Issued October 2000

Supersedes May 1970

TM

®
Metco 405 Nickel
Aluminide Wire
Technical Bulletin #10-008
 ®
Metco 405 Nickel Aluminide Wire

Metco 405 Nickel Aluminide Wire was especially developed to be a better self-bonding material than
molybdenum wire, particularly with regard to bond strength. In addition, it has many applications as a
single coat system where dense coatings, resistant to oxidation, high temperatures and temperature
changes, are required.

Metco 405 Wire is chemically similar to Metco 404 Nickel Aluminide Powder and, like 404, undergoes
an exothermic reaction during spraying. Also, like 404, it produces coatings which are dense and
resistant to oxidation, high temperatures and temperature changes.

The exothermic reaction of Metco 405 Wire derives from its chemical composition. When the wire
reaches a certain temperature in the spray gun flame, the nickel and aluminum react to form nickel
aluminide and evolve a great deal of heat. It is thought that the extra heat provided to the molten
particles by the exothermic reaction, coupled with the high particle velocity of the Metco metallizing
process, account of the self-bonding characteristics of the coating and its exceptional strength, both
perpendicular and parallel to the substrate.

Equipment

Metco 405 Wire can be sprayed with most Metco Flame Spray Guns. It cannot be sprayed with the
Metco Types 5E and 7E Guns, since these high-speed units cannot be slowed down to the 21/2 - 31/2
feet-per-minute feed rate required. Whenever a Type KT or Type XT Extension is used, a special
angular air cap, Cat. No. KT 6-1/8T or XT 6-1/8T, is required.

Applications

Metco 405 Wire was developed to replace Sprabond Wire for bonding. It is better than Sprabond; it
provides the user with better coatings at lower cost.

Coatings sprayed with 405 show bond strengths up to 4230 psi, as compared with a little more than
2000 psi for coatings of Sprabond.

Typical Composition

Nickel 80%
Aluminum 20%

Physical Properties

Coating texture, as-sprayed: Coarse

Tensile strength: 18,000 psi
(perpendicular to the direction of spraying)

#10-008 Metco 405 Nickel Aluminide Wire 2

Typical hardness: Rc 22
Coatings of Metco 405 Wire are considerably harder than coatings of
Metco 404 Powder. This is because the nickel aluminide phase
contained in the wire coating is almost exclusively the harder NiAl,
whereas the powder coating contains about as much (35 - 40%) of
the relatively soft Ni3A1 as it does of the hard NiA1.

Density: 6.0

Wear resistance: Laboratory tests indicate that coatings of Metco 405 Wire are
equivalent in wear resistance to coatings of Sprabond Wire,
but are not equivalent in anti-galling properties.

Corrosion resistance: Not recommended for corrosion resistance in aqueous solutions

of acidic, basic or neutral salts.

Bonding Data

Tensile Strength of Bond vs. Overcoat Material

(SAE 1020 Substrate)
Overcoat Material Bonding Material
Sprabond Wire Metco 405 Wire
Handbook Values - psi Average psi - (5 tests)

Sprasteel 10 2150 3150

Sprasteel LS —— 3060

Metcoloy #1 2250 2775

Metco Aluminum 1640 2230

Metco SF Aluminum 2050 2550

Metco 201 Powder —— 1380

Tensile Strength of Bond vs. Substrates

Bond Strength - Average psi - (5 tests)
Substrate (Metcoloy #2 Overcoat)

Hardened Die Steel 2950

AISI 302 3050
SAE 1113 3400

Titanium 3150
Nitrided Steel 2790

The best way to describe the performance of 405 as a bond coat material is by saying that it is at
least equal to 404 applied with a ThermoSpray Gun. Tests show an average tensile bond strength of
3000 psi, with a range of 2000 - 4000 psi. The highest figure obtained in test on a ground substrate

#10-008 Metco 405 Nickel Aluminide Wire 3

The internal strength of 405 coatings is higher than Sprabond coatings, parallel to the base material,
as well as perpendicular to it. In the past, Sprabond Wire has always been the weakest element in a
composite base-plus-Sprabond-plus-top coat system. With 405 this is not the case. Here, the
difference in strength is of the order of about 18,000 psi versus approximately 7,5000 psi.

The bond is subsequent coating materials is better with 405 than with Sprabond. This is especially
true with top coats of Sprababbitt A, which require a rough surface for best bond. The texture of 405
coatings is generally coarser than normally applied coatings of Sprabond. Considerable skill and
experience is required to produce a Sprabond coating coarse enough to permit good bond with
babbitt, so much so that many operators apply a coat of Metcoloy between the Sprabond and the
Sprababbitt A to provide a rougher surface. None of this is necessary to assure a good bond between
405 and subsequent coats.

Metco 405 is easier to apply, since it requires less precise control of coating thickness. The advantage
of 405 is that if the coating runs a little thicker, say up to .006”, the finished job will be stronger,
whereas every thousandth of Sprabond over the recommended maximum thickness tends to make
the finished job weaker, since the Sprabond itself is weaker.

A major advantage of 405 over Sprabond is the fact that strong, sound, reliable and reproducible
coatings can be sprayed without dependence on technique. For instance, nozzle-to-work distance
should be kept between 5 - 6" with 1/8" Sprabond, but good bond strength results when nozzle-to-work
distance is anywhere between 2 - 8" with 405. The wire feed with Sprabond must be very slow, but
405 is sprayed at about the same speed as the Sprasteels. Gas flows and air pressure are not critical
for the successful spraying of 405: they are critical with Sprabond.

Metco 405 is considerably more versatile than Sprabond. For one thing it can be sprayed with
propane, while Sprabond cannot. Metco 405 will bond reliably to base materials such as nitrided steel,
to which Sprabond does not bond. In general 405 bonds to all materials to which 404 Powder will
bond.

It will self-bond satisfactorily to ground surfaces of the following materials:

Low Carbon Steels — SAE 1020, SAE 1113

Hardened Die Steel — Oilgraph (Rc 58)
Stainless Steel — AISI Type 302
Nitrided Steel — Nitralloy G
Titanium — Unalloyed
Cast Iron — ASTM A48-56

Reliable self-bonding of Metco 405 Wire has not been achieved on copper, molybdenum, tantalum,
columbium or tungsten. Self-bonding tensile strengths somewhat lower than normal for Metco 405, but
still considered to be reliable, were obtained on aluminum, brass and Kovar. Considerable experience
since the release of Metco 404 Powder has indicated that both Metco 404 Powder and Metco 405
Wire behave similarly when sprayed on aluminum substrates.

#10-008 Metco 405 Nickel Aluminide Wire 4

Metco 405 coatings are rough and readily lend themselves to subsequent coats of other materials.
The following representative materials have been successfully applied to coatings of Metco 405:

Metcoloy #1 Metco SF Aluminum

Sprabronze AA Metco 201
Sprasteel 10 Metco Aluminum
Metcoloy #2 Sprasteel LS

Metco 405 cannot be used under fused hard-facing alloys.

Metallographic examination of Metco 405 coatings show that the self-bonding phenomenon is due to a
discontinuous thin alloy or diffusion layer. The bond of the subsequent layers is due to the normal
physical mechanisms.

All substrate cleaning procedures used for Sprabond Wire bonding are necessary for Metco 405 Wire.
Severe substrate oxidation should be removed. The substrate should be preheated to prevent the
formation of condensate. The best bond is obtained if the bonding coat is applied in one pass.

Metco 405 comes level wound on a disposable reel, which is further packaged in a corrugated carton.
This package offers sufficient protection for the wire during shipping and general handling. However,
when the wire itself is handled, as in spraying, care must be taken not to sharply bend or kink it. This
may cause internal damage (some external damage may also occur) which, in most cases, results in
the wire spitting during spraying. Special rear wire guides, to prevent sharp bending of the wire, are
available.

Spraying

Because of the bright flame, eye protection should always be worn when spraying Metco 405 Wire.

Lighting Flow Meter Consumption

Air Air Pressure Readings Oxy. Fuel
Fuel Wire Cap Pres. Fuel Fuel Metal Cu. Gas
Gun Gas Size+ Size Psi Oxy. Gas Oxy. Gas Air Lbs. Ft. Cu. Ft.
4E Acet 1
/8" H 65 41 12 34 29 49 5 75 27
Prop 1
/8" H 55 35 30 49 20 45 5 107 19
MAPP 1
/8" H 55 40 35 40 23 46 5 89 23

8E Acet 1/8" C* 65 26 8 46 33 49 5 90 29
Prop 1/8" C* 55 43 35 68 30 47 5 170 30
MAPP 1/8" C* 55 41 39 69 30 46 5 170 31

K Acet 1/8" C 60 38 12 42 34 45 5 92 32
Prop 1/8" D 50 46 37 62 28 38 5 155 28
MAPP 1/8" D 50 40 40 59 31 38 5 146 32

Y Acet 1/8" C 65 42 15 48 39 61 5 112 41

Prop 1/8" D 60 40 37 69 29 59 5 169 29
MAPP 1/8" D 60 65 33 5
#10-008 Metco 405 Nickel Aluminide Wire 5
*Do not use the “EC” Air Cap.
+Use special rear wire guide Cat. No. 8E 162 when using Metco 4E and 8E Guns.

NOTE: Use adapter fittings for MAPP and Propane Gases.

Recommended bond coat thickness for optimum bond: .004 - .006".

Approximate Deposit Efficiency: 75%

Coverage: 119 sq.ft./hour .001" thick.

Wire Required: .042 lbs/sq.ft./.001" thick.

Coating Weight: .0312 lbs/sq.ft./.001" thick.

Spraying Distance:
The spraying distance should be from 4 - 6" for the best results. The spraying distance is not as
critical with Metco 405 Wire as it is with Metco 404 Powder. Good bond strengths have been achieved
at 2" as well as 8".

Wire Spraying Speed:

3 ± 1/2 ft/min. is recommended. This rate is slightly lower than that for 1/8" diameter Sprasteel and
Metcoloy Wires.

At three feet per minute the position of the molten rounded tip is back in the air cap approximately 1/16"
and does not change substantially within the given speed range.

NOTE: Because of the vivid glow caused by the exothermic reaction, colored goggles must be worn to
be able to see the wire tip and adjust the speed correctly.

An easy way to adjust for proper spraying speed, without measuring the feed rate per minute, is to
bring the molten tip even with the front of the air cap and then back off about ten clicks on the speed
control ring.

Metco 405 is considerably more convenient to handle than Sprabond, since it is so much less stiff and
springy. This makes it much easier to handle on the wire control unit, and much easier to manipulate
the gun while spraying into corners.

As far as cost savings are concerned, one of the biggest cost factors known is job failure, which
usually means bond failure. Metco 405 reduces the chance of bond failure to the absolute minimum.

Another item of cost in connection with Sprabond arises from the common practice of cutting three or
four foot lengths of wire off the coil. This is done for ease of handling, since Sprabond is so stiff and
hard to handle. The practice results in a lot of unusable wire ends which can only be thrown away.
This cost is completely eliminated by 405, which is pliable and easy to handle.

Metco 405 is less expensive to use since it sprays at normal steel wire speeds, with no time or wire
wasted adjusting to a slow speed for the bond coat and then speeding up the gun to spray the top
#10-008 Metco 405 Nickel Aluminide Wire 6
coat - and with a savings also in wear and tear on the gun speed control parts.

Another cost savings lies in the greater ease of handling and storing, resulting from the comparative
lightness of 405. For instance, five pounds of 1/8" 405 is the same length as ten pounds of 1/8"
Sprabond, and the coating produced is lighter too, by about 20%.

Precautions

There is no tendency for spontaneous initiation of the exothermic reaction. Precautions should be
taken when starting to spray Metco 405 Wire. Any excess tip that flies off remains red hot slightly
longer than usual. It may be a potential fire hazard.

The information provided in this document is for the convenience of Sulzer Metco’s customers for the
purpose of evaluation and proper use of the Sulzer Metco product(s) described herein. This document
and the information contained herein is the property of Sulzer Metco and shall not be used, disclosed,
or reproduced in whole or in part for any purpose other than for the use of said product(s). Nor shall
this information be used in any way with goods not manufactured and sold by Sulzer Metco. Sulzer
Metco makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the information contained herein.

#10-008 Metco 405 Nickel Aluminide Wire 7