dropped because family names were not allowed as trademarks during this time.

How is Monel Fabricated?

This group of nickel alloys is primarily composed of nickel (typically 52-67%) and copper with small amounts of silicon, carbon, manganese and iron. Monel alloys are fabricated using hot and cold-working, machining and welding and are resistant to corrosion by many agents, including rapidly flowing seawater plus it is resistant to acids and can withstand a fire in pure oxygen.

Got More Questions? Get in Touch

If you would like to learn more about Monel alloys, please contact Langley Alloys today and our team of specialists will be able to help. We can talk you through the advanced properties of both Alloy 400 and Alloy K500 in addition to making recommendations based on your application.