Nickel is an often alloyed element, since it is able to alloy to almost any metal, and as a result, nickel tubing is predominantly fabricated from nickel alloys. Read More…
Leading Manufacturers
Metalmen Sales Inc.
Long Island City, NY | 800-767-9494We supply Nickel and its alloys for a broad range of applications. metalmen provides supply solutions – we respond with quick quotes and on-time deliveries.
Leading Edge Metals & Alloys, Inc.
Torrance, CA | 877-455-5362For knowledgeable, immediate response to your metal sourcing requests, contact Leading Edge Metals & Alloys, Inc. today. This full service, high performance metal supplier is your complete source for aircraft grade materials. We have alloy steels, aluminum, copper and brass alloys, nickel alloys, magnesium, stainless steel, titanium, tool steels, and more, as well as a wide range of specialty plastics.
Tri Star Metals, Inc.
Carol Stream, IL | 800-541-2294Tri Star Metals is a producer and distributor of stainless steel, aluminum, and nickel alloy rod, bar and wire stock. Our two manufacturing facilities and extensive inventory enable us to get product to you with maximum efficiency and short lead times. We are ISO 9001:2000 certified. Ask us about just-in-time programs, special diameter and tolerances, and various finishes.
Metal Associates
Pompton Plains, NJ | 800-838-1978Our company may have started small, but we quickly grew to handle the largest aluminum orders. Our metals are made from the highest quality materials, and we pledge to offer superior service to all our customers.
ATI
Pittsburgh, PA | 800-289-7454Serving over 30 nations, ATI produces and markets high-quality stainless steel, tool steel, stainless steel alloys and much more. As a world wide leader, our metallurgists come to you so that we can thoroughly understand and meet your specific requirements.
The Trident Company
Richardson, TX | 800-442-4914The Trident Company, with almost 40 years of metals sales and service experience, makes on-time shipments throughout the world. Nickel sheet, plate, rod, bar, tubing, pipe, standard structural shapes and wire. Also, Stainless, Carbon, Red metals, Aluminum and many exotic alloys. 11 US locations.
Nickel Tubing - MetalmenSome common nickel alloys used for tubing include nickel-chromium alloys (Nichrome), nickel-titanium alloys (Nitinol), nickel superalloys (Inconel), and nickel-copper alloys (Monel). Due to the wide range of nickel alloys, nickel tubing can offer a variety of characteristics that appeal to diverse industries including: residential, for use in plumbing, refrigerators and air conditioning systems; medical, for applications requiring hypodermic tubing; automotive, for internal systems tubing such as vehicle brake tubing; industrial manufacturing, for use in material handling and processing applications as well as equipment such as heat exchangers and furnaces; and petrochemical for oil and gas extraction and processing.
An attractive and durable metal, some additional characteristics of nickel include malleability, ductility, sanitary, and excellent strength and toughness in extreme environments.
Nickel tubing can refer to tubing that is wholly fabricated from nickel alloys, or it can refer to tubing that has been fabricated from a different material and then nickel coated. When the tube is completely fabricated from nickel alloys, the two most common processes of tube fabrication are tube rolling and tube extrusion. In tube rolling, pre-impregnated nickel alloys are cut and rolled around a mandrel.
Next, the nickel is wrapped around the mandrel in order to eliminate any retained air and lastly, the nickel is heat-cured and will form a hollow tube once the mandrel is removed. In tube extrusion, a round nickel billet is pressed through a die, which is a hollow profile that shapes the nickel into a hollow tube-shape by means of a pin attached to the die as the billet is squeezed through.
For tubing that is nickel-coated rather than wholly nickel, electroplating is the most common. In electroplating, an electric current is used to reduce positively-charged ions of nickel from a solution and thus, coat the metal tubing with a layer of nickel. Electroless nickel plating may also be used, in which a catalytic process is used to reduce the nickel ions from a solution, which results in the coating of the tube with nickel without having to use electrical energy.
