May 2026 Volume 8

MATERIALS

Nickel alloys are used for a wide variety of applications, the majority of which involve corrosion resistance (see Figure 4) and/or heat resistance. Some of these include aircraft gas turbines, steam turbine power plants, medical applications, nuclear power systems and chemical/petrochemical systems. The drivers to use nickel alloys in these industries are: • Composition: Nickel alloys are used for their high temperature strength, corrosion resistance, and creep resistance. • Location: They are found in critical, high-heat components such as turbine blades, vanes, and casings. • Common Alloy: Alloy 718 is the most widely used nickel based superalloy in the industry, often comprising over 30% of the finished engine weight. • Performance Impact: These materials allow engines to operate at temperatures exceeding 3000F (1650C). • Service Life: The high-temperature strength allows engines to operate for roughly 20,000 hours before requiring major maintenance.

Commercial Landscape of the Industry Unlike previous alloys covered in this magazine (Al, Ti), nickel alloys are not used for their strength to weight ratio. They are dense and heavy.

Figure 6: Comparison of Specific Strengths – Ni Alloys vs. Other Various industry sources surveyed for this article discussed some of the challenges and future trends in the nickel alloy forging industry. According to the source there is a hard time keeping up with demand for input material (ingot, billet, etc.). Lead times of 12 – 24 weeks are common. The Nickel Superalloy Market size was approximately $7.5 billion in 2019 and grew at a CAGR of ~6.7% between 2020 and 2026. The trend paralleled closely with global air passenger traffic growth generating many opportunities for aircraft parts manufacturing. Published surcharge data over that same period shows the cost for nickel alloy raw materials coming down and leveling (see Table 1). Lower Ni content alloys like 304 SS (8.0-10.5% Ni) and high content like IN718 (50-55%) are following the same trend.

Figure 4: Nickel Alloys for Corrosion Resistance 2 For example, aircraft engines contain a significant number of nickel-based alloys, typically accounting for about 30% to 50% of the engine's total finished component mass. These high-performance, heat-resistant superalloys (i.e. Alloy 718) are primarily used in the hot sections—combustion chambers and turbines—with some engines containing around 1.8 tons of these alloys.

Table 1: Nickel Alloy Surcharges

Figure 5: Example Nickel Alloy Components

FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2026 46