BUY LOW AND CONTROLLED EXPANSION METALS

	COMMON & TRADE NAMES	APPLICATIONS
	F-15 ALLOY / KOVAR Kovar, Rodar™, Telcoseal™, Sealvar™, Alloy 29-17™, Nilo K™, Dilver™, Pernifer, Alloy 29-18™, Nicosel, Nicoseal™, Therlo®	F-15 Alloy / Kovar is classified as a controlled nickel-iron expansion alloy, as it contracts and expands and at a similar rate to glass and ceramics. It is therefore ideal in applications which require a hermetic seal between glass or ceramic materials. Thanks to its chemical composition it’s a very stable material that maintains its thermal expansion characteristics down to sub zero temperatures, almost minus 200 degrees C. There are a vast number of products where metal and glass or ceramic are joined together. Applications include x-ray tubes, lighting tubes, microwave tubes, transistors, vacuum tubes, diodes and power tubes and photography flash bulbs. This technique has also been used in integrated circuits, such as flat pack and dual-in-line packages and optoelectronic component cases and bases.	more info
	ALLOY 36 / INVAR 36 Invar 36, Ametek 936™, Nilo 36™ and Pernifer 36™	Classified as a nickel-iron controlled low expansion alloy Invar 36 has one of the lowest thermal expansion of all alloys and metals, a near zero coefficient of linear thermal expansion between the standard room temperature, 20 °C and 230 °C. Together with a near zero thermal expansion Alloy 36 provides a high retention of strength and toughness at cryogenic temperatures, making it ideal for a range of both low temperature and low expansion applications. The alloy is suited to applications where changes in temperature must not affect the materials dimensions, including tooling for aerospace composites, radio and electronic devices, and structural supports in precision equipment such as thermostats, measuring devices, lasers, and cryogenic instruments. It is a very workable material and easy to machine.	more info
	ALLOY 32-5 / SUPER INVAR Super Invar™	Super Invar Alloy 32-5 is a nickel-iron controlled ultra low expansion alloy which exhibits near zero thermal expansion at room temperature, the lowest of all the “low expansion alloys”, and one half of standard Invar Alloy at ambient temperature. Plus in the 67 to 203°F , -55 to 95°C temperature range its thermal expansion is less than that of standard Invar Alloy. It is designed to provide minimum thermal expansion at ambient temperatures. This property alone makes it valuable and even more expensive than regular invar. However, the useful range of Super Invar® is limited and valid only over a controlled temperature limit ( -32° to + 275°C ). The range of applications include various precision parts, optical instruments and electrical devices. Super Invar 32-5 machines similar to, but not as well as , Type 316 austenitic stainless steel	more info

Low and controlled expansion alloys are iron-nickel alloys that display extremely low expansion rates around room temperature, and are used in industries such as electronics, medical, oil and gas, aerospace, telecommunications, shipping, and non-commercial applications such as white goods.

Many industries and non-commercial applications require the properties of metals to be maintained over a range of temperatures and stable physical dimensions. Furthermore with the development in technology, there is an ever increasing requirement for high degrees of accuracy. Heat deformation can compromise accuracy in optical instruments, processing machines, measuring machines, and precision components, so low and controlled expansion thermal characteristic metals are essential to maintain stable high performance.

Applications for low and controlled expansion alloys are numerous but include; aircraft, nuclear power material, automobiles, tooling for aerospace composites, radio and electronic devices, structural supports in precision equipment such as thermostats, measuring devices, and lasers, cryogenic instruments, precision measuring devices, and bimetal thermostats. As well as being extensively used in the opto-mechanical industry, they are also widely used in the most common household electric appliances.

Iron and nickel have very similar coefficients of thermal expansion. However, combining nickel and iron results in the creation of an alloy for which the coefficient of expansion is reduced significantly. Research in the 1920s found that an iron-nickel alloys containing approximately 36% nickel showed virtually no thermal expansion at or close to, room temperature. Its also did not vary significantly with changes in temperature.

Metallurgists have since produced variations by altering the composition percentage and adding small proportions of other metals to create several exotic materials with unique expansion characteristics formulated to suit specific applications.

For more information on how Future Alloys low expansion metals can suit your application, contact one of our material specialists.