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Nickel-Chromium Foil (Light Tight) (Ni80-Cr20)
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Thickness | Size | Temper ⓘ |
|---|---|---|
| 0.005 mm to 0.5 mm | 10 x 10 mm to 200 x 300 mm | As rolled Annealed |
Need custom configurations? Please contact us.
Health hazard/Hazardous to the ozone layer
Serious health hazard
Key Features
Nickel/Chromium Alloy Foil (Light Tight) (Ni80/Cr20) is a pinhole-free certified Nichrome composition foil combining the high-temperature strength, oxidation resistance, and stable electrical resistivity of the Ni80/Cr20 alloy with guaranteed through-thickness optical barrier integrity:
Pinhole-Free Certification
Each batch is tested and certified clear of through-thickness defects, providing reliable complete optical isolation in high-temperature optical instrument assemblies and elevated-temperature shielding applications where barrier integrity must be maintained through repeated thermal cycling.
High-Temperature Strength and Oxidation Resistance
The Ni80/Cr20 composition provides excellent oxidation resistance through a stable Cr₂O₃ scale and maintained mechanical strength at elevated temperatures, qualifying the light-tight foil for aerospace heat shield applications, high-temperature gaskets, and electronics shielding exposed to elevated operating temperatures where optical control is simultaneously required.
Low Thermal Expansion for Dimensional Stability Under Thermal Cycling
The relatively low thermal expansion coefficient of Ni80/Cr20 compared to many structural alloys provides dimensional stability under thermal cycling, supporting precision optical barrier applications where the geometric integrity of the light-tight element must be maintained across the full operating temperature range.
Stable Electrical Resistivity for Resistance Heating Applications
The well-characterized, stable electrical resistivity of the Ni80/Cr20 alloy allows the light-tight foil form to serve simultaneously as a resistance heating element and an optical barrier in instrument enclosures where internal heating and light exclusion are both required.
Spring Element Performance in High-Fatigue Environments
Fine grain size and ordered strengthening phases in optimised Ni80/Cr20 foil contribute to superior fatigue life in spring element applications, qualifying the light-tight foil for spring-loaded optical shutters and aperture elements in high-cycle applications including hydrogen fuel cell air compressors.
Industrial Applications
Nickel/Chromium Alloy Foil (Light Tight) (Ni80/Cr20) is used wherever pinhole-free optical barrier integrity must coexist with the high-temperature strength, oxidation resistance, and dimensional stability of the Ni80/Cr20 composition:
- ✦ Aerospace Heat Shields and High-Temperature Optical Gaskets
- Used for aerospace heat shields and high-temperature optical gaskets, where Ni80/Cr20’s oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures and pinhole-free certified optical isolation provides a barrier element that maintains both thermal protection and light exclusion performance through high-temperature service cycles.
- ✦ Electronics Shielding Requiring Both Light Control and High-Temperature Performance
- Applied as electronics shielding in assemblies where both light exclusion and elevated-temperature performance are required, with the Ni80/Cr20 composition’s resistance to scaling at temperature maintaining the surface continuity that preserves optical barrier integrity in high-temperature operating environments.
- ✦ Furnace Components Combining Heating and Optical Isolation Functions
- Used in furnace component applications where the certified light-tight Ni80/Cr20 foil serves simultaneously as a resistance heating element and an optical barrier, taking advantage of the alloy’s well-documented resistivity and heating behavior alongside its pinhole-free barrier function.
- ✦ Spring-Loaded Optical Shutter Elements in High-Cycle Applications
- Applied as spring-loaded optical shutter elements in high-cycle applications including hydrogen fuel cell air compressors and precision optical instrument shutters, where the fatigue resistance of the fine-grained Ni80/Cr20 foil and the certified optical isolation are both required from the same spring-barrier component.
- ✦ High-Temperature Optical Barrier, Thermal Sensor and Resistive Alloy Research
- Provides certified barrier foil for research into high-temperature optical barrier performance, investigation of Ni80/Cr20 thermophysical properties for precise engineering calculations, and characterization of light-tight foil integrity under thermal cycling in aerospace, energy, and industrial shielding applications.
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Elongation at break( % ) | 40 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 650-1100 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Electrical resistivity( µOhmcm ) | 108 |
| Temperature coefficient( K⁻¹ ) | 0.00005 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum use temperature in air( C ) | 1150-1250 |
| Melting point( C ) | 1400 |
| Thermal conductivity( W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ ) | 13.4@23°C |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion( x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ ) | 14@20-100°C |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 8.4 |
Tolerances
| Thickness | <0.01mm | ±25% |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 0.01mm - 0.05mm | ±15% |
| Thickness | >0.05mm | ±10% |
| Linear dimension | <100mm | ±1mm |
| Linear dimension | >=100mm | +2 / -1% |