The need for nickel

Demand for nickel-based alloys is escalating because of their properties critical for hypersonic aerospace components. Hypersonic vehicles designed to fly at speeds of at least Mach 5 (5x the speed of sound) have been part of the nation’s global defense program since the early 2000s. While the nickel supply currently meets demand, that could change significantly.

Demand for nickel is expected to triple by 2030 due to the growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market. Nickel plays an important role in battery energy density and performance, enabling longer-range capabilities in EVs. The aerospace nickel market is also expected to grow significantly by 2030. With many industries seeking nickel, the next few years could see some serious supply challenges.

Important properties

Nickel offers numerous benefits, but for the aerospace industry, one important characteristic is its resistance to corrosion. Aerospace parts are often exposed to aggressive weather environments, including high humidity and temperature variations contributing to metal degradation. Nickel alloys extend the lifespan of parts by resisting oxidation and corrosion, enhancing operational safety and efficiency.

Alpha Metalcraft Group (AMG), a Connecticut manufacturer of components for the aerospace and defense industries, uses nickel for several products.

“Nickel is widely used as the raw material for composite rotorcraft blades and composite turbine engine guide vane leading edge guards, rocket thrust chamber fuel and cooling passage encapsulating jackets, and missile internal, delicate component cold/heat shields,’’ says John Boscia, vice president of AMG. “Additionally, in high energy X-ray imaging applications, nickel is primarily used as a filter material due to its selective absorption properties, allowing it to effectively block certain wavelengths of X-rays while letting others pass through.”

Nickel alloys also exhibit high-temperature strength, making them ideal for components subject to extreme heat and high pressure, such as those found in aircraft engines or exposed to heating from air friction at hypersonic speeds. They also exhibit resistance to fatigue, meaning parts won’t crack or fracture under repeated loading.

One other important characteristic of nickel is its lightweight durability. Reduced weight optimizes fuel efficiency and overall performance. The critical balance between strength and weight allows aerospace engineers the ability to create durable yet lightweight components.

Processing nickel alloys

AMG manufactures many components with electroforming and electroplating processes. Nickel is particularly valuable for those processes because few other raw materials can accomplish the same tasks.

“Nickel is used in critical applications due to its versatile properties, including high durability, good electrical conductivity, ability to produce thick parts with minimal internal stress, and the capability to be precisely controlled to create intricate shapes and fine details,’’ Boscia says. “There isn’t a suitable replacement.”

When using the coldworking process of deep drawing in high-temperature applications such as aerospace high-pressure ducting, a high nickel content alloy, Inconel, is more ideally suited due to its performance in high temperatures.

Many of AMG’s components are made by electroforming, a form of additive manufacturing (AM) that can be thought of as 3D printing through chemistry. Rather than building up a part by melting macro materials as in traditional 3D printing processes, electroforming builds up a part on a micro scale, literally depositing one individual metallic atom at a time.

“An 85% nickel and 15% cobalt mixture is commonly used in the electroforming process because it provides significantly higher strength and hardness compared to pure nickel,” Boscia explains. “This makes it ideal for applications requiring robust, durable components, especially when high tensile strength is needed. This is due to the alloying effect of cobalt, which enhances the mechanical properties of the deposited nickel layer.”