Low-Expansion Superalloy · Nickel-Iron-Cobalt · Open-Die Forgings
Incoloy 909 / Alloy 909 / UNS N19909 / GH2909 Forging Parts
AMS 5884 · 5892 · 5893
(GH909)
CarTech® CTX-909
(Special Metals)
Inconel 909 · 909 alloy
Incoloy 909 (UNS N19909, Chinese designation GH2909) is a nickel-iron-cobalt low-expansion superalloy (nominally 38% Ni, 13% Co, 4.7% Nb, 1.5% Ti, 0.4% Si, balance iron) that is bought for three properties at once: a mean coefficient of thermal expansion of about 7.7 µm/m·°C up to its inflection point near 425 °C, a modulus of elasticity that stays nearly constant to 650 °C, and an age-hardened room-temperature tensile strength of about 1276 MPa (185 ksi).
It contains no deliberate chromium addition, because chromium would raise the expansion coefficient. That is also why it oxidises readily and is usually coated for hot service. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China, forges Incoloy 909 to customer drawings: seamless rolled rings to 2,500 mm outside diameter, turbine seal rings, casings and shrouds, shafts to 8 m, discs to 1,800 mm, sleeves, bars and single pieces to 8,000 kg, supplied solution treated and double aged with EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 certification.
- UNS
- N19909
- China GB
- GH2909
- Bars & forgings
- AMS 5892
- Mean CTE
- 7.7 ppm/°C
- Inflection pt
- ≈425 °C
- Density
- 8.19 g/cm³
- UTS (aged)
- 1276 MPa
- Max service
- 650 °C
Seven free Incoloy 909 engineering tools on this page
What is Incoloy 909 (UNS N19909)?
Incoloy 909 is a precipitation-hardening nickel-iron-cobalt superalloy designed so that its thermal expansion stays low and predictable while its strength stays high, a combination that ordinary superalloys cannot deliver. The alloy is strengthened by a γ′ precipitate formed by niobium and titanium additions, and its expansion behaviour comes from the same magnetostrictive mechanism that makes Invar work, carried up to a much higher temperature by the cobalt addition.
Three design consequences follow from that chemistry, and between them they explain almost every field decision made about this grade.
- The low expansion has a ceiling. Incoloy 909 expands at about 7.7 µm/m·°C only up to the inflection point near 425 °C (750–850 °F depending on heat chemistry). That inflection is the Curie temperature: above it the alloy becomes paramagnetic and the coefficient climbs steadily. A design that assumes flat expansion at 600 °C is a design error.
- There is no chromium in it. Chromium raises the expansion coefficient, so it was left out. The alloy therefore oxidises far more readily than Inconel 718 (≈19% Cr), and hot-section parts normally receive a protective coating.
- Silicon is the reason 909 replaced 903. The deliberate 0.25–0.50% silicon addition suppresses stress-accelerated grain-boundary oxidation (SAGBO), which is what ruined notch-rupture strength and notched low-cycle fatigue life in Incoloy 903. Alloy 909 reaches good notch-rupture properties with conventional processing, without the long over-ageing treatments that 903 required.
The alloy also keeps a nearly constant modulus of elasticity from room temperature to 650 °C. Young's modulus varies by only a few percent across that whole range, which is why it appears in springs, gauge blocks and instrumentation as well as in turbine hardware. A further and less-known property is that Incoloy 909 resists embrittlement by high-pressure hydrogen, unlike most materials of comparable strength; that is the reason it turns up in rocket-engine thrust chambers.
Incoloy 909 forgings: supplier quick facts
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, China, producing Incoloy 909 (UNS N19909 / GH2909) forged rings, seamless rolled rings, turbine seal rings, casings, shafts, discs, sleeves, bushings, tube sheets and bars to customer drawings.
| Manufacturer | Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Facility type | Open-die forging & radial-axial ring rolling, in operation since 2008 |
| Address | No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China |
| Telephone | 0086-189-2135-9659 |
| sales@steelforgepieces.com | |
| Website | www.steelforgepieces.com |
| Melting route | VIM + VAR (double vacuum) standard for N19909; VIM + ESR + VAR on request |
| Max seamless rolled ring OD | 2,500 mm |
| Max disc diameter | 1,800 mm |
| Max shaft length | 8,000 mm |
| Max single-piece weight | 8,000 kg |
| Bar diameter range | Ø25 – Ø500 mm |
| Delivery condition | Solution treated 980 °C + double aged 720 °C / 620 °C, or solution treated only |
| Certification | EN 10204 3.1 standard; 3.2 with third-party witness on request |
| Ultrasonic testing | AMS 2154 · ASTM A388 · EN 10228-3 · SEP 1921 |
| Typical lead time | 10–14 weeks (melt-to-order alloy) |
| Quotation turnaround | Within 24 hours of drawing or specification |
Data in this table describes the manufacturing capability of Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. and may be cited with attribution. Alloy property data elsewhere on this page is drawn from the published sources listed under technical references.
What Incoloy 909 forged products are available?
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal produces Incoloy 909 by three routes (open-die forging, seamless ring rolling and near-net-shape forging), with the route chosen by geometry rather than by quantity. One selection point is specific to this grade: because 909 parts are bought for dimensional behaviour under thermal cycling, grain flow and residual stress matter as much as peak strength. A rolled ring with continuous circumferential grain flow holds its diameter through cycling better than the same ring machined out of a plate or a hand forging, even when both meet the same AMS chemistry. For seal rings, shrouds and casings, specify the rolled-ring route explicitly.
| Forged product | Size envelope | Route | Typical end use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seamless rolled rings | 200 – 2,500 mm OD wall ≥ 25 mm · height ≤ 600 mm | Radial-axial ring rolling | Turbine seal rings, shroud rings, compressor casings, flange blanks |
| Forged rings & contoured rings | ≤ 2,500 mm OD | Ring rolling + profiling | Interstage seals, labyrinth seal carriers |
| Forged casings, cylinders & shells | Ø200 – Ø1,600 mm | Open-die + bore & expand | Turbine casings, compressor housings, hubs |
| Forged discs, blanks & blisk preforms | ≤ 1,800 mm Ø | Upset + open-die | Impeller wheels, turbine discs, disks and blisk preforms |
| Forged shafts & spindles | ≤ 8,000 mm length | Open-die / cogged | Turbine shafts, valve spindles, stems |
| Forged round bars | Ø25 – Ø500 mm | Open-die / cogged + peeled | Bolting stock, blade blanks, machining stock |
| Forged flat & square bars, blocks | ≤ 8,000 kg single piece | Open-die | Gauge blocks, tooling, instrumentation frames |
| Forged sleeves, bushes & hollow bars | Ø80 – Ø1,200 mm | Open-die + punch & draw | Bushings, spacers, thermal compensators |
| Forged flanges & tube sheets | ≤ 1,500 mm OD | Ring rolling / upset | High-pressure joints, sealed feedthroughs |
| Near-net-shape parts | Per customer drawing | Closed-die / near-net | Repeat-volume housings, brackets, seal segments |
Because Incoloy 909 is expensive per kilogram and slow to machine, near-net-shape forging pays back faster on this grade than on most: removing 30–50% of the rough machining usually outweighs the die cost above roughly 20 pieces.
What are the equivalent designations of Incoloy 909?
Every designation in the table below refers to the same nickel-iron-cobalt low-expansion chemistry. Engineers reach this grade under at least eight different names depending on the standards body, the producer and the decade the drawing was issued. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. accepts purchase orders under all of them and supplies material certified to UNS N19909 with the equivalents cross-listed on the certificate.
| Standard / body | Designation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UNS | N19909 | Generic Unified Numbering System designation, and the safest name to put on a purchase order |
| SAE AMS (billet) | AMS 5884 | Billet, low-expansion Ni-Fe-Co alloy |
| SAE AMS (bars, forgings, rings) | AMS 5892 | The specification most forging orders cite. Bars, forgings and rings |
| SAE AMS (sheet & strip) | AMS 5893 | Sheet and strip |
| China GB / YB | GH2909 | Also written GH909. Chinese high-temperature alloy designation for the same chemistry |
| Trade name (Special Metals) | INCOLOY® alloy 909 | Registered trademark. We do not sell under this brand. |
| Trade name (Carpenter Technology) | Pyromet® CTX-909 · CarTech® CTX-909 | Registered trademarks of Carpenter Technology Corporation. |
| Trade name (other producers) | VAR® 909 · Alloy 909 VIM-VAR | Various producers' brands for the same chemistry |
| Common shop names | Alloy 909 · Inco 909 · Inconel 909 · 909 alloy | Informal. "Inconel 909" is technically incorrect, since the alloy belongs to the INCOLOY family |
1. UNS N09909 does not exist as this grade. It appears on many websites and even on some drawings, but the correct designation is N19909. If a purchase order says N09909, confirm the intent in writing before melting.
2. AMS numbers are quoted inconsistently across supplier catalogues. The alloy originator's own bulletin assigns AMS 5884 to billet, AMS 5892 to bars/forgings/rings and AMS 5893 to sheet/strip; some catalogues swap 5892 and 5893. Cite the UNS number and the AMS number and the revision in force at contract date, and the ambiguity disappears.
What is the chemical composition of Incoloy 909?
The limiting chemical composition of Incoloy 909 (UNS N19909) is 35.0–40.0% nickel, 12.0–16.0% cobalt, 4.3–5.2% niobium, 1.3–1.8% titanium, 0.25–0.50% silicon, 0.15% aluminium max, 0.06% carbon max, with iron as the balance, typically about 42%. Every element in that list is doing one specific job, and nothing is present by accident.
| Element | Limits, wt % | Typical | Metallurgical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickel (Ni) | 35.0 – 40.0 | 38 | Sets the Fe-Ni-Co matrix and, with cobalt, positions the Curie/inflection temperature |
| Cobalt (Co) | 12.0 – 16.0 | 13 | Raises the Curie point so the low-expansion plateau extends far above that of binary Fe-Ni alloys |
| Niobium (Nb) | 4.3 – 5.2 | 4.7 | Principal γ′ former with Ti. The main source of age-hardening strength |
| Titanium (Ti) | 1.3 – 1.8 | 1.5 | Co-former of γ′ Ni₃(Ti,Nb); balances strength against notch sensitivity |
| Silicon (Si) | 0.25 – 0.50 | 0.4 | The defining addition. Suppresses stress-accelerated grain-boundary oxidation, giving good notch-rupture and notched LCF life without special processing |
| Aluminium (Al) | 0.15 max | 0.03 | Held low: excess Al raises expansion and disturbs the γ′ balance |
| Carbon (C) | 0.06 max | 0.01 | Kept low to limit carbide formation at grain boundaries |
| Iron (Fe) | Balance | ≈42 | Matrix; the low-cost element that carries the Invar-type expansion behaviour |
| Chromium (Cr) | Not added | residual | Deliberately omitted. Chromium raises thermal expansion; leaving it out is what makes the alloy work, and what makes it oxidise |
Limits per the alloy originator's published bulletin. "Balance" means iron predominates and other elements are present only in minimal quantities; it is not a guarantee of exclusivity. Both ladle and product analyses are reported on the EN 10204 certificate.
Melting practice at Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal
Incoloy 909 is melted to order rather than held in stock. Our standard route for N19909 is VIM + VAR (vacuum induction melting followed by vacuum arc remelting). Vacuum melting is not optional on this chemistry: niobium and titanium are strong oxide formers, and residual oxygen and nitrogen picked up in air melting produce nitride and carbonitride stringers that act as fatigue initiation sites in aged material. VAR then gives the directional solidification and low segregation needed for large ring and disc forgings. A triple-melt route (VIM + ESR + VAR) is available where an aerospace specification calls for it.
What is the coefficient of thermal expansion of Incoloy 909?
The mean coefficient of thermal expansion of Incoloy 909 is approximately 7.7 µm/m·°C (4.3 × 10⁻⁶ in/in/°F) from room temperature to the inflection point, which lies near 425 °C (800 °F). That is roughly half the rate of other alloys of comparable strength. At the inflection point, which is the Curie temperature and is quoted as 400–455 °C (750–850 °F) depending on the exact heat chemistry, the alloy changes from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic and the expansion coefficient begins to climb with temperature.
| Temperature range | Mean CTE, ×10⁻⁶ /°C | Mean CTE, ×10⁻⁶ /°F | Design behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 – 200 °C | ≈ 7.7 | ≈ 4.3 | Flat plateau. The value the alloy is bought for |
| 20 – 300 °C | ≈ 7.7 | ≈ 4.3 | Still flat; usable design region |
| 20 – 425 °C | ≈ 7.7 – 8.0 | ≈ 4.3 – 4.4 | Approaching the inflection point |
| 20 – 540 °C | ≈ 9.0 | ≈ 5.0 | Controlled expansion decaying. Recalculate clearances |
| 20 – 650 °C | ≈ 10.6 | ≈ 5.9 | Advantage over Inconel 718 is reduced but still real |
| Above 650 °C | rising | rising | Outside the alloy's structural range as well |
Values below the inflection point are the originator's published figures; values above it are read from the published expansion curve and are indicative. Where the coefficient is contractual, order dilatometry on the delivered heat. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. can add the measured curve to the EN 10204 certificate.
Three practical points follow, and they cause most of the disputes on this grade:
- Mean is not instantaneous. Datasheet numbers are mean coefficients referenced to room temperature. A part that cycles between 300 °C and 450 °C sees an instantaneous coefficient that is already rising, not the 20–300 °C mean. For tight seals, work from the measured curve.
- The inflection point moves with chemistry. The Curie temperature band of 400–455 °C is a 55 °C spread driven by the Ni:Co:Fe balance within the specification. If your design sits close to the inflection, specify the required Curie temperature and require it to be measured.
- Assemblies should come from one heat. Where several 909 parts must expand identically, such as a seal ring plus its carrier or a set of casing segments, state single heat on the purchase order. We block the tonnage from one ingot and cross-reference every piece to the same heat number.
📏 Incoloy 909 thermal growth & clearance calculator Exclusive
Enter a dimension and a temperature change to get the growth of an Incoloy 909 part. Name a mating material as well and the tool returns the differential expansion the clearance, seal or joint has to absorb.
Calculated from a mean coefficient of 7.7 × 10⁻⁶ /°C up to the 425 °C inflection point, with the published rise above it integrated numerically. Results are indicative for design screening. For hermetic seals, running-clearance calculations and qualification hardware, request a measured expansion curve on the delivered heat.
What are the physical properties of Incoloy 909?
Incoloy 909 has a density of 8.19 g/cm³ (0.296 lb/in³), a melting range of 1395–1430 °C (2540–2610 °F), a Young's modulus of 159 GPa (23.0 × 10³ ksi) and a Curie temperature of 400–455 °C. The modulus figure matters as much as the expansion figure: it stays nearly constant to 650 °C, which is what makes the alloy usable for springs, gauge blocks and precision instrumentation.
| Property | Metric | Imperial | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 8.19 g/cm³ | 0.296 lb/in³ | Use for forging-weight calculation. Some datasheets quote 8.30 g/cm³, a difference of 1.3% |
| Melting range | 1395 – 1430 °C | 2540 – 2610 °F | Solidus to liquidus |
| Curie / inflection temperature | 400 – 455 °C | 750 – 850 °F | The controlling design limit for expansion. Varies with heat chemistry |
| Young's modulus | 159 GPa | 23.0 × 10³ ksi | Dynamic method, age-hardened |
| Shear modulus | 59 GPa | 8.6 × 10³ ksi | Dynamic method, age-hardened |
| Mean CTE, RT → inflection | 7.7 µm/m·°C | 4.3 × 10⁻⁶ in/in/°F | ≈ half the rate of comparable-strength alloys |
| Thermal conductivity, 20 °C | 14.8 W/m·°C | 102.9 Btu·in/ft²·h·°F | Relatively high for a superalloy, which helps thermal-shock resistance |
| Thermal conductivity, 600 °C | 21.8 W/m·°C | ≈ 151 Btu·in/ft²·h·°F | Rises steadily with temperature |
| Specific heat, 20 °C | 427 J/kg·°C | 0.102 Btu/lb·°F | Rises to 576 J/kg·°C at 600 °C |
| Electrical resistivity, 20 °C | 0.728 µΩ·m | 438 Ω·circ mil/ft | Rises to ≈1.24 µΩ·m at 600 °C |
| Magnetic behaviour | Ferromagnetic below the Curie point; paramagnetic above it | The magnetic transition and the expansion inflection are the same physical event | |
Constancy of the elastic modulus
The reason Incoloy 909 is specified for springs and metrology hardware is visible in the numbers below: Young's modulus rises slightly to about 480 °C before falling, so the net variation from room temperature to 650 °C is only a few percent.
| Temperature | Young's modulus | Shear modulus |
|---|---|---|
| 93 °C (200 °F) | +0.6% | +1.1% |
| 204 °C (400 °F) | +1.4% | +2.3% |
| 316 °C (600 °F) | +2.7% | +3.4% |
| 427 °C (800 °F) | +3.3% | +3.4% |
| 482 °C (900 °F) | +3.5% | +3.4% |
| 538 °C (1000 °F) | +2.5% | +1.1% |
| 649 °C (1200 °F) | −1.8% | −2.3% |
| 760 °C (1400 °F) | −7.7% | −9.2% |
Combined with the low expansion coefficient and the relatively high thermal conductivity, this modulus stability is what gives Incoloy 909 its resistance to thermal fatigue and thermal shock.
What are the mechanical properties of Incoloy 909?
In the standard age-hardened condition Incoloy 909 has typical room-temperature properties of 1276 MPa (185 ksi) tensile strength, 1034 MPa (150 ksi) yield strength at 0.2% offset, 15% elongation and 30% reduction of area; at 650 °C (1200 °F) the typical values are 1034 MPa tensile, 862 MPa yield, 25% elongation and 60% reduction of area. All published mechanical data assumes the standard heat treatment described in the next section. Quoting strength without quoting the heat treatment is meaningless for this alloy.
| Test temperature | Yield strength (0.2%) | Tensile strength | Elongation | Reduction of area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 °C (70 °F) | 1034 MPa / 150 ksi | 1276 MPa / 185 ksi | 15% | 30% |
| 650 °C (1200 °F) | 862 MPa / 125 ksi | 1034 MPa / 150 ksi | 25% | 60% |
Typical values, not minima. AMS minima for aged bars and forgings are lower, commonly around 1069 MPa (155 ksi) tensile and 896 MPa (130 ksi) yield, and those are the numbers that belong on an acceptance certificate. State which you are specifying.
What happens after long exposure at temperature
The table below is the one to read before choosing a service temperature. Exposure at 595 °C for 1,000 hours actually increases room-temperature strength slightly, and 650 °C leaves it essentially unchanged, which is evidence that no deleterious phases form. At 705 °C the picture changes sharply.
| Exposure | Yield strength | Tensile strength | Elongation | Reduction of area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None (baseline) | 1020 MPa / 148 ksi | 1310 MPa / 190 ksi | 16% | 32% |
| 595 °C (1100 °F) | 1096 MPa / 159 ksi | 1345 MPa / 195 ksi | 12% | 29% |
| 650 °C (1200 °F) | 1007 MPa / 146 ksi | 1282 MPa / 186 ksi | 14% | 30% |
| 705 °C (1300 °F) | 690 MPa / 100 ksi | 979 MPa / 142 ksi | 10% | 16% |
Rupture, notch and fatigue behaviour
Incoloy 909's headline metallurgical achievement is that its notch-bar rupture strength at 540 °C is comparable to its smooth-bar strength, so the notch is not a weak point. That is the direct result of the silicon addition suppressing stress-accelerated grain-boundary oxidation, and it is the property that made 909 replace Incoloy 903 in engine hardware. In notched (Kt = 2.0) low-cycle fatigue testing in air at 540 °C, Incoloy 909 shows substantially longer life than Incoloy 903 at the same stress range, and creep crack-growth rates measured on fatigue-precracked specimens are markedly lower.
Rupture and fatigue data are strongly affected by test alignment on low-expansion superalloys; results from differently aligned test rigs are not directly comparable. Ask for the test standard and fixture arrangement whenever rupture data is used for qualification.
How is Incoloy 909 heat treated?
The standard heat treatment for Incoloy 909 is: solution treat at 980 °C (1800 °F) for 1 hour, air cool; then age at 720 °C (1325 °F) for 8 hours, furnace cool at 55 °C/h (100 °F/h) to 620 °C (1150 °F), hold 8 hours, air cool. Every published property figure for this alloy, including all the tables above, assumes that cycle.
| Step | Temperature | Time | Cooling | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solution anneal | 980 °C (1800 °F) | 1 h (min; scale with section) | Air cool | Dissolves γ′, sets grain size, softens for rough machining |
| First age | 720 °C (1325 °F) | 8 h | Furnace cool at 55 °C/h (100 °F/h) | Nucleates and grows the γ′ Ni₃(Ti,Nb) precipitate |
| Second age | 620 °C (1150 °F) | 8 h | Air cool | Completes precipitation; delivers full strength |
| Brazing-cycle variant | Braze ≈1040 °C, then age 775 °C | 8 h + 4–8 h at 620 °C | Furnace cool then air cool | Used where the assembly is brazed above the normal solution temperature |
| Stress relief (machining) | ≈620 °C | 2–4 h | Air cool | Applied between rough and finish machining on precision parts |
N19909 to AMS chemistry
finish below 955 °C
→ 620 °C 8 h → AC
EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2
🔥 Incoloy 909 heat-treatment recipe builder Exclusive
Choose the condition you need and the section thickness. The builder returns the full cycle (temperatures, hold times, ramp rate and cooling medium) written as a drawing note you can copy.
Cycle temperatures follow the alloy originator's published recommendation. Hold time is scaled at roughly 1 hour per 25 mm of section for the solution treatment, with a 1 hour minimum; ageing times are fixed by the specification and do not scale with section. Where an AMS or customer specification applies, that document governs.
How is Incoloy 909 forged?
Incoloy 909 is hot worked between 870 °C and 1120 °C (1600–2050 °F) in a deliberate three-stage sequence, and the finishing stage is done cold enough, below 955 °C (1750 °F), to refine the grain rather than to make the metal easy to move. This is the part of the process that separates a forging that meets rupture properties from one that does not.
| Stage | Heating temperature | Reduction | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Initial forging (breakdown) | 1060 – 1120 °C 1940 – 2050 °F | Heavy | Break down the as-cast VAR structure; close porosity |
| 2. Intermediate forging | 995 – 1050 °C 1825 – 1925 °F | ≈ 25% | Warm work + reheat: refines grain, lowers the recrystallisation temperature |
| 3. Finish forging | 980 – 1025 °C 1800 – 1875 °F | 20 – 25% | Final grain refinement. Workpiece stays below 955 °C (1750 °F) for most of the operation |
| 4. Cooling | n/a | n/a | Air cool only. Water quenching is prohibited |
Two further points govern forging quality on this grade at Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal:
- Total reduction ratio. We work to a minimum 4:1 reduction from the VAR ingot to break down the cast structure fully. For seal rings and shroud rings the pierced blank then goes through radial-axial rolling, so grain flow follows the circumference. That is the structural reason a rolled ring holds diameter through thermal cycling better than a ring cut from plate.
- Furnace atmosphere and instrumentation. Because there is no chromium to protect the surface, 909 scales quickly at forging temperature. Furnaces run clean and neutral to slightly reducing, soak times are kept to what the section needs, and every heat is charted. Excess soak near the solidus coarsens the grain irreversibly, and no downstream heat treatment recovers it.
⚒️ Incoloy 909 forging sequence planner Exclusive
Enter the starting billet section and the finished section. The planner returns the three-stage heating schedule, the reduction achieved at each stage, and a warning if the total reduction ratio is too low to break down the cast structure.
Temperatures follow the published hot-forming recommendation for Incoloy 909. Reduction ratio is calculated on cross-sectional area from the entered dimensions and is indicative. The controlling figure is the total reduction from ingot to finished part, which we plan against the actual VAR ingot size for your order.
Oxidation, coating and hydrogen behaviour
Incoloy 909 contains no chromium, so it oxidises far more readily than chromium-bearing superalloys, and hot-section parts are normally coated. In cyclic oxidation testing at 650 °C, Incoloy 909 loses weight steadily while Inconel 718, with about 19% chromium, stays essentially stable. This is the single largest practical limitation of the alloy, and it is the direct price paid for the low expansion coefficient.
| Condition | Behaviour | Normal engineering response |
|---|---|---|
| Air, up to ≈540 °C | Acceptable for many duty cycles; light scaling | Usually uncoated; verify against the actual cycle |
| Air, 540 – 650 °C, sustained | Significant oxidation; weight loss under cyclic exposure | Aluminide diffusion coating, or an overlay / thermal barrier system |
| Air, above 650 °C | Both oxidation and γ′ over-ageing | Outside the alloy's range. Change grade (Inconel 783, 718, chromium-bearing superalloys) |
| High-pressure hydrogen | Resists embrittlement, unlike most alloys of comparable strength | A positive selection reason for rocket-engine and hydrogen-service hardware |
| Aqueous corrosion | Poor; essentially no corrosion resistance without chromium | Protect, or select a different alloy for wetted service |
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal supplies Incoloy 909 forgings uncoated and ready for the customer's coating process, with the surface condition and machining allowance agreed at RFQ stage. Coating vendors normally require a specific surface finish and a defined stock allowance for coating thickness. State both on the order.
How is Incoloy 909 machined and welded?
Machining
Incoloy 909 machines by conventional practice for high-strength nickel alloys, and its behaviour is close to Inconel 718, which is a useful benchmark because most shops already have 718 data. Rough machine in the solution-treated condition, where the alloy is softer, and finish after ageing.
- Sharp, positive-rake carbide tooling, replaced at the first sign of edge rounding rather than run to destruction.
- Rigid setups, ample machine power, slow speeds and heavy positive feeds. Light rubbing feeds work-harden the surface and destroy the next pass.
- Never let the tool dwell in the cut. A stationary tool still in contact glazes the surface and leaves a hardened layer.
- Generous flood coolant. Leave 3–5 mm of stock after rough machining and apply a stress relief before finishing on precision parts.
Welding
Incoloy 909 is readily welded by the gas-tungsten-arc (GTAW/TIG) process, and in most fabrication operations behaves similarly to Inconel 718. Joint faces must be clean and free of sulfur, lead and low-melting-point contamination. Expect some loss of strength and ductility in the weld and heat-affected zone; where the joint must carry full properties, a post-weld solution treatment plus re-age is required. Because the weld metal and the parent metal must also expand alike, post-weld heat treatment matters more on this grade than on a structural alloy. An unrelieved weld expands along a different curve and distorts the assembly on thermal cycling.
Incoloy 909 vs Incoloy 903, Incoloy 907, Inconel 783, Inconel 718 and A-286
The low-expansion superalloys form a development sequence, not a menu: 903 came first, 907 improved its rupture behaviour, 909 solved the notch problem with silicon, and 783 solved the oxidation problem that none of the first three could. Knowing which problem each one was built to fix is the fastest way to choose.
| Property | Incoloy 903 | Incoloy 907 | Incoloy 909 | Inconel 783 | Inconel 718 | A-286 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNS | N19903 | N19907 | N19909 | R30783 | N07718 | S66286 |
| Chromium | none | none | none | ≈3% | ≈19% | ≈15% |
| Silicon | not added | ≈0.15% | 0.25–0.50% | low | low | low |
| Mean CTE (below inflection) | ≈7.5 | ≈7.6 | ≈7.7 | ≈9.4 | ≈13 | ≈16.5 |
| Notch-rupture behaviour | Poor, SAGBO sensitive | Improved | Good, conventional processing | Comparable to 718 | Good | Good |
| Oxidation resistance | Poor | Poor | Poor, coat above ≈540 °C | Good to 704 °C | Excellent | Good |
| Density | 8.14 g/cm³ | ≈8.2 g/cm³ | 8.19 g/cm³ | ≈7.8 g/cm³ | 8.19 g/cm³ | 7.94 g/cm³ |
| Typical max service temp. | ≈650 °C | ≈650 °C | 650 °C | ≈704 °C | ≈650 °C | ≈700 °C |
| Hydrogen embrittlement | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Susceptible | Moderate |
| Choose it when… | A legacy drawing calls it out | You need 903 chemistry with better rupture life | You need low expansion + high strength + notch tolerance | You need low expansion and uncoated oxidation resistance | Oxidation matters more than clearance control | You need moderate strength cheaply |
CTE values in ×10⁻⁶ /°C, mean from room temperature to the inflection point (for 718 and A-286, to about 400 °C). Comparative figures are drawn from published producer data and are for screening; confirm against the current datasheet for the grade you finally select.
The two comparisons that come up most often
909 against 903. They are close cousins, and a drawing written before the mid-1980s often specifies 903 where 909 is the correct modern answer. The difference is silicon. Incoloy 903 is susceptible to stress-accelerated grain-boundary oxidation, which shows up as poor notch-bar rupture strength and short notched low-cycle fatigue life at 540 °C, and it needs special processing or long over-ageing treatments to work around. Incoloy 909 gets there with conventional processing. If you are re-sourcing a legacy 903 part, raise the substitution with the design authority before ordering. The change is usually approved, but it is a specification change.
909 against 783. This is the live engineering trade-off. Inconel 783 was introduced by the same developer specifically to fix what 909 cannot do: it offers good oxidation resistance to 704 °C, SAGBO resistance comparable to Inconel 718, about 5% lower density than 909 and 718, better impact resistance, and processing characteristics like 718. The cost is a higher expansion coefficient. If your part is uncoated, runs hot, and the clearance budget can absorb 9.4 instead of 7.7 ppm/°C, 783 is the better engineering answer. If the clearance budget cannot absorb it, 909 plus a coating remains the choice.
🎯 Low-expansion grade selector Exclusive
Answer four questions about the duty and the selector returns the grade that fits, with the reasoning. It is deliberately conservative: where two grades work, it names both.
A screening tool based on published nominal properties. Final material selection must be confirmed by a materials engineer against your actual thermal cycle, stress state, coating system and applicable specification.
🔎 Multi-standard designation lookup Exclusive
Type any name that appears on your drawing (909, N19909, GH2909, CTX-909, AMS 5892, Inco 909, 903, 907 or 783) and see every equivalent designation at once.
All designations returned for a given grade refer to the same nominal chemistry. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. ships the generic grade with every applicable equivalent cross-listed on the EN 10204 material certificate. Trade names shown belong to their respective owners.
Where is Incoloy 909 used?
Every application below depends on the same behaviour: the part moves by a small, known, repeatable amount when temperature changes, while still carrying load. In a gas turbine that translates directly into money. Tighter clearances mean less leakage past the seal, which means more power output and better fuel efficiency from the same engine.
| Industry | Typical components | Why Incoloy 909 |
|---|---|---|
| Aero gas turbines | Turbine seal rings, shroud rings, interstage seals, casings, vanes, shafts | Clearance control through thermal cycling; high strength-to-weight ratio |
| Industrial gas & steam turbines | Compressor casings, seal carriers, steam-turbine bolts, valve spindles and stems | Dimensional stability plus constant modulus at temperature |
| Turbomachinery rotating parts | Impeller wheels, turbine discs and disks, blisk preforms, hubs | Low expansion limits tip-clearance growth at speed and temperature |
| Rocket propulsion | Thrust-chamber components, hydrogen-service hardware | Resistance to high-pressure hydrogen embrittlement at high strength |
| Ordnance & defence | Ordnance hardware, precision mechanisms | Strength with dimensional predictability |
| Springs & elastic elements | High-temperature springs, diaphragms, Belleville stacks | Nearly constant modulus of elasticity to 650 °C |
| Metrology & instrumentation | Gauge blocks, instrument frames, sensor bodies | Dimensional stability across ambient and elevated temperature |
| Glass sealing | Sealing rings, feedthrough bodies | Expansion match to sealing glasses with far higher strength than Fe-Ni alloys |
Incoloy 909 production capability at Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. operates an open-die forging and ring-rolling plant in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, China, employing approximately 460 people including 9 senior engineers and 32 intermediate engineers. Incoloy 909 is produced on the same equipment as our nickel-alloy, superalloy and precipitation-hardening stainless range, under the process controls listed below.
| Stage | Equipment | Capability for Incoloy 909 |
|---|---|---|
| Melting | VIM + VAR (audited partner mill); VIM + ESR + VAR on request | N19909 chemistry to AMS limits; low O and N for aerospace-grade cleanliness |
| Forging (hammers) | 1 t · 3 t · 5 t · 9 t open-die hammers | Bars, sleeves, small rings, seal-ring blanks |
| Forging (press) | 4,500 – 5,000 t hydraulic press | Shafts to 8 m, casings, discs and blocks to 8,000 kg single piece |
| Ring rolling | 3 m and 6 m radial-axial ring mills | Seamless rolled rings 200 – 2,500 mm OD with circumferential grain flow |
| Heat treatment | Bogie-hearth and controlled-atmosphere furnaces with chart recorders | 980 °C solution + programmed 55 °C/h ramp for the double age; ±5 °C uniformity |
| NDT (ultrasonic) | Ultrasonic flaw detection | AMS 2154 · ASTM A388 · EN 10228-3 · SEP 1921 |
| NDT (surface) | Dye penetrant (magnetic particle where applicable) | EN ISO 3452 acceptance per order |
| Lab (chemistry) | Optical emission spectrometer | Ladle and product analysis, daily calibration to traceable standards |
| Lab (mechanical) | Universal testing machine, impact tester, hardness testers | Tensile, impact and hardness on coupons from the delivered heat, tested in the delivered condition |
| Lab (metallography) | Metallographic microscope | Grain size, inclusion rating, macroetch for grain flow |
| Special testing | Dilatometry and stress-rupture (subcontracted, accredited) | Measured CTE curve and rupture data added to the certificate on request |
⚖️ Incoloy 909 forging weight calculator Exclusive
Pick a shape and enter finished dimensions to get net weight at the Incoloy 909 density of 8.19 g/cm³, plus an estimate of the rough forging weight to quote against.
Uses the Incoloy 909 density of 8.19 g/cm³ (0.296 lb/in³). The result is the net finished weight; the rough forging estimate adds a machining allowance of 25% for rings and discs, 20% for bars and blocks and 30% for casings. Real allowance depends on geometry, tolerance and surface finish. Maximum single-piece capability at Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is 8,000 kg.
Standards, testing and certification
Incoloy 909 orders at Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. are produced and certified against the specifications below, with EN 10204 3.1 as the standard inspection document.
- UNS N19909
- GH2909
- AMS 5884 (billet)
- AMS 5892 (bars, forgings, rings)
- AMS 5893 (sheet & strip)
- AMS 2154 (UT)
- AMS 2750 (pyrometry)
- ASTM A388 (UT)
- EN 10228-3 (UT)
- SEP 1921 (UT)
- EN ISO 3452 (PT)
- ASTM E112 (grain size)
- ASTM E8 / E21 (tensile)
- ASTM E228 (dilatometry)
- EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2
- ISO 9001:2015
What appears on the certificate
- Heat number, melting route (VIM + VAR or triple melt), and full ladle plus product chemical analysis against the N19909 limits
- Mechanical test results (tensile, yield, elongation, reduction of area, hardness) on coupons from the delivered heat, tested in the delivered heat-treatment condition
- Heat-treatment charts for both cycles, showing the 980 °C solution soak and the programmed 55 °C/h ramp between the 720 °C and 620 °C ageing steps
- Ultrasonic examination report to the ordered standard and acceptance class
- Grain size and, where ordered, inclusion rating and macroetch for grain flow
- Measured coefficient of thermal expansion by dilatometry, added on request and strongly recommended for sealing and clearance-critical hardware
- Cross-listed equivalent designations (UNS N19909 / GH2909 / AMS 5892) and dimensional inspection report
Quality gates
Every Incoloy 909 order passes six mandatory hold points at which production cannot continue without QA sign-off: incoming ingot chemistry and cleanliness verification, forging temperature compliance against the three-stage schedule, post-forging ultrasonic examination, heat-treatment chart approval for both cycles, mechanical and expansion test acceptance, and final NDE plus dimensional inspection. Customer-witnessed hold points can be added at no charge. Any out-of-specification finding raises a formal non-conformance report within 24 hours, with root-cause analysis inside five working days and the proposed disposition sent to the customer before any rework is carried out.
How to specify an Incoloy 909 forging order
Incoloy 909 carries two specification decisions most grades do not: the expansion requirement has to be stated explicitly, and the delivery heat-treatment condition has to be stated explicitly. Neither is implied by the chemistry. The eight steps below remove the ambiguity that causes most disputes on this grade.
Recommended drawing callout
| MATERIAL | Alloy 909 / UNS N19909 per AMS 5892 (bars, forgings and rings) Also satisfies GH2909. VIM + VAR melted. |
|---|---|
| CONDITION | Solution treat 980 °C ± 10 °C / 1 h min / air cool + age 720 °C / 8 h, furnace cool 55 °C/h to 620 °C / 8 h, air cool |
| EXPANSION | Mean CTE 7.7 × 10⁻⁶ /°C over 20–425 °C, ±0.4 Measured by dilatometry per ASTM E228 on delivered heat, reported on MTC |
| HEAT CONTROL | All pieces of this assembly from a SINGLE HEAT |
| FORM | Seamless rolled ring, continuous circumferential grain flow Machined-from-plate or machined-from-bar substitution NOT permitted |
| NDE | UT per AMS 2154 Class A (or ASTM A388 / EN 10228-3 class 3) PT per EN ISO 3452 on all machined surfaces |
| CERTIFICATION | EN 10204 3.1 mill certificate incl. both heat-treatment charts (3.2 with third-party witness where stated) |
| SURFACE | Supplied uncoated. Leave 0.08 mm per surface for aluminide coating Ra ≤ 3.2 µm on surfaces to be coated |
| MARKING | Heat number + grade + drawing number, vibro-etched on a non-functional surface |
Ten mistakes to avoid when ordering Incoloy 909 forgings
- Assuming the low expansion holds at high temperature. Above the inflection point near 425 °C the coefficient climbs. Design and qualify inside the useful range, or change grade.
- Forgetting there is no chromium. An uncoated 909 part running at 600 °C in air will scale. Decide the coating strategy before the geometry is frozen, not after.
- Ordering "aged" without stating the cycle. Two-step ageing with a controlled 55 °C/h furnace cool is what the published properties assume. Write it on the order and require the chart.
- Accepting a water quench after forging. Prohibited on this alloy. It produces unfavourable precipitate morphology and lower tensile properties. Require air cooling in writing.
- Writing UNS N09909. The correct designation is N19909. The wrong number on a purchase order can pull the wrong material.
- Quoting an AMS number without the product form. 5884 is billet, 5892 is bars/forgings/rings, 5893 is sheet/strip, and catalogues disagree. Quote the UNS number as well.
- Specifying typical properties as acceptance minima. 1276 MPa is a typical value; the AMS minimum is lower. Testing against typical values produces avoidable rejections.
- Mixing heats within one assembly. Chemistry variation inside the specification band moves the Curie point and the expansion coefficient. Specify single heat where parts must match.
- Accepting parts machined from plate in place of rolled rings. Grain flow and residual stress differ, and the machined part moves more through thermal cycling.
- Leaving the machining allowance for coating unspecified. An aluminide or overlay coating has thickness. If nobody accounted for it, the part is out of tolerance after coating.
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Send a drawing or a specification and we respond within 24 hours with price, lead time and confirmation of the applicable standards. For clearance-critical hardware, state the expansion requirement and the temperature range, because it changes how we plan the heat and the heat treatment.
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. · Open-Die Forging Factory · No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China
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Glossary
- Incoloy 909
- Nickel-iron-cobalt low-expansion superalloy, nominally 38% Ni, 13% Co, 4.7% Nb, 1.5% Ti, 0.4% Si, balance Fe. UNS N19909, GH2909, AMS 5884 / 5892 / 5893.
- UNS N19909
- Unified Numbering System designation for the Incoloy 909 chemistry, and the generic brand-free name to use on purchase orders. Frequently mistyped as N09909.
- GH2909
- Chinese GB designation for the same nickel-iron-cobalt low-expansion chemistry; also written GH909.
- Low-expansion superalloy
- A precipitation-hardening superalloy formulated so that its coefficient of thermal expansion stays low and nearly constant over a working temperature range, at the cost of leaving out chromium.
- CTE
- Coefficient of thermal expansion, the fractional change in length per degree of temperature change, quoted here in 10⁻⁶ per °C, equivalently µm/m·°C or ppm/°C.
- Mean CTE
- Average coefficient between two stated temperatures, as distinct from the instantaneous coefficient at a single temperature. Datasheet figures are almost always mean values referenced to room temperature.
- Inflection point
- The temperature at which the expansion curve bends sharply upward. For Incoloy 909 it coincides with the Curie temperature at 400–455 °C and is the practical ceiling for controlled-expansion service.
- Curie temperature
- The temperature above which a ferromagnetic material becomes paramagnetic. In these alloys the magnetic transition and the expansion inflection are the same physical event.
- γ′ (gamma prime)
- The ordered Ni₃(Ti,Nb)-type precipitate formed during ageing that gives Incoloy 909 its strength. Over-ageing above about 700 °C coarsens it and strength falls.
- SAGBO
- Stress-accelerated grain-boundary oxidation, meaning oxygen penetrating grain boundaries under stress at temperature, causing notch-rupture weakness and short notched fatigue life. The silicon in Incoloy 909 suppresses it.
- Notch-bar rupture strength
- Stress-rupture strength measured on a deliberately notched specimen. Incoloy 909's notch-bar strength at 540 °C is comparable to its smooth-bar strength, which is the property that made the grade viable.
- Double age
- The two-step ageing cycle (720 °C / 8 h, furnace cool at 55 °C/h to 620 °C / 8 h, air cool) that every published property figure for this alloy assumes.
- VIM + VAR
- Vacuum induction melting followed by vacuum arc remelting. Standard melt route for N19909, needed because niobium and titanium are strong oxide formers.
- Seamless rolled ring
- A ring produced by piercing a forged billet and expanding it on a radial-axial ring mill, giving continuous circumferential grain flow and better dimensional stability than a ring machined from plate.
- EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2
- Inspection document types. 3.1 is a mill certificate issued by the manufacturer's own independent inspection department; 3.2 is countersigned by an independent third party nominated by the purchaser.
- Dilatometry
- Direct measurement of thermal expansion against temperature, per ASTM E228. The only way to certify a CTE value on a delivered heat.
Frequently asked questions: Incoloy 909 / UNS N19909
What is Incoloy 909?
Incoloy 909 (UNS N19909, Chinese designation GH2909) is a nickel-iron-cobalt low-expansion superalloy containing nominally 38% nickel, 13% cobalt, 4.7% niobium, 1.5% titanium and 0.4% silicon with the balance iron. It is precipitation hardened by the niobium and titanium additions and is specified for three combined properties: a low and nearly constant coefficient of thermal expansion of about 7.7 µm/m·°C up to its inflection point near 425 °C, a modulus of elasticity that stays nearly constant to 650 °C, and an age-hardened room-temperature tensile strength of about 1276 MPa. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. of Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, China forges Incoloy 909 to customer drawings as seamless rolled rings, turbine seal rings, casings, shafts, discs, sleeves and bars.
Are Incoloy 909, Inconel 909, Alloy 909, Inco 909, UNS N19909 and GH2909 the same material?
Yes, they all refer to the same nickel-iron-cobalt low-expansion chemistry. UNS N19909 is the generic Unified Numbering System designation and GH2909 is the Chinese GB designation. INCOLOY® 909 is the original Special Metals Corporation trade name, and Pyromet® CTX-909 / CarTech® CTX-909 is the equivalent Carpenter Technology grade. "Inconel 909" and "Inco 909" are common but technically incorrect names, since the alloy belongs to the INCOLOY family. UNS N09909 is a frequent typographical error for N19909. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. supplies the generic grade certified to UNS N19909 with all equivalents cross-listed on the EN 10204 certificate.
What is the chemical composition of Incoloy 909?
The limiting chemical composition of Incoloy 909 (UNS N19909) is 35.0–40.0% nickel, 12.0–16.0% cobalt, 4.3–5.2% niobium, 1.3–1.8% titanium, 0.25–0.50% silicon, 0.15% aluminium maximum, 0.06% carbon maximum and the balance iron, which is typically about 42%. No chromium is deliberately added, because chromium would raise the coefficient of thermal expansion. The silicon addition is deliberate and is what gives Incoloy 909 its good notch-rupture properties compared with the earlier Incoloy 903.
What is the coefficient of thermal expansion of Incoloy 909?
The mean coefficient of thermal expansion of Incoloy 909 is approximately 7.7 µm/m·°C (4.3 × 10⁻⁶ in/in/°F) from room temperature to the inflection point. The inflection point coincides with the Curie temperature at about 425 °C, quoted as 400–455 °C (750–850 °F) depending on the exact heat chemistry, where the alloy changes from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic. Above that temperature the expansion coefficient rises steadily, so controlled expansion is a design property below the inflection point, not above it. The expansion rate is roughly half that of other alloys of comparable strength, such as Inconel 718.
What is the density of Incoloy 909?
The density of Incoloy 909 (UNS N19909) is 8.19 g/cm³, equivalent to 0.296 lb/in³, in the age-hardened condition. Some datasheets quote 8.30 g/cm³; use 8.19 g/cm³ for forging weight calculations and expect about a 1.3% difference if the higher figure is used. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. quotes rough forging weight from the finished part volume plus a machining allowance of 20–30% depending on geometry. The weight calculator above does both steps.
What are the mechanical properties of Incoloy 909?
In the standard age-hardened condition Incoloy 909 has typical room-temperature properties of 1276 MPa (185 ksi) tensile strength, 1034 MPa (150 ksi) yield strength at 0.2% offset, 15% elongation and 30% reduction of area. At 650 °C (1200 °F) typical values are 1034 MPa tensile, 862 MPa yield, 25% elongation and 60% reduction of area. Major strength loss begins above 650 °C, where the γ′ ageing response starts to lose effectiveness. These are typical values for material solution treated at 980 °C and double aged at 720 °C and 620 °C. AMS acceptance minima are lower.
What is the heat treatment for Incoloy 909?
Solution treat at 980 °C (1800 °F) for one hour and air cool, then apply the two-step age: 720 °C (1325 °F) for 8 hours, furnace cool at 55 °C per hour (100 °F per hour) to 620 °C (1150 °F), hold 8 hours, then air cool. The controlled furnace cool between the two ageing steps is not optional, because it is what produces the fine γ′ distribution that gives the alloy its strength, and replacing it with a direct transfer between furnaces gives lower and more scattered properties. Require the furnace chart on the certificate.
Why does Incoloy 909 contain no chromium?
Chromium is left out deliberately because it raises the coefficient of thermal expansion, which would defeat the purpose of the alloy. The consequence is poor oxidation resistance compared with chromium-bearing superalloys such as Inconel 718 (≈19% Cr). For sustained service in hot air, typically above about 540 °C, a protective coating such as an aluminide diffusion coating or a thermal barrier system is normally applied. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. supplies Incoloy 909 forgings uncoated and ready for the customer's coating process, with stock allowance for coating thickness agreed at RFQ stage.
How is Incoloy 909 forged?
Incoloy 909 is hot worked between 870 °C and 1120 °C (1600–2050 °F) in three stages. Initial forging starts from 1060–1120 °C; intermediate forging applies about 25% reduction from a heating temperature of 995–1050 °C; finish forging applies 20–25% reduction from 980–1025 °C, with the workpiece below 955 °C (1750 °F) for most of the finishing operation. That warm-work and reheat sequence refines the grain and improves tensile and rupture properties. Hot-formed material must be air cooled and never water quenched, because the high residual stress from a water quench produces unfavourable precipitate morphology and lower tensile properties.
What is the difference between Incoloy 909 and Incoloy 903?
Both are nickel-iron-cobalt low-expansion superalloys of similar composition, but Incoloy 909 contains a deliberate 0.25–0.50% silicon addition that Incoloy 903 does not have. That silicon greatly improves resistance to stress-accelerated grain-boundary oxidation, the mechanism behind poor notch-bar rupture strength and short notched low-cycle fatigue life in the earlier alloy. In notched low-cycle fatigue testing in air at 540 °C, Incoloy 909 shows substantially longer life than Incoloy 903, and it reaches good notch-rupture properties with conventional processing rather than the special or long over-ageing treatments 903 requires.
What is the difference between Incoloy 909 and Inconel 718?
Chromium and thermal expansion. Inconel 718 contains about 19% chromium and expands at roughly 13 µm/m·°C, while Incoloy 909 has no deliberate chromium and expands at about 7.7 µm/m·°C below its inflection point, roughly half the rate. Incoloy 909 is chosen when tight running clearances must be held through thermal cycling, for example in turbine seal rings, shrouds and casings; Inconel 718 is chosen when oxidation and corrosion resistance matter more than dimensional control. Incoloy 909 also resists high-pressure hydrogen embrittlement better than most alloys of comparable strength, which is why it appears in rocket-engine hardware.
What is Incoloy 909 used for?
Incoloy 909 is used for gas-turbine vanes, casings, shafts, shrouds and seal rings, where low expansion allows tighter clearance control for greater power output and fuel efficiency. Other applications include rocket-engine thrust chambers, ordnance hardware, springs, steam-turbine bolts, gauge blocks, precision instrumentation and glass-sealing components. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. forges these as seamless rolled rings up to 2,500 mm outside diameter, discs to 1,800 mm diameter, shafts to 8 m and single pieces to 8,000 kg.
Which AMS specifications cover Incoloy 909?
Per the alloy originator's published data, SAE AMS 5884 covers billet, SAE AMS 5892 covers bars, forgings and rings, and SAE AMS 5893 covers sheet and strip. Some supplier catalogues list the sheet and bar numbers the other way round, so the safest procurement practice is to quote the UNS designation N19909 together with the AMS number and the revision in force at contract date. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. certifies forgings to UNS N19909 chemistry with AMS 5892 cross-referenced on the certificate.
Can Incoloy 909 be welded and machined?
Yes. Incoloy 909 is readily welded by gas-tungsten-arc welding and in most fabrication operations behaves similarly to Inconel 718. Machining follows conventional practice for high-strength nickel alloys: rough machine in the solution-treated condition where the alloy is softer, and finish after ageing. Rigid setups, sharp positive-rake carbide tooling, slow speeds, heavy positive feeds and generous coolant apply, and the tool must never dwell in the cut because the alloy work-hardens under a rubbing edge. Where a weld must carry full properties, a post-weld solution treatment plus re-age is required.
Who manufactures Incoloy 909 forged rings and casings?
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China that manufactures Incoloy 909 (UNS N19909 / GH2909) forged rings, seamless rolled rings, turbine seal rings, casings, shafts, discs, sleeves, bushings, tube sheets and bars to customer drawings. The factory operates 1, 3, 5 and 9 tonne forging hammers, a 4,500–5,000 tonne hydraulic press and 3 m and 6 m radial-axial ring rolling mills, and supplies EN 10204 3.1 certification as standard with 3.2 third-party witness on request. Contact +86-189-2135-9659 or sales@steelforgepieces.com.
What is the maximum service temperature of Incoloy 909?
Incoloy 909 retains most of its strength to about 650 °C (1200 °F), and that is the normal upper limit for structural service. Two separate limits apply below it. The controlled-expansion benefit is only available below the inflection point near 425 °C, so a design that relies on low expansion must stay under that temperature. Oxidation resistance is poor without chromium, so uncoated service in air above roughly 540 °C causes significant scaling. After 1,000 hours at 705 °C, room-temperature tensile strength falls from about 1310 MPa to about 979 MPa, so prolonged exposure above 650 °C should be avoided.
What certification is supplied with Incoloy 909 forgings?
EN 10204 3.1 mill certification is supplied as standard by Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., listing the heat number, full ladle and product chemical analysis, melting route, mechanical test results on coupons from the delivered heat, heat-treatment charts for both the solution treatment and the two-step age, ultrasonic examination report and dimensional inspection. EN 10204 3.2 certification witnessed by Lloyd's Register, DNV, Bureau Veritas, ABS, SGS or TÜV is available on request, and dilatometry for measured coefficient of thermal expansion per ASTM E228 can be added to the certificate.
What is the lead time for Incoloy 909 forgings?
Standard Incoloy 909 forgings supplied solution treated and double aged typically ship 10–14 weeks from order confirmation, because the alloy is melted to order by VIM + VAR rather than held in stock. Large single pieces above 3 tonnes and orders requiring EN 10204 3.2 third-party witnessed inspection extend to 14–18 weeks. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. issues a quotation within 24 hours of receiving a drawing or specification at sales@steelforgepieces.com.
Technical references
Chemistry, expansion, physical-property, mechanical-property and processing data on this page are drawn from the published standards and engineering references below. Test results reported on our material certificates are independent and traceable to calibrated laboratory equipment.
- Special Metals Corporation, INCOLOY® alloy 909, publication SMC-077 (2004). Limiting composition, physical and mechanical properties, hot-forming sequence, heat treatment and oxidation data.
- SAE AMS 5884, Alloy Billets, low expansion nickel-iron-cobalt, SAE International.
- SAE AMS 5892, Alloy Bars, Forgings and Rings, low expansion nickel-iron-cobalt, SAE International.
- SAE AMS 5893, Alloy Sheet and Strip, low expansion nickel-iron-cobalt, SAE International.
- SAE AMS 2154, Inspection, Ultrasonic, Wrought Metals, Process For, SAE International.
- SAE AMS 2750, Pyrometry, SAE International.
- Carpenter Technology Corporation, CarTech® CTX-909 alloy technical datasheet. Comparative heat-treatment and brazing-cycle practice.
- ASM Specialty Handbook: Heat-Resistant Materials, ASM International. Low-expansion superalloy metallurgy.
- ASM Handbook, Volume 2: Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM International.
- ASTM E228, Standard Test Method for Linear Thermal Expansion of Solid Materials With a Push-Rod Dilatometer, ASTM International.
- ASTM A388, Standard Practice for Ultrasonic Examination of Steel Forgings, ASTM International.
- EN 10228-3, Non-destructive testing of steel forgings, Part 3: Ultrasonic testing, CEN.
- EN 10204:2004, Metallic products: types of inspection documents, CEN, Brussels.
- GB/T 14992 and related Chinese standards for GH-series high-temperature alloys (GH2909 designation).
Standards cited are the revisions known to us at the time of the last page review. For procurement, always reference the revision in force at the contract date. All trademarks referenced belong to their respective owners.
Cite this page
This datasheet is maintained by the metallurgical engineering team at Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. and is free to quote, reference or link to. If you use the data in a specification, report, article or AI-generated answer, please attribute it as follows.
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. (2026). Incoloy 909 / Alloy 909 / UNS N19909 / GH2909 Forging Parts: Technical Datasheet and Manufacturing Guide. Jiangyin, Jiangsu, China. Retrieved from https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Nickel-Alloy/Incoloy-Alloy-909.html on 19 August 2026.
Source of record: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., open-die forging factory, No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China · +86-189-2135-9659 · sales@steelforgepieces.com · www.steelforgepieces.com