Monel is a group of alloys of nickel (from 52 to 67%) and copper, with small amounts of iron, manganese, carbon, and silicon. Monel is not a cupronickel alloy because it has less than 60% copper.
Stronger than pure nickel, Monel alloys are resistant to corrosion by many aggressive agents, including rapidly flowing seawater. They can be fabricated readily by hot- and cold-working, machining, and welding.[2]
Monel was created in 1905 by Robert Crooks Stanley, who at the time worked at the International Nickel Company (Inco).[3] Monel was named after company president Ambrose Monell, and patented in 1906.[4] One L was dropped, because family names were not allowed as trademarks at that time.[1] The trademark was registered in May 1921,[5] and the name is now a trademark of Special Metals Corporation.
As an expensive alloy, it tends to be used in applications where it cannot be replaced with cheaper alternatives. For example, in 2015 Monel piping was more than three times as expensive as the equivalent piping made from carbon steel.[6]
- ^ a b Von Margot Gayle; David W. Look; John G. Waite (1992). "Monel". Metals in America's historic buildings: uses and preservation treatments. Diane Publishing. pp. 39–41. ISBN 978-0-16-038073-0. Archived from the original on 2017-02-17. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
- ^ "Monel". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ Cherney, Ken; Orasi, Ron (16 February 2009). "Robert Crooks Stanley (1876-1951) – The Grandfather of the nickel industry (Part 1 of 2)". No. August 1989 Inco Triangle. Republic of Mining.
- ^ Ambrose Monell U.S. patent 811,239 Issue date: Jan 1906
- ^ "Word Mark: Monel". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS). Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Piping Materials and Cost Ratios". www.engineeringtoolbox.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-26. Retrieved 2015-04-05.