Brightray
Encyclopedia
Brightray is a nickel
-chromium
alloy
that is noted for its resistance to erosion
by gas flow at high temperatures. It was used for hard-facing the exhaust valve heads and seats of petrol engine
s, particularly aircraft engine
s from the 1930s onwards. It was developed by Henry Wiggin and Co at Birmingham.
As well as its use as a coating, it is also used in wire and strip form for electrical heating element
s.
The original Brightray alloy was composed of 80% nickel / 20% chromium. This alloy is still in use today as Brightray S and can be used at temperatures up to 1050°C. Several other variants are now available. These include nickel-iron-chromium Brightray F that offers better resistance to both reducing and oxidizing environments. Brightray C is a nickel-chromium alloy with rare earth
additions to extend its lifetime under fluctuating temperatures, particularly with heating elements that are being continually switched on and off.
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
-chromium
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
that is noted for its resistance to erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
by gas flow at high temperatures. It was used for hard-facing the exhaust valve heads and seats of petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
s, particularly aircraft engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
s from the 1930s onwards. It was developed by Henry Wiggin and Co at Birmingham.
As well as its use as a coating, it is also used in wire and strip form for electrical heating element
Heating element
A heating element converts electricity into heat through the process of Joule heating. Electric current through the element encounters resistance, resulting in heating of the element....
s.
The original Brightray alloy was composed of 80% nickel / 20% chromium. This alloy is still in use today as Brightray S and can be used at temperatures up to 1050°C. Several other variants are now available. These include nickel-iron-chromium Brightray F that offers better resistance to both reducing and oxidizing environments. Brightray C is a nickel-chromium alloy with rare earth
Rare earth element
As defined by IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium...
additions to extend its lifetime under fluctuating temperatures, particularly with heating elements that are being continually switched on and off.