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Fecralloy® Tube
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Wall Thickness | Inside Diameter | Outside Diameter | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.4 mm to 1.5 mm | 5.2 mm to 16.4 mm | 6 mm to 19 mm | 10 mm to 1000 mm |
Need custom configurations? Please contact us.
Key Features
Fecralloy® Tube (Fe 72.8/Cr 22/Al 5/Y 0.1/Zr 0.1, UNS K92500) is an iron-chromium-aluminum alloy tube in the As Drawn temper engineered for sustained oxidizing service up to 1100–1300°C, well above the range of austenitic stainless steels:
Continuous alpha-Al₂O₃ scale for oxidation resistance to 1100–1300°C
At high temperature, the aluminum content selectively oxidises to form a continuous, adherent alpha-Al₂O₃ surface scale. This scale is a slower-growing and more chemically stable barrier than the Cr₂O₃ scale formed by stainless steels, extending reliable oxidation resistance to 1100–1300°C and making Fecralloy® tube serviceable at temperatures that would rapidly exhaust the chromia-forming capacity of austenitic grades.
Reactive element additions prevent spallation during thermal cycling
The yttrium (0.1%) and zirconium (0.1%) reactive element additions chemically anchor the alumina scale to the alloy substrate by segregating to the scale-metal interface and suppressing the void formation that causes scale detachment during thermal cycling. This is the same mechanism that gives Fecralloy® its established role as the metallic substrate in automotive catalytic converters, where repeated thermal cycling between cold start and full operating temperature would rapidly spall an unstabilized scale.
Near-flat electrical resistivity–temperature profile
The relatively flat relationship between electrical resistivity and temperature across the operating range makes Fecralloy® tube suitable for resistance-heated tube elements where a consistent relationship between applied voltage and power output is required. This simplifies control of resistance heater assemblies compared to materials with strongly temperature-dependent resistivity.
As Drawn temper for elevated structural strength
The As Drawn temper retains cold work from the tube drawing process, providing elevated tensile strength relative to the annealed condition. This supports use of the tube as a structural element in furnace, reactor, and heat exchanger configurations where the tube must carry mechanical loads in addition to withstanding the operating temperature.
Proven alloy platform from automotive catalytic converter service
Fecralloy® is the standard metallic substrate alloy in automotive catalytic converters, an application demanding alumina scale adhesion through tens of thousands of thermal cycles across a wide temperature range. This service history validates the alumina scale stability and reactive element effectiveness at scale, supporting confidence in the alloy’s oxidation behavior in industrial tube applications.
Industrial Applications
Fecralloy® tube is selected for furnace, reactor, and heat exchanger tube configurations operating above the service ceiling of austenitic stainless steels, where sustained alumina scale stability through thermal cycling is the defining material requirement:
- ✦ High-temperature furnace tube elements and resistance heating assemblies
- Used for high-temperature furnace tube elements and resistance heating assemblies in industrial heat treatment systems, where the combination of oxidation resistance to 1100–1300°C, near-flat resistivity–temperature profile, and thermal cycling durability of the alumina scale qualifies Fecralloy® tube over austenitic stainless steel and nickel superalloy alternatives at the highest operating temperatures.
- ✦ Catalytic reformer and combustion reactor tubes
- Applied as catalytic reformer and combustion reactor tubes in industrial process reactors operating above the range of austenitic stainless steels, where high-temperature oxidation resistance, structural integrity under thermal cycling, and compatibility with catalytic washcoat systems are simultaneously required.
- ✦ Base tubing for catalytic washcoat systems in industrial process reactors
- Used as the metallic substrate tube for catalytic washcoat deposition in industrial process reactor assemblies, applying the same alloy–washcoat compatibility established in automotive catalytic converter manufacture to tubular reactor configurations requiring sustained high-temperature catalytic activity.
- ✦ Alumina scale formation studies and accident-tolerant fuel cladding investigations
- Applied in research for alumina scale formation and growth kinetics studies, reactive element effect investigations in FeCrAl alloys, and as a candidate material in accident-tolerant nuclear fuel cladding research, where the high-temperature oxidation resistance and steam compatibility of the alumina scale are investigated under simulated reactor accident conditions.
- ✦ Experimental catalytic reactor assemblies at temperatures beyond stainless steel range
- Used for experimental catalytic reactor assemblies at temperatures beyond the reach of conventional stainless steels, where the tube must withstand the operating temperature, resist the process atmosphere, and support catalytic washcoat or packed-bed catalyst configurations in laboratory and pilot-scale reactor studies.
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Elongation at break( % ) | <25 |
| Hardness - Vickers( kgf mm⁻² ) | 230 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 560 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Electrical resistivity( µOhmcm ) | 134 |
| Temperature coefficient( K⁻¹ ) | 0.0001 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Curie temperature( C ) | 600 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum use temperature in air( C ) | 1100-1300 |
| Melting point( C ) | 1380-1490 |
| Thermal conductivity( W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ ) | 16@23°C |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion( x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ ) | 11.1@20-100°C |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 7.22 |
Tolerances
| Outside Diameter | =<2mm | ±0.05mm |
|---|---|---|
| Outside Diameter | 2mm - 5mm | ±0.1mm |
| Outside Diameter | >5mm | ±5% |
| Wall Thickness | ±10% | |
| Length | <100mm | ±1mm |
| Length | >=100mm | +5% / -1% |