Copper/Nickel alloy (Cu70/Ni30) foil is a durable and corrosion-resistant material widely used in marine, chemical, and electronic industries. In foil form, it combines mechanical strength with excellent resistance to seawater corrosion, stable electrical resistivity, and good formability, making it ideal for harsh and high-performance environments.
Material Overview
This alloy consists of 70 % copper and 30 % nickel, forming a single-phase solid solution with a face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure. The nickel addition improves resistance to stress corrosion cracking and enhances the alloy’s strength without severely reducing its thermal or electrical conductivity. The microstructure typically exhibits uniform dendritic solidification and strong adhesion in foil form. Studies have demonstrated that 70/30 Cu–Ni alloys fabricated via advanced processes such as wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) display columnar grains with fine inter-dendritic segregation that contributes to improved film resistance and corrosion protection (Song et al., 2024). The alloy’s resistivity and thermal conductivity are nearly constant over a wide temperature range, supporting its use in cryogenic and high-temperature systems (Hulm, 1951).
Applications and Advantages
Cu70/Ni30 alloys are extensively used in seawater condenser tubing, desalination plants, heat exchangers, and electronic connectors. Their natural passivating oxide film provides excellent resistance to biofouling and erosion-corrosion in saline environments (Wu et al., 2023). Nickel enhances protective film stability, while copper ensures thermal and electrical conductivity essential for efficient heat transfer. Electrodeposited Cu–Ni nanocomposite coatings with layered silicate reinforcements have shown up to 25 % higher hardness and 65 % greater corrosion resistance compared to conventional alloys (Thurber et al., 2016). These properties make Cu–Ni foils valuable in both structural and functional components where corrosion and conductivity must coexist.
Goodfellow Availability
Goodfellow offers precision-engineered Cu70/Ni30 alloy foils manufactured to exacting standards for research, industrial, and electronic applications. Custom thicknesses and dimensions are available, supporting specialized use in heat transfer, corrosion studies, and marine engineering.
Explore Copper/Nickel Cu70/Ni30 and other advanced materials in Goodfellow’s online catalogue: Goodfellow product finder.
References
- Song, J., Jimenez, X. A., To, A. C., & Fu, Y. (2024). Microstructures and corrosion properties of wire arc additive manufactured copper–nickel alloys. Materials, 17(4), 876. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17040876
- Thurber, C. R., Ahmad, Y. H., Sanders, S. F., Al-Shenawa, A., D'Souza, N. A., Mohamed, A. M. A., & Golden, T. D. (2016). Electrodeposition of 70–30 Cu–Ni nanocomposite coatings for enhanced mechanical and corrosion properties. Current Applied Physics, 16(3), 349–356. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CAP.2015.12.022
- Wu, L., Ma, A. L., Zhang, L., Li, G., Hu, L., Wang, Z., & Zheng, Y. (2023). Erosion–corrosion behavior of 90/10 and 70/30 copper–nickel tubes in 1 wt% NaCl solution. Metals, 13(2), 401. https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020401
- Zhang, J., Wang, Q., Wang, Y., Wen, L., & Dong, C. (2010). Effect of heat treatment on the highly corrosion-resistant Cu70Ni27.7Fe2.3 alloy. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 507(1), 92–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JALLCOM.2010.06.148
- Hulm, J. K. (1951). The thermal conductivity of a copper–nickel alloy at low temperatures. Proceedings of the Physical Society. Section B, 64(3), 243–251. https://doi.org/10.1088/0370-1301/64/3/304