Le Cordon Bleu’sCanadian Kitchen

Frames forflat-screen TVs

JUNE 2003 VOLUME 18, NUMBER 3 THE MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO NICKEL AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Designed for ReuseStainless steel beer barrels can last 40 yearsStainless steel beer barrels can last 40 years

Designed for Reuse

Visit www.nickelforum-eura.orgThe European Union (EU) is evaluating the risks to human and environmen-tal health of producing and using five nickel compounds: nickel metal, nick-el sulphate, nickel chloride, nickel nitrate and nickel carbonate.

The European Nickel Group Risk Assessment Team represents producers,importers and downstream users of nickel in Europe. It is organizing andfunding the nickel industry’s input into the EU risk assessment process toensure that it is conducted with the best available information and soundscientific practice.

For more information on the EU risk assessment of nickel, please visit theweb site of the European Nickel Group Risk Assessment Team:

www.nickelforum-eura.org

European Risk AssessmentFOLLOW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE

The Nickel Loop in Europe: 2000*

Figures in thousands of tonnes

E u r o p e a n

N i c k e l

G r o u p

*Assumed average 25-year life cycle; available data do not reconcile, so numbers do not always balance.

Total recycled

nickel units293

Other Ni scrap net

imports into EU88

Ni in process scrap

83

Ni in fabrication scrap

40

Ni actually collected at EOL

75

To primaryNi circuits

4

Ni available in

goods at EOL145

Ni in EU goods

“apparent use”340

Ni in exported

products in 200082

Ni in exported

products in 197535

Recycled in steel

and brass42

Dispersed, including

to landfill24

Ni in stainless steel

semi-fab exports139

Ni insemi-finished

products605

Total Ni used694

Nickel fromMines

New nickel401

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we see in nature. Economic activities wouldbecome closed loops; no materials would exitfrom these loops back into the natural envi-ronment from whence they came. These goalsare laudable. But are they achievable?

We all know that reusing and recycling mate-rials conserves naturalresources, energy andthe capacity of the nat-ural environment toassimilate wastes.Nevertheless, the vol-ume of nickel-contain-ing materials that isavailable at the end oflife for reuse and recy-cling is too small toeliminate the need for newly-mined nickel.Demand for nickel is growing at about 5% peryear—too much to be supplied by recyclingalone.

Fortunately, very little nickel actually goesto landfill. In the European Union, almost allprocess scrap and more than 80% of end-of-life nickel-containing products are collectedand reused by industry (see diagram on page2). It is recycled mostly in the form of alloys.About half the nickel content of a stainlesssteel cooking pan, for example, will have comefrom recycled sources.

People who reuse and recycle nickel-con-taining materials are motivated by the highvalue of these products at the end of theirlives. Nickel is worth too much for people toknowingly throw it away. The market price ofnickel fluctuates but is about six times greaterthan that of aluminium and more than thirtytimes greater than that of carbon steel.Recyclers and industrial users recognize thisvalue.

The collection, sorting and reuse of nickel-containing stainless steel is a sophisticated,growing industry in every country wherenickel is used. In 2000, more than 290,000

tonnes of nickel were reused in the EU in theform of stainless steel scrap. As the averagenickel content of the scrap was about 10%,that means the EU scrap industry handledabout 3 million tonnes of nickel-containingstainless steel scrap that year.

One way to in-crease recovery rateswould be to make iteasier for consumersto return products forrecycling. Mobilephones, for example,may represent a smallportion of total wastein the electronics sec-tor, yet their recyclabil-

ity benefits almost everyone in the developedworld—and significant amounts of nickel canbe recycled from them. In 2002, one companyin the U.K., Shields Environmental, recycled amillion nickel-containing batteries frommobile phones: 54% of them were nickel-metalhydride batteries, 30% were lithium-ion batter-ies, and 16% were of the nickel-cadmium type.

But leaving electronics aside, most nickel-containing products remain in use for anextended period of time. Since they aredurable and have a long service life, nickel-containing products often provide the bestsolutions to today’s environmental challenges.Durable products may be somewhat morecostly to manufacture, but the payoff comeswhen they are used for many cycles with littlefurther input. We report on a company that isreaping these benefits by refurbishing stainlesssteel beer kegs—a product in which nickelplays an important part.

Although closed material loops appear, atpresent, to be unattainable, the use and reuseof nickel can continue indefinitely. Nickel pro-duced and put into use today should, there-fore, be considered to be a resource for futuregenerations.

I F O N LY I T W E R E P O S S I B L E T O D E S I G N PAT T E R N S O F M AT E R I A L U S E I N

society (and here, I’m speaking of the inorganic variety) to mimic the cyclical patterns

Designing for ReuseVolume 18, Number 3, June 2003

The Magazine Devoted to Nickel and its applicationsNickel is published three times per year by The Nickel Development Institute 55 University Avenue, Suite 1801Toronto, Canada M5J 2H7Tel. 416 591 7999 Fax 416 591 7987Website: www.nidi.orgE-mail: nidi_toronto@nidi.orgIvor Kirman, PresidentPatrick Whiteway, Editor

Circulation, 30,000 in 95 countries

Other NiDI offices:Europe42 Weymouth St.London, England W1G 6NPTel. 44 20 7258 9830Fax. 44 20 7487 4964E-mail: nidi_london_uk@nidi.org

European Technical Information CentreThe Holloway, AlvechurchBirmingham, England B48 7QBTel. 44 1527 584777Fax. 44 1527 585562E-mail: nidi_birmingham_uk@nidi.orgJapan11-3, 5-chome, Shimbashi,Minato-ku, Tokyo, JapanTel. 81 3 3436 7953Fax. 81 3 3436 2132E-mail: nidi_japan@nidi.orgCentral & South AmericaNucleo InoxAv. Pedroso de Moraes, 240 – Conj. 22São Paulo 05420-000 – SP, BrazilTel: 55 11 38130969Fax: 55 11 38131064E-mail: nucleoinox@nucleoinox.org.brIndiaK-36, 1st FloorHauz Khas Enclave,New Delhi 110 016, IndiaTel. 91 11 686 5631, 686 3389Fax. 91 11 686 3376E-mail: nidi_india@nidi.orgAustralasia150 Drummond St., Suite 3Carlton, Victoria, Australia 3053Tel. 61 3 9650 9547Fax. 61 3 9650 9548E-mail: nidi_australia@nidi.orgSouth KoreaOlympia Building - Room 811196-7 Jamsilbon-Dong, Songpa-Ku,Seoul 138 229, South KoreaTel. 82 2 419 6465Fax. 82 2 419 2088E-mail: nidi_korea@nidi.orgWebsite: www.nidikorea.orgChinaRoom 677, Poly Plaza Office Building14 Dongzhimen NandajieBeijing, China 100027Tel. 86 10 6500 1188 (ext. 3677)Fax. 86 10 6501 0261E-mail: nidi_china@nidi.org

For a free print subscription, please go to:www.nickelmagazine.org. To receive e-mailnotices for Nickel Magazine Online, please go to:www.nickelonline.org/subscribeMaterial has been prepared for the general infor-mation of the reader and should not be used orrelied upon for specific applications without firstsecuring competent advice. While the material isbelieved to be technically correct, NiDI, its mem-bers, staff and consultants do not represent orwarrant its suitability for any general or specificuse and assume no liability or responsibility of anykind in connection with the information herein.

ISSN 0829-8351

Printed on recycled paper in Canada.

Cover photo by Tim Pelling/NiDI.

The next issue of Nickel Magazine will be published in October 2003. S

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Nickel-containing products returned for reuse

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Two nickel-iron alloys, containing 36%and 42% nickel, have found a new

application in the rapidly expanding marketfor large, flat-screen televisions.

Their main characteristic is anextremely low coefficient of thermalexpansion, and that makes these alloys,including Imphy Ugine Precision’s(IUP’s) Invar® (K93600) and Thyssen-Krupp VDM’s newer Pernifer® 42(K94100), ideal for frames that supportthe shadow masks of new flat-screen

products.Here’s why: The shadow mask is a grid

that sits just behind the TV screen and pro-vides picture clarity. Its job is to direct elec-tron beams accurately to the hundreds ofthousands of dots, or pixels, on the TVscreen that convert energy from the electronbeams into visible light. In conventional pic-ture tubes, the shadow mask is curved, alongwith the screen, giving it greater strength.But in a flat-screen TV, the shadow maskmust be stretched on to a solid frame to keep

its shape. Under these conditions, it’sessential the material in the frame does notexpand and stretch the mask, even as it isheated up to temperatures as high as100˚C during use.

The alloy also needs to resist the heatgenerated by the treatment process thatblackens the frame and shadow mask toenhance picture quality. Again, a low coef-ficient of thermal expansion prevents theshadow mask from stretching out of shapeand then losing tension when it coolsdown again.

ThyssenKrupp VDM’s Pernifer 42 TVR(K94100), which contains about 43%nickel plus a trace amount of precipita-tion-hardening elements such as titaniumand niobium, has a coefficient of thermalexpansion 10 times lower than conven-tional steel at temperatures of 20-100˚C.The resulting material is weldable, has atensile strength of 1,000 megapascals(MPa) and displays no creep expansionunder stress. IUP’s Invar, which containsabout 36% nickel, has a tensile strength of630 MPa.

“Export in Asia is growing fast,” reportsSylvie Gindre, communications managerfor IUP. “Today, one TV set out of three ismade in China, and we supply Invar toboth the manufacturers of TV tubes andtheir etchers.”Every year, more than 150 million TV sets

are sold around the world. Although conven-tional sets still account for 96% of sales, U.S.market research firm iSuppli/StanfordResources predicts that sales of flat-screenTVs will reach 12 million per year by 2005.

That’s a brand new market for an oldworkhorse like Invar, which, since its discov-ery more than 100 years ago, has been usedextensively in applications ranging fromwatches to thermostats.MORE INFO: www.nickelmagazine.org/0603/4.htm

IN FLAT-SCREEN PRODUCTS, the shadow mask, such as the one shown here, is stretched flat on asolid metal frame. Those metal frames must also be made of low-expansion nickel alloys.

Keeping Flat Screens FlatA low coefficient of expansion is the key to alloy frames that support shadow masks

Many of the world’s major mobile phone manufacturers haveagreed to take back old phones for recycling. In December

2002, ten manufacturers signed a declaration, in keeping with theUnited Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Basel Conventionto devise ways of keeping mobile phones, and therefore the materialsthey contain, out of landfills. The UNEP declaration follows aEuropean Parliament and Council directive dealing with Waste,Electric and Electronic Equipment, which takes effect in 2004.

Of significant concern is the amount of lead, cadmium and mer-cury in mobile phones that end up in landfill sites. Other metals suchas precious metals and copper could make it viable to recycle theseseemingly ubiquitous electronic units. Nickel, by comparison, is lesssignificant.

The amount of nickel in mobile phones (excluding the battery)varies by design, from 0.5 to 1 gram. But that goes up significantlywhen the rechargeable batteries are included. Nickel-cadmium (con-taining 16-20% nickel) and nickel-metal hydride batteries (28-35%nickel) used to be the main power source for the phones, but com-panies have since moved toward lighter lithium-ion batteries, whichcontain just 1-1.5% nickel.

Most European manufacturers collect phones through servicecentres or retail outlets. Nokia, one of the largest manufacturers, hasbeen collecting phones in Europe through its service centres for sev-eral years now and intends to start similar programs in the Americas.In addition to service centres, several ideas are being considered, suchas partnering with a cellular network provider, establishing a charity,or having a national logistics company collect the phones.

Currently anyone can arrange to return a phone to Nokia inNorth America through its web site. Nokia is considering differentmethods because “no one program is going to get all the phonesback,” says Donald O’Connell, vice-president of research and devel-opment for Nokia Mobile Phones.

According to Mats Pellbäck Scharp, Sony Ericsson’s director ofenvironment, health and safety, it is the cellular network providerswho can best inform end-users about return programs, as they havea relationship with the end-users that manufacturers don’t have.

A spokesman for Shields Environmental, a British company thatcollects old phones for manufacturers, says its collection program hassaved 1.7 million phones from landfill per year and recycled 34tonnes of batteries in the United Kingdom.

Shields collects and sorts phones for companies such as VirginMobile and Vodaphone. It refurbishes the phones it can reuse, andrecycles the ones it cannot. The recycled phones are broken into com-ponents, which are then sent to recyclers.MORE INFO: www.nickelmagazine.org/0603/5a.htm

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SOME OF THE 1.7 million mobile phones that were collectedby one company in the United Kingdom in 2002.

Product StewardshipEfforts are underway to recover more of thematerials that go into mobile phones

Managing CorrosionAccurately predicting corrosion in the energy and chemical process sectors could help reduce costs

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has agreed to pro-vide roughly half the funding for a US$2-million projectdesigned to expand the capabilities of ASSET, an emerg-ing piece of software that can predict the corrosion ofcommercial alloys in high-temperature environments.

The software, known as ASSET (Alloy SelectionSystem for Elevated Temperatures), was developed byShell Oil and further advanced by the DOE and a growingconsortium of companies which are funding the otherhalf of the current project. As a result, the program’sdatabase now contains more than 10.2 million hours ofcorrosion data for 91 commercial alloys, including manynickel-containing stainless steels and several nickelalloys. The software operates on a personal computerusing the Windows operating system.

The project, which was scheduled to begin in May2003 and last two years, is designed to improve pre-dictions for a wider range of alloys exposed to a vari-ety of corrosive conditions at temperatures ranging from 200˚C to1,200˚C. The study will focus on modes of corrosion in chemical pro-cessing equipment, including corrosion by chlorine and hydrochloricgases, cyclic oxidation and metal dusting.

“There is a compelling opportunity toincrease the accuracy used in predictingequipment lifetimes, as they are limited bycorrosion in high-temperature gases,” saysRandy John of Shell Global Solutions, which isspearheading the project. “Benefits in improv-ing corrosion management will be far-reach-ing in the chemical industry and the UnitedStates economy.”

Among the benefits are significant energysavings and reduced carbon dioxide emissionsfor industry sectors such as power generation,petroleum, chemicals and pulp and paper.Specific applications of the technology include:analyzing equipment failures to reduce mainte-nance costs and improve safety; selecting cost-effective alloys; and developing equipmentdesign and operation guidelines to reduce costs.

Access to the ASSET software is currently limited to the roughly 60 compa-nies participating in the project, however other companies are welcome to par-ticipate.MORE INFO: www.nickelmagazine.org/0603/5b.htm

300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000

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Temperature, ˚ C

INCONEL Alloy 671Hayes HR-160 AlloyINCOLOY Alloy MA956Alloy 800HAISI 304AISI 310

Plot showing predictions of metal thickness lossby corrosion in 5%H2S- 5% H20-90%H2 after oneyear for several nickel-containing alloys, as pre-dicted by ASSET. Dashed portions of lines areextrapolations.

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An intermetallic material, nickel alu-minide (Ni3Al), is enabling manufac-

turers to slash the energy, product recycle,and capital equipment costs associated withaustenitizing, carburizing and other heat-treating furnace applications.

Containing 80% nickel, this advancedalloy is beginning to challenge more tradi-tional materials in some applications. Forexample, a steel plate austenitizing furnace atBethlehem Steel’s Burns Harbour plant, inChesterton, Indiana, U.S.A., has more than130 tonnes of the alloy in the form of trans-fer rolls, while a carburizing furnace at theDelphi Saginaw Steering Systems’ automo-tive parts plant in Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.A.,has more than 110 tonnes in various fixtures.

Demand could double in two years asnew applications, such as radiant burnertubes and seal rolls (now under trial), comeinto use.

Developed jointly by the U.S. Depart-ment of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Lab-oratory (ORNL) in Tennessee, U.S.A., andDelphi Automotive Systems Corp. in Troy,Michigan, U.S.A., the alloy becomesstronger at around 900˚C. That’s becauseof its highly ordered structure and creepresistance, the properties underlying itssuperior performance.

The alloy, known as IC-221M, containsnickel combined with aluminum, chromi-um, molybdenum, zirconium and boron.The addition of boron is critical in increas-ing the ductility of the alloy and it was this

discovery that allowed the alloy to becomecommercially producible. Melted and cast byORNL’s Exo-Melt™ process, the alloy is sup-plied by half a dozen licensees in the U.S.

IC-221M is superior to conventionalalloys. For example, traditional heat-resistant steel alloy HP (N08705, contain-ing 25% chromium, 35% nickel) transferrolls blister under use at 950˚ C, with sev-eral costly consequences:

• the furnace is shut down weekly to grindblisters off the roll surfaces, wasting heatand cutting production;

• as much as 40% of the steel plate productis down-graded by scratches caused by theblisters, resulting in decreased revenues,and

• the rolls must be replaced frequently, someannually, with corresponding capitalreplacement costs.

However, the nickel aluminide rolls donot blister or need grinding, enabling manu-facturers to save on energy costs andenhance production revenue. In addition,they last three to five times longer than steelalloy rolls, so life-cycle costs are lower.

Conventional alloy steel fixtures in car-burizing furnaces cause other problems: cat-astrophic failure of a fixture can jam the fur-nace, which must be shut down, wastingenergy and possibly compromising the qual-ity of the product being treated. Nickel alu-minide fixtures, on the other hand, have threetimes the life of steel fixtures, decreasing boththe number of fixtures needed and also thenumber of furnaces required for a given pro-duction rate. Energy, product replacementand capital costs are therefore all lower withthe nickel aluminide alternative.

Few engineering materials are developedwithout technical challenges, and IC-221Malloy is no exception. The very features thatunderpin the remarkable performance ofnickel aluminide ñ its highly ordered, stablestructure and great creep resistance ñ alsomake it difficult to weld. In a roll application,for example, welding is essential for connect-ing the trunnion to the roll body. This was aproblem in early trials, but the welding tech-nology has developed so that automatedGMAW (MIG) procedures now produceconsistent, reproducible welds.

Not surprisingly, the initial cost of nickelaluminide can be up to twice that of conven-tional heat-resistant steel alloys, but becauseof its performance, the life-cycle cost of thenickel aluminide alternative is considerablylower. Consequently, we are likely to seemore Ni3Al in rolls, fixtures, burner tubesand other applications.

IC-221M alloy is covered by ASTMA1002-99, ‘Standard Specification forCastings, Nickel-Aluminum Ordered Alloy.’MORE INFO: www.nickelmagazine.org/0603/6.htm

NICKEL ALUMINIDE rollers do not blister or need grinding.

Exotic Alloy Finds NicheNickel aluminide, an intermetallic alloy, cuts the cost of heat-treating

IN HEAT TREATMENT furnaces, rollers made of nickel aluminide can last up to five times longer than conventional alloy steel rollers.

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Product familiarity is always impor-tant, especially when making a pur-

chase under difficult circumstances. Themost traditional, trusted material for cas-kets is wood, but another is stainless steel.

“From the aesthetics standpoint, con-sumers are readily familiar with productsmade of stainless steel. This is a materialwith which they are very accustomed,”explains Joe Weigel, the director of com-munications with the Batesville CasketCompany in Batesville, Indiana.

Batesville Casket, which goes back to1884, has been manufacturing stainlesssteel caskets since 1989 and presently pro-duces five different styles. The premiummodel is the Millennium Casket, whichreceives hours of hand polishing, followed by a clear top coat. All ofthe models are manufactured with 20-gauge S30100, which, says NedRogers, manager of the metal commodity team, “offers the bestmechanical properties for drawing.”

Each casket requires about five square metres of sheet steel. Thesheets are run through multiple, automotive-type presses for blank-

ing, forming and drawing operations. The caskets are of 100% weld-ed construction using continuous seam welding. Resistance, MIG,TIG and plasma processes are used. “These are the most efficientprocesses we can use,” says Rogers. “They do the least amount of dis-tortion to the finished metal.”MORE INFO: www.nickelmagazine.org/0603/7a.htm

In the United States, stainless steel has been used to make caskets since 1989

Critical ResearchCan corrosion-resistant nickel alloys be used as liners of supercritical water oxidation reactors?

When all isSaid and Done

AESTHETICS, not cost, is the main reason people choose to purchase astainless steel casket. This model uses S30100, containing 7% nickel.

Members of an international consortium looking into supercritical water oxida-tion (SCWO) as a means of destroying organic chemicals are cautiously opti-mistic about research at the H. H. Uhlig Corrosion Lab at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology (MIT).

Preliminary results indicate that SCWO reactors may not have to be linedwith platinum, but instead could possibly be lined with less expensive nickelalloys.

In the SCWO process, hazardous or toxic organic contaminants in aqueouswastes are rapidly oxidized at temperatures of about 600˚C, pressures of 24 to30 megapascals, a pH range of 2 to 12, and oxygen concentration levels rang-ing from parts-per-million up to percentage levels. Under these conditions,water acts like a dense gas, becoming very soluble to organic substances andgases like oxygen and nitrogen, creating a highly corrosive environment. Manyorganic compounds are completely oxidized in single-phase reactions to carbondioxide, water and various acids.

The consortium, which includes of some of the world’s largest producers ofnickel alloys (including Special Metals, Haynes, ThyssenKrupp VDM andMitsubishi) and the Nickel Development Insitute, met recently at the annualconference of NACE International, which was held in San Diego, California,U.S.A. in March.

The consortium was formed in October 2000 to explore several ques-tions, one of which is: Can operators control the rate of corrosion of thereactor shell, and thus control the liner’s susceptibility to failure, by con-

trolling the feedstock parameters to a SCWO reactor?Although no actual feedstocks will be tested, the researchers want to under-

stand what parameters cause high rates of corrosion in these alloys. This willallow operators to select the most cost-effective material based on the type offeedstock.

Using sensors developed at Penn State University, researchers at MIT aretesting various nickel alloys at many different temperatures, oxidizing poten-tials and pH conditions.

Although limited data have been generated so far, they indicate that nickelalloys may perform satisfactorily at relatively high oxidizing and pH condi-tions—conditions which are ideal for the destruction of dangerous chemicalsinside these reactors.

In the first tests, samples of N06022 wire showed significant “de-alloying”of nickel at a pH less than 2 and no corrosion at a higher pH of 4.5.

“Initial experiments look promising,” says Ronald Latanision, Professor ofMaterials Science and Engineering at MIT. “Nickel-chromium alloys have a larg-er operating ‘window’ than other alloys, therefore show the most potential foruse in this service.”

“Platinum is not the answer for this technology,” Latanision says. “It’s tooexpensive.”

SCWO will be discussed at a session at the next NACE International annualconference, to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.MORE INFO: www.nickelmagazine.org/0603/7b.htm

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as newdDurable, cleanable stainless steel beverage kegs are reused over and over. By Dean Jobb

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B e forewarned if you happen to sing, oreven whistle, Roll Out the Barrel

within earshot of Robert Sulier: at any giventime, the president of Sabco Industries Inc.could oblige with one of the tens ofthousands of beer and soft-drink kegs on

hand at his busy plant in Toledo, Ohio,U.S.A.

Sabco is North America’s largest recyclerof stainless steel kegs, repairing andreconditioning more than 100,000 unitseach year for breweries and beverageproducers in the United States, Canada andMexico, as well as a few overseas customers.

Founded in 1961, Sabco (derived fromthe company’s original name, Save-A-BarrelCorp.) has refurbished more than 3.5million barrels. Among its 1,500 clients arebeer giants Miller and Fosters, soft-drinkicons Pepsi and Coca-Cola, and numerousmicro-breweries.

“We recondition kegs fully,disassembling and rebuilding them to meetfederal specifications for capacity andcleanliness,” says Sulier. “We alsorecondition the valves that go in the kegs.We know of no other company thatspecializes in stainless steel food productcontainers which is as focused as we are onbreweries and beer kegs.”

The containers are made from S30400stainless steel, which welds cleanly and

provides the smooth interior needed toprevent bacteria from gaining a foothold(S30403 is used in newer models),according to John Pershing, vice president.Reusing 58.7-litre beer barrels and theirslimmer cousins, the 19-litre soda keg, is

not just environmentally responsible; itmakes good economic sense. New barrelscost in the range of US$70 each, but Sabcoresells kegs it has bought, cleaned andreconditioned for about US$50.

Sabco’s 30 employees also performroutine maintenance on customers’ kegs.Large breweries have a great many barrels intheir inventory, and they routinely truckthese to Toledo for restoration.

Says Sulier: “If you send me a keg that’stotally out of commission because of eitherdenting or valve malfunctions, or justcompletely filthy on the inside, I will give itback brand-new, inside and out, and I’ll doit for less than 20 dollars.”

Compare that with the scrap value of the14 kilograms of metal in a typical beer keg(about US$8), and the advantage of usingstainless steel kegs is clear. Brewers routinelybuy surplus kegs from competitors that arescaling back or go out of business, thenbring them to Sabco for a refit.

“Companies that purchase kegs fromother companies will usually arrange tohave them sent to us first for a clean-up,

before receiving them,” says Sulier. “Thatway they know what they’re getting.”

Durability is another plus—a properlymaintained barrel will have a lifespan of 30years or more. “They’re incredibly durable,”says Sulier. “We recondition kegs from the

1970s that are in perfect condition; someare from as far back as the early 1950s.”(Brewers stopped using the traditional,slightly rounded barrel once operationsbecame automated to handle newer,straight-sided models.)

Sabco’s services vary in accordancewith a customer’s needs and the conditionof the barrels. Some brewers want newlabels applied or an existing nameremoved. The metal skirt at the bottom ofa barrel, prone to damage if the containeris dropped, may have to be replaced.Valves may need to be cleaned or replaced,or the entire barrel may have to bedisassembled and rebuilt.

Dents can affect the capacity of a keg orprevent it from being handled and washedby automated machinery; Sabco workersremove dents by hand or insert the keg in amould and use pressurized water to popthem out. Caustic solutions and acid bathsare used to thoroughly clean barrels beforethey leave the plant.By Dean Jobb, a Halifax-based writer.

MORE INFO: www.nickelmagazine.org/0603/8.htm

■ More than 100,00 stainless steel beverage kegs, each weighing about14 kilograms, are refurbished and reused in North America every year. ■ Reconditioned, 19-litre soda kegs are considerably less expensive than

new units. ■ A refillable beer barrel, made of S30400 or S30403 nickelstainless steel, has a capacity of about 60 litres and can dispense beer forup to 40 years. ■ Straight-sided models are the norm.

Synonymous with the plus haute of thehaute cuisine, Le Cordon Bleu has an inter-national reputation as the school for learn-ing classical French cuisine. Founded in

1895 in Paris, Le Cordon Bleu draws amateurs andculinary professionals from more than 50 countriesto its teaching kitchens.

In 1988, Le Cordon Bleu opened Le Cordon BleuParis Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute, its first schooloutside France. Nestled among the world’sembassies to Canada, it is known as theAmbassador of French Gastronomy in NorthAmerica.

Le Cordon Bleu Paris Ottawa Culinary ArtsInstitute has five kitchens: a prep kitchen for therestaurant kitchen, where meals are prepared for thethree-story mansion’s 86-seat restaurant; a demon-stration classroom with seating for student chefsand a fully-outfitted one-chef kitchen and videorecording capabilities; a 16-work-station “practicalcuisine” kitchen, where students work around anenormous stove known as a French piano; and apastry kitchen. A sixth kitchen, part trainingkitchen and part banquet preparation facility, isbeing built in the basement.

Nickel stainless steel is the material of choice forprofessional kitchens, and in Cordon Bleu’s Ottawa

facilities, the ubiquitous gleam of steel reflects thematerial’s dominance. Practically everything insight—bread trays, coffee pots, creamers, counters,cupboards, refrigerators, ovens, pots, pans and pas-try racks, range hoods, rotisseries, shelves, stoves,sinks, serving bells and serving dishes, even theswinging doors and doorframes, are all made ofS30400 or S31600.

The new banquet kitchen, measuring about 30by 17 metres, will be outfitted predominantly withstainless steel counters, cupboards, fixtures andcooking equipment made of S30400 and S31600,according to project manager Pierre Harvey ofQuebec City-based SML Stainless Steel Group,which specializes in building and installing customkitchens. “It doesn’t rust, it takes a good cleaningand it is sanitary,” Harvey says of the material.

And general manager Christine Maassen: “It’s allabout long-term maintenance.” The kitchensreceive tremendously heavy use from early morningto nearly midnight, and there is no time to coddlethe capital assets. Clouds of steam rise constantlyfrom giant cooking pots and sinks, and a non-stopblur of chefs slide, scrape, plunk, bump and whisktheir creations. Occasionally, they even use thecounters as impromptu cutting boards.MORE INFO: www.nickelmagazine.org/0603/10.htm

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Le Cordon Bleu’sKitchenClassical French cuisine is

taught in a new, state-of-the-art

stainless steel kitchen

in Ottawa, Canada.

By Carroll McCormick

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Fine cuisine byLe Cordon BleuPractically everythingin sight in Le CordonBleu’s new kitchen inOttawa, Canada ismade of nickelstainless steel.

S30400 and S31600were chosen forcleanability, durabilityand corrosionresistance.

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F rance’s Imphy Ugine Precision (IUP) has developed a variant ofK93600, more commonly known as Invar®, that meets the new

weldability requirements for carriers using the GaztransportTechnigaz (GTT) design. The revised alloy, Invar M93, allows forfaster, better-quality welding, an important feature now that lique-fied natural gas (LNG) carriers are being constructed in a record 8-12 months.

Over the past decade, IUP has become a key player in the grow-ing market for LNG tanker liners by providing an affordable solutionto the thermal stresses the tanks endure as they transport their cryo-genic cargo to ports around the world.

Since 1963, shipbuilders designing LNG carriers to the specifica-tions of GTT of France, one of the main suppliers of LNG contain-ment systems, have used IUP’s Invar, an iron-nickel alloy, to line thecarrier’s gas tanks.

Using the GTT design, the tanks are fully integrated into the hullof the ship. The cargo containment system, which is fitted inside thetanks between the inner hull and the gas cargo, has a liner consistingof two separate metallic mem-branes about 0.7 millimetre thickand 500 millimetres wide. Themembranes are made of Invar, aspecial 36%-nickel iron steel alloywith an extremely low coefficientof thermal expansion. At temper-atures of -163˚C (the tempera-ture of liquid methane, the maincomponent of natural gas), Invarprovides a high level of ductility.

The chief advantage of thevariant alloy is that it reducesthe total cost of lining a tank.Using Invar M93 to line a tank isless costly than using other linermaterials such as stainless steelbecause the strips can be madethinner and don’t need to becorrugated before they areapplied to the tanks.

As a result of these factors, the

market share for LNG carriers using Invar technology has doubled to60% today from 30% in the mid-1990s, according to IUP.

“IUP has supplied Invar for 68 LNG carriers, including 42 inoperation and 26 under construction, since 1963 thanks to its know-how and special finishing equipment,” says the company’s communi-cations manger, Sylvie Gindre.

Since natural gas is relatively clean to burn, compared to coal oroil, its popularity is increasing worldwide. According to Gindre, worldconsumption of LNG is expected to grow by 10% between 2000 and2005, including a 45% jump in consumption in the United States.There is a corresponding boom in the LNG shipbuilding business.

GTT recently launched a new containment system that can carryup to two million cubic metres of LNG. The system uses an Invar pri-mary membrane for quick assembly and reinforced polyurethanefoam panels for insulation. The second membrane is made of a com-posite aluminium-glass fibre called triplex.MORE INFO: www.nickelmagazine.org/0603/12.htm

LNG CarriersRequirement for faster, better welding met by variant of Invar ‘workhorse’

THE COLD ROLLING MILL at Imphy where coils of low-expansion nickel alloy are produced.

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THE TANKS that hold theLNG at temperatures of -163˚C are lined with low-expansion nickel alloys

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inbrief

Details of the chemical compositions (in percent by weight) of the 9 nickel-containing alloys and stainless steels mentioned in this issue of Nickel.UNS detailsN

iDI

NACE Fellow AwardGerard Sorell is the fifth consultant to the Nickel DevelopmentInstitute (NiDI) to be honoured by NACE International for distin-guished contributions in the field of corrosion and its prevention.

Sorell received the NACE Fellow Award from the association’spresident, Elaine Bowman at the awards banquet of the 58th AnnualNACE Conference and Exposition, held in San Diego, California,U.S.A.

The award recognizes Sorell’s career-long demonstration of tech-nical excellence in the application of materials in areas with difficultcorrosion problems, including petrochemicals, fossil energy tech-nologies and waste incineration.

Sorell is the author of NiDI Technical Series No. 10086:“Corrosion- and Heat-Resistant Nickel Alloys: Guidelines for Selectionand Application” and NiDI Reprint Series No. 14045: “The Role ofChlorine in High Temperature Corrosion in Waste-to-Energy Plants.”

NiDI consultants who have received this award previouslyinclude: Paul Dillon (1993), G. B. Elder (1995), Bruce Craig (1996)and Jim Jenkins (2001).

The annual NACE Corrosion Conference is the largest gatheringof corrosion specialists in the world. Total attendance at this year’smeeting exceeded 4,200.

NACE International has a membership of 15,000 from 91 coun-tries, making it the largest organization committed to the study andprevention of corrosion.

Welding and Fabrication of Nickel AlloysA two-day, hands-on workshop will be held in Cleveland, Ohio,U.S.A., November 4-6, 2003 at Lincoln Electric’s Welding TechnologyCentre. Two Nickel Development Institute consultants: W. L. (Bill)Mathay and Richard (Dick) Avery will provide information on themost recent welding technology, material science, and fabricationmethodology of nickel alloys. The purpose of the workshop is to pro-vide welding, metallurgical and construction practice information todesign engineers, welding engineers, technicians, technologists andwelders regarding the joining of nickel alloys.

The technical program specifically deals with the thin-sheetmetallic lining methods of FGD installations and nickel alloy cladbase material used for chimney construction. Additionally, the pro-gram features hands-on welding presentations and all are encour-aged to participate.

Attendance is restricted to 25 participants, and attendees areencouraged to bring along their own welding gear for the hands-onportion of the program. Contact: Dorothy Steinbach, The WeldingTechnology Center, 22801 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.4417-1199. Tel: +1 216 383 2240. Fax: +1 216 383 8025 E-mail:dorothy_steinbach@lincolnelectric.com Web site: www.lincolnelec-tric.com

NiDI AppointmentLONDON OFFICE— Kati Aaltonen will be joining the NickelDevelopment Institue on 1st July 2003 as European Environment

Project Officer. Kati will be working withDr. Sally Williams, European Director—Health and Environment, on projects relat-ed to the European Union Nickel RiskAssessment but will also be involved withother EU health and environment issues.

Kati has a masters degree in Environ-mental Engineering from the Lappeenranta

University of Technology, Finland and a B.Sc. degree inEnvironmental Technology. In addition to working on environmen-tal issues in Finland with AvestaPolarit and Outokumpu PoricopperLtd., Kati has experience in The Netherlands, Egypt, Thailand andthe UK. She speaks Finnish, English and some Swedish.

NACE INTERNATIONAL President Elaine Bowman presents NiDI consultantGerard Sorell with a NACE Fellow Award, March 2003.

Alloy Al B C Co Cr Cu Fe Mn Mo N Ni P S Si V W ZrIC-221M 7.3- 0.003- 0.08 - 7.5- - 1.00 - 1.20- - bal. - 0.020 - - - 1.6-P.6 7.8 0.012 max 8.5 max 1.70 max 2.10K93600 (Invar) - - - - - 64 - - - 36 - - - - - -P. 4,12K94100 0.10 - 0.02 - 0.025 0.5 bal. 0.7 - 41- - - - 0.2 - - -P.4 max max max max max 43 maxN06022 - - 0.015 2.5 20.0- - 2.0- 0.50 12.5- - rem 0.02 0.02 0.08 0.35 2.5- -P.7 max max 22.5 6.0 max 14.5 max max max max 3.5 -N08705 - - 0.35- - 24.0- - rem 2.00 0.50 - 35.0- 0.04 0.04 2.50 - - -P.6 0.75 28.0 max max 37.0 max max maxS30100 - - 0.15 - 16.00- - - 2.00 - - 6.00- 0.045 0.030 1.00P.7 max 18.00 max 8.00 max max maxS30400 - - 0.08 - 18.00- - - 2.00 - - 8.00- 0.045 0.030 1.00 - - -P.8,10 max 20.00 max 10.50 max max maxS30403 - - 0.03 - 18.00- - - 2.00 - - 8.00- 0.045 0.030 1.00 - - -P.9 max 20.00 max 12.00 max max maxS31600 - - 0.08 - 16.00- - - 2.00 2.00- - 10.00- 0.045 0.030 1.00 - - -P.10 max 18.00 max 3.00 14.00 max max max

KATI AALTONEN:European Environment

Project Officer

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C O M I N G E V E N T S

The Sea Horse Institute will provide an openforum through which practical information andsolutions related to marine corrosion and biofoul-ing can emerge. The conference will be held atWrightsville Beach, North Carolina, U.S.A.,August 10-14, 2003. Active participation isencouraged from all attendees who typicallycome from a broad range of disciplines and withvarying levels of expertise. The format of themeeting is unique and very informal. Althoughthere is an agenda, attendees are encouraged tobring examples (slides, view graphs, etc.) of marine corrosion prob-lems and solutions for “show and tell” during the technical sessions.Input is encouraged. Contact: Lisa Weiss, Conference Coordinator, Tel:+ 1 910 256 2271 ext. 300; Fax: + 1 910 256 9816; E-mail: sea-horse@laque.com; Web site: www.marine-corrosion.com

OFFSHORE EUROPE 2003 The Nickel Development Institute will have astand at this oil & gas exhibition and conference which will be heldSeptember 2-5, 2003 in Aberdeen, Scotland, Europe’s centre of excel-lence for offshore technology. Thousands of oil & gas operators, engi-neering contractors, drilling contractors, manufacturers of rigs andplatform equipment, production and process equipment, subsea sys-tems, downhole services and marine services are expected to attend.Contact: The Offshore Europe Partnership, Apex Tower, New Malden,Surrey KT3 4LH, United Kingdon. Tel: +44 (0) 20 89 49 9888. Fax: +44(0) 20 89 9889. E-mail: oe2003@spearhad.co.uk Web site: www.off-shore-europe.co.uk

STAINLESS STEEL IN ARCHITECTURE The Specialty Steel Industry of NorthAmerica (SSINA) and the Nickel Development Institute (NiDI) will holdhalf-day workshops in four U.S. cities (Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroitand Chicago), September 9-12, 2003. Architects and other materialsspecifiers will have an opportunity to learn about new, innovative andcost-effective applications of stainless steel . Suitable for both newand experienced stainless steel specifiers, these events are interac-tive and questions are encouraged. Participants receive 6 CE units ofHealth, Safety and Welfare hours applicable toward the AIA annualrequirement of eight hours. Contact: Ellen Edwards, Specialty SteelIndustry of North America, 3050 K Street, N.W. Suite 400,Washington, D.C., U.S.A. 20007. Tel: 202 342 8630. Fax: 202 3428631. E-mail: eedwards@colliershannon.com Web site: www37.rapid-site.net/ssinac/wr_form.html

METAL MARKET FORUM Metal Bulletin will hold a “Nickel, Stainless andSpecial Steels Forum” at the Radisson SAS Palais Hotel in Vienna,Austria, September 22-25, 2003. Get the whole supply-demand picturefrom nickel raw materials through to stainless and special steelsdemand. Contact: Eva Claramonte. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7827 5289. E-mail:eclaramonte@metalbulletin.com

WORLD STAINLESS 2003 Stainless Steel World will hold its third worldConference & Expo November 11-13, 2003 in Maastricht, theNetherlands. The aim is to provide a platform for materials profession-als to update their knowledge of corrosion resistant alloys. Emphasisis placed on applications and end-use experience. Some 3,000 suppli-ers, engineering companies, fabricators, manufacturers, steels works,welding companies and research institutes are expected to attend.Concurrent with the conference will be a exhibition dedicated to cor-rosion resistant alloys. An exposition programme includes seminars byindustry forecasters and experts. About 150 exhibitors are expectedto participate. Contact: Mrs Marion Barth, KCI Publishing BV, P.O. Box396, 7200 AJ Zutphen, the Netherlands. Fax: +31 575 511 099. E-mail: ssw2003@kci-world.com Web site: www.stainless-steel-world.net

ASTM Defines ‘Nickel’ and ‘Nickel Alloy’After four years of committee work, ASTM has come up with defini-tions of ‘nickel’ and ‘nickel alloy.’ The new definitions appear in ASTMB 899-02: Standard Terminology Relating to Non-ferrous Metals andAlloys.

It defines nickel as “a refined nickel primarily produced from oreor matte or similar raw material containing a minimum of 99.80 per-cent nickel by weight.”

Similarily, a nickel alloy is defined as “a material that conforms toa specification that requires, by weight percent, more nickel than anyother element, with the possible exception of iron”

In an explanatory note, the standard says: “Prior to 1992, ‘nickelalloys’ were defined as alloys nominally containing less than 50% ironwith nickel as the highest nonferrous element present. Under the cur-rent guidelines, only alloys containing nickel as the principal con-stituent will be considered as a nickel alloy for the purpose of newcoverage in B02 specifications.”

Since they are not used in ASTM standards, the terms ‘nickel-basealloy’ and ‘nickel-based alloy’ are “not preferred” terms within ASTMB 899.

ASTM Subcommittee B02.91 Editorial and Terminology definesnew terms under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B02 onNonferrous Metals and Alloys. The B02.91 subcommittee meets twicea year.

The next meeting will be held in Tampa, Florida on Wed. Nov. 19,2003 at 8:00 AM.

■ NICKEL/COBALT: Keynote address by NiDI President, Dr. Ivor Kirman:

www.nidi.org/index.cfm/ci_id/12229.htm

■ RISK ASSESSMENT: Search the FAQs of the European nickel riskassessment at:

www.nickelforum-eura.org/index.cfm/ci_id/12254.htm

■ NiDI TOP 10: A list of the most downloaded NiDI technical papers:

www.nidi.org/index.cfm/ci_id/12228.htm

@www.nidi.org

FOR ANSWERS to all your questions about the European nickel riskassessment go to www.nickelforum-eura.org

Marine Corrosion

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It’s aNaturalNickel Fact!

oronto-based artist Mark Croziercreated the twelve “Did you know?”cartoons that appear on this page.

They are designed as user-friendlyteaching aids for educators and publicrelations communicators in the nickel andstainless steel industry.

Each cartoon is available on the Nickel

Magazine web site in a managable file size. You can download and use them for your internal and external comm-unications purposes.

Each illustration is linked to an appropriatepage on the Nickel Development Institute website where additional information is found.www.nickelmagazine.org/didyouknow