Nibron Special is a trademark of Columbia Metals Ltd for a high-strength copper-nickel-aluminium alloy, closely related to the German Werkstoff number DIN 2.1504. It belongs to the same family of aluminium-containing cupronickels as our own Hiduron® 130.

Origins

The first commercial aluminium-containing Cu-Ni alloy was developed by Langley Alloys in the 1940s and marketed as Hidurax Special (Cu-15Ni-3Al), to meet a naval requirement for a high-strength, corrosion-resistant alloy. It was later renamed Hiduron® 130 and given the designations DIN 2.1504, UNS C72400 and the supply code DTD 900/4805.

How it is strengthened

Hiduron® 130 is a high-strength cupronickel supplied in the hot worked condition. Aluminium is the key strengthening element, forming a finely dispersed gamma-prime nickel-aluminium precipitate that strengthens the alloy in a similar way to Alloy K-500. Because these precipitates form through a controlled forging process and age naturally during cooling, no further heat treatment is needed, making it one of the highest-strength copper alloys commercially available.

Properties

As a cupronickel, it resists corrosion by seawater and by marine and industrial atmospheres, and it is highly resistant to crevice corrosion. It has very low magnetic permeability - it is virtually non-magnetic - and a higher modulus of elasticity than is usual for copper alloys. These properties are achieved without heat treatment, alongside good machinability and an excellent finish.

Applications

The major use of Hiduron® 130 today is in subsea hydraulic and electrical connectors, such as flying lead connectors for stab plates. Other uses include:

  • Naval winches, seawater valves and marine engineering generally
  • Heavily stressed airframe components in aerospace
  • Valve seat inserts and thrust washers for high-performance internal combustion engines
  • Mechanical engineering and hydraulic systems

There is also growing interest in its use for components in hydrogen service.

We supply Hiduron® 130 as round bars from ½" to 8" (12.7-203.2mm) diameter, and as bespoke forgings and blocks.