What is the lead time and minimum order quantity for Inconel 690 forgings?

Typical lead time is 25 to 45 days from drawing approval, depending on size, machining scope and third-party inspection. There is no minimum order quantity. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. produces single prototype forgings as well as production batches, and issues quotations within 24 hours of receiving a drawing.

Is Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal a forging factory or a trading company?

Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer. Open-die forging, ring rolling, heat treatment and machining are performed in its own plant at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China. Factory visits and video audits are welcome before placing an order.

UNS N06690 · W.Nr. 2.4642 · NiCr29Fe · Alloy 690

Inconel 690 Forgings Nickel-chromium-iron forgings to ASTM B564 and ASME SB-564: rings, flanges, tube sheets, discs, shafts and bars

Inconel 690 is a nickel-chromium-iron alloy with a minimum of 58 % nickel and 27 to 31 % chromium. The high chromium content provides resistance to stress-corrosion cracking in high-purity water, to nitric and sulphuric acid, to caustic solutions and to oxidation at temperature. Alloy 690 replaced Alloy 600 as the tube and tubesheet material in pressurised-water reactor steam generators for this reason. It is a solid-solution alloy. It is not age-hardenable and it is supplied with a low cobalt content.

Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China. The company manufactures Inconel 690 (UNS N06690) forgings to ASTM B564, including seamless rolled rings, flanges, tube sheets, discs, sleeves, shafts and forged bars, supplied with EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 mill test certificates. Contact sales@steelforgepieces.com or +86 189 2135 9659.

UNS number: N06690
Nickel: ≥ 58 %
Chromium: 27–31 %
Density: 8.19 g/cm³
Tensile, min: 586 MPa
Forging spec: ASTM B564

Alloy description

Inconel 690, generic designation UNS N06690 and European W.Nr. 2.4642 / NiCr29Fe, is a single-phase austenitic nickel-chromium-iron alloy. Chromium is its defining element. At 27 to 31 % it carries roughly twice the chromium of Alloy 600, and that chromium reservoir forms and repairs the protective Cr₂O₃ film in oxidising media.

The alloy contains no aluminium, titanium or niobium in the quantities needed to form gamma prime or gamma double prime precipitates. Strength therefore comes from solid-solution hardening and from cold work. Material for nuclear service is produced with controlled cobalt, typically 0.10 % maximum, to limit in-core activation to Co-60.

Two specification errors seen frequently. Alloy 690 is not a nickel-cobalt alloy. It is nickel-chromium-iron and cobalt is restricted rather than added. It also cannot be strengthened by a solution and ageing cycle. A drawing that calls for ageing on N06690 will produce material that fails the tensile test, and no supplier can correct that within the specification.

Other names for the same material: Alloy 690, Nickel Alloy 690, Nicrofer 6030, NCF690 (JIS), NCF690TP (KS), NS3105 and NS315 (China), NY690 (Aubert & Duval). INCONEL is a registered trademark of Special Metals Corporation. Material supplied by Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal is manufactured to the equivalent UNS N06690 chemical and mechanical requirements.

Chemical composition of Inconel 690

Composition limits per ASTM B564 and ASTM B166 for UNS N06690, in weight percent.

Table 1. Inconel 690 (UNS N06690) chemical composition, wt %
Element	Symbol	Specified limit	Function
Nickel	Ni	58.0 min	Matrix, resistance to chloride SCC and caustics
Chromium	Cr	27.0 to 31.0	Cr₂O₃ passive film, oxidising acid and PWSCC resistance
Iron	Fe	7.0 to 11.0	Balance, cost and hot workability
Carbon	C	0.05 max	Restricted to limit grain-boundary carbides
Manganese	Mn	0.50 max	Deoxidiser, sulphur control
Silicon	Si	0.50 max	Deoxidiser
Copper	Cu	0.50 max	Residual
Sulphur	S	0.015 max	Restricted for hot workability
Cobalt	Co	0.10 max (nuclear supplementary)	Restricted to limit Co-60 activation

Cobalt is not restricted by the base ASTM specification. Order it as a supplementary requirement if the forging goes into a reactor coolant boundary.

Mechanical properties of Inconel 690 forgings

ASTM B564 sets the acceptance minima for annealed nickel-alloy forgings. The typical column shows the values our test bars normally return at room temperature.

Table 2. Room-temperature mechanical properties, annealed condition
Property	ASTM B564 minimum	Typical achieved
Ultimate tensile strength	586 MPa / 85 ksi	690 to 760 MPa
Yield strength, 0.2 % offset	241 MPa / 35 ksi	310 to 380 MPa
Elongation in 4D	30 % min	40 to 50 %
Reduction of area	not specified	55 to 65 %
Hardness	not specified	approx. 88 HRB, 170 to 190 HB
Grain size, ASTM E112	by agreement	ASTM 4 to 7, on request

Typical values are indicative and must not be used for design. Certified values for your heat appear on the EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate supplied with the forging.

Physical properties

Table 3. Physical properties of Alloy 690 at 20 °C unless noted
Property	Metric	Imperial
Density	8.19 g/cm³	0.296 lb/in³
Melting range	1343 to 1377 °C	2450 to 2510 °F
Thermal conductivity	12.1 W/m·K	84 BTU·in/h·ft²·°F
Modulus of elasticity	approx. 211 GPa	approx. 30.6 × 10⁶ psi
Poisson's ratio	0.29
Specific heat	approx. 450 J/kg·K	approx. 0.107 BTU/lb·°F
Electrical resistivity	approx. 1.15 µΩ·m	approx. 692 Ω·circ mil/ft
Mean expansion, 20 to 100 °C	approx. 14.1 µm/m·K	approx. 7.8 µin/in·°F
Magnetic permeability	approx. 1.001, practically non-magnetic

Values marked approx. are published typical data for wrought annealed material, given for comparison and not for design calculation.

The Inconel 690 forging window

Alloy 690 has a narrow usable hot-working range and work-hardens rapidly during deformation. The temperatures below govern the press schedule.

Forging range 1038 to 1233 °C / 1900 to 2250 °F Hot working 872 to 1205 °C Minimum finish 954 °C Anneal 1038 °C, rapid cool

Forging practice

Soaking time. Nickel alloys have low thermal conductivity, roughly a quarter that of carbon steel. A heavy billet needs a long and even soak, otherwise the core stays cold and the surface tears under the first blows.
Finishing temperature. Deformation below about 954 °C drives work hardening instead of recrystallisation and the risk of cracking rises. Reheat rather than take an additional blow below this temperature.
Furnace atmosphere. Sulphur causes hot shortness in high-nickel alloys, so the furnace atmosphere must be low in sulphur and the billet surface kept free of sulphur-bearing residues.
Forging ratio. Light surface passes leave a fine skin over a coarse core. We set a reduction that puts real strain through the centre of the section, which also improves the ultrasonic result.
Post-forge annealing. Every forging is solution annealed after the final hot operation so that the delivered condition matches the specification.

Heat treatment of Alloy 690

Alloy 690 is delivered in one of two conditions. Which one applies depends on the service.

Solution annealing, the standard delivery condition

Approximately 1038 °C (1900 °F), held according to section thickness, then cooled rapidly. This dissolves carbides, recrystallises the forged structure and restores ductility. This is the condition supplied unless the order states otherwise.

Thermal treatment (TT), the nuclear condition

A supplementary hold at approximately 700 to 715 °C (1290 to 1320 °F) for 5 to 15 hours after solution annealing. This deposits a semi-continuous chain of chromium carbides along the grain boundaries and produces the resistance to primary water stress-corrosion cracking for which Alloy 690TT is specified. State 690TT on the order if the part enters a reactor coolant boundary.

No ageing cycle applies. Alloy 690 contains no gamma prime forming elements, so precipitation hardening is not possible. Strength can be raised only by cold work and grain-size control. Where a drawing calls for ageing on N06690, the requirement has usually been carried over from an Alloy 718 or Waspaloy specification and should be corrected before the order is released.

Corrosion performance

Environments where Alloy 690 performs well

High-purity water at pressure. Alloy 690TT replaced Alloy 600 in PWR steam generators after widespread primary water stress-corrosion cracking was found in Alloy 600 tubing.
Nitric acid and nitric-hydrofluoric mixtures. Used in nuclear fuel reprocessing and in metal pickling lines, where oxidising acids favour high-chromium alloys.
Caustic solutions. Resists the caustic stress-corrosion cracking that affects lower-chromium nickel alloys and austenitic stainless steels.
Sulphidising and oxidising gases at temperature. Suitable for sulphur-bearing atmospheres in coal gasification and petrochemical furnaces.
Chloride environments. The high nickel content confers immunity to chloride stress-corrosion cracking.

Environments where another alloy is a better choice

Strongly reducing acids. Hot hydrochloric acid and dilute sulphuric acid under reducing conditions call for a molybdenum-bearing alloy such as Hastelloy C-276 or Alloy 625.
High strength requirements. With a specified yield of 241 MPa, Alloy 690 is a corrosion alloy rather than a strength alloy. Inconel 718 and Inconel 725 cover bolt-grade strength.
Sustained load above about 650 °C. Creep governs before oxidation does. Alloy 617 and Haynes 230 are the structural choices for that range.

Inconel 690 forgings supplied

All parts listed below are open-die forged or ring-rolled in our own plant in Jiangyin. We are a manufacturer, not a trading company. Parts ship rough-machined with an agreed allowance, or finish-machined to drawing.

Seamless rolled rings

Ring-rolled with no weld seam and continuous grain flow around the circumference.

OD 200 to 4000 mm, H up to 1200 mm

Forged flanges

WN, SO, BL, LJ and special profiles to ASME B16.5, B16.47 or EN 1092-1.

DN 15 to DN 2000, Class 150 to 2500

Forged tube sheets

For shell and tube heat exchangers and steam generators, drilled on request.

Dia. up to 3000 mm, t up to 400 mm

Forged discs and disks

Upset-forged blanks for valve seats, closures, blind covers and pump parts.

Dia. 100 to 2500 mm, t 20 to 600 mm

Forged bars

Round, square and flat sections, peeled or rough turned, cut to length.

Dia. 50 to 800 mm, L up to 6000 mm

Forged shafts and spindles

Stepped shafts, eccentric shafts and spindles for pumps, agitators and compressors.

Dia. up to 900 mm, L up to 6000 mm

Sleeves and bushings

Hollow forgings, bored and trepanned to reduce machining loss on the alloy.

OD up to 1500 mm, ID from 80 mm

Valve bodies and stems

Forged blanks for ball, gate, globe, check and plug valves, plus stems, seats and blocks.

To drawing

Pipes, tubes and nozzles

Forged and bored hollows, nozzle forgings and forged fittings for pressure vessels.

To drawing

Single-piece weight 5 kg to 15 000 kg. Sizes outside this list are often possible. Send the drawing and we will confirm whether it suits our press and ring mill.

Standards and international equivalents

Table 4. Specifications covering UNS N06690 by product form
Standard	Scope
ASTM B564 / ASME SB-564	Nickel alloy forgings, the governing specification for our parts
ASTM B166	Rod, bar and wire
ASTM B167	Seamless pipe and tube
ASTM B168	Plate, sheet and strip
ASTM B163	Seamless tube for condensers and heat exchangers
ASTM B829	General requirements, seamless pipe and tube

Table 5. International designations for Alloy 690
Region	Designation
USA (UNS)	N06690
Europe (W.Nr. / EN)	2.4642, NiCr29Fe
Japan (JIS)	NCF690: G4901 bar, G4902 plate, G4903 pipe, G4904 tube
Korea (KS)	NCF690TP, D3758
China (GB)	NS3105, NS315
France	NY690 (Aubert & Duval)
Trade names	Inconel 690, Alloy 690, Nicrofer 6030, Nicrofer S 6030 and FM 690 filler

Inconel 690 vs Inconel 600 vs Inconel 625

These three grades are the ones most often weighed against each other. All minima below are the ASTM B564 annealed acceptance values for forgings.

Table 6. Alloy 690, 600 and 625 forgings compared
	Inconel 690 N06690	Inconel 600 N06600	Inconel 625 N06625
Nickel, %	58.0 min	72.0 min	58.0 min
Chromium, %	27.0 to 31.0	14.0 to 17.0	20.0 to 23.0
Molybdenum, %	none	none	8.0 to 10.0
Tensile min	586 MPa	552 MPa	827 MPa
Yield min	241 MPa	241 MPa	414 MPa
Elongation min	30 %	30 %	30 %
Oxidising acids	Excellent	Moderate	Good
Reducing acids	Limited	Limited	Excellent
PWSCC resistance	Excellent (690TT)	Poor	Good
Relative cost	Medium	Low to medium	High
Typical use	Nuclear steam generators, nitric acid, caustics	Furnace parts, heat treatment fixtures	Seawater, sour service, high strength

Selection guidance: Alloy 690 suits oxidising environments and applications where stress-corrosion cracking in hot water is the failure mode. Alloy 625 suits reducing environments and applications that need the additional strength. Alloy 600 remains adequate where neither condition is severe and cost is the deciding factor.

Applications for Inconel 690 forgings

Nuclear power

Steam generator tubesheets, tube support plates, channel head and divider plate components, control rod drive mechanism parts, primary coolant nozzles and forged rings for reactor internals. Alloy 690TT is the reference material for replacement steam generators.

Chemical and petrochemical processing

Nitric acid plant vessels and valve bodies, fuel reprocessing dissolvers, caustic evaporator components, forged flanges and tube sheets for shell and tube heat exchangers, columns, towers and pressure vessels.

High-temperature process equipment

Furnace muffles and retorts, radiant tubes and tube sheets, petrochemical heaters, high-temperature burner parts, coal gasification components, ethylene furnace hardware and nuclear waste vitrification melter parts.

Valves, pumps and rotating equipment

Forged valve bodies, seats, stems and blocks for ball, gate, globe, check and plug valves. Pump shafts and sleeves, agitator and crystalliser shafts, and compressor and gearbox components handling corrosive media.

Offshore, marine and general industry

Subsea and wellhead components, Christmas tree parts, forged rolls and wheels for pulp and paper, pharmaceutical and biochemical process equipment, and metal pickling line hardware exposed to nitric-hydrofluoric mixtures.

Melting, testing and certification

Melting route

Alloy 690 bar stock and ingot is melted by EAF plus AOD or VOD, followed by ESR remelting where the application requires low inclusion content and tight chemistry. Double-melted material is the default for nuclear and pressure boundary orders.

Tests performed

Table 7. Standard test and inspection scope
Test	Standard	Frequency
Chemical analysis and PMI	ASTM E1473, spectro and XRF	Every heat
Tensile test	ASTM E8/E8M, ISO 6892-1	Every heat lot
Impact test	ASTM E23, ISO 148-1	On request
Hardness	ASTM E10, ASTM E18	Every piece
Ultrasonic testing	EN 10228-3, SEP 1921, ASTM A388	Every piece
Liquid penetrant	ASTM E165, ISO 3452	On request
Intergranular corrosion	ASTM A262, ASTM G28 A	On request
Grain size	ASTM E112	On request
Dimensional and CMM	To drawing	Every piece

Documents supplied

EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate as standard, covering heat number, full chemistry, mechanical results, heat treatment record and NDT report.
EN 10204 3.2 certificate with third-party witness by TUV, Bureau Veritas, SGS, Lloyd's Register or DNV where the specification requires it.
Traceability from the ingot heat number to the stamp on the finished forging.
Certificate of origin, packing list and commercial documents for export.

How to order Inconel 690 forgings

Send the drawing and the specification

PDF, DWG or STEP, together with quantity, standard such as ASTM B564, delivery condition (annealed or 690TT), machining allowance and any NDT or third-party requirement. A dimensioned sketch is enough to start.
Receive a quotation within 24 hours

Priced by finished weight and machining scope, stating the forging route, test plan, lead time and Incoterm. If a different starting form saves material, we say so at this stage.
Approve the forging drawing and inspection plan

After the purchase order we issue the forging drawing with allowances and an inspection and test plan for sign-off. Production starts once both are approved.
Melt, forge and heat treat

Certified ingot or bar is cut, soaked and forged within the 1038 to 1233 °C window, then solution annealed. Thermal treatment is added where 690TT has been ordered.
Test, machine and inspect

Ultrasonic testing, tensile and hardness testing, then rough or finish machining. Third-party inspection is witnessed at this stage where specified.
Documentation, packing and shipment

EN 10204 certificates issued, parts marked with the heat number, seaworthy packing in plywood cases, and shipment from Shanghai or Ningbo by sea, or by air for urgent items.

Typical lead time 25 to 45 days depending on size and machining scope. No minimum order quantity. Single prototype forgings are accepted.

Frequently asked questions about Inconel 690

What is Inconel 690 used for?

Inconel 690 is used where high chromium content is needed for oxidising and stress-corrosion environments. Its largest application is nuclear: steam generator tubing and tubesheets, reactor internals and primary coolant components in pressurised-water reactors. It is also used for nitric acid plant equipment, nuclear fuel reprocessing, caustic evaporators, coal gasification hardware, furnace muffles and retorts, petrochemical heaters, and metal pickling equipment handling nitric-hydrofluoric mixtures.

Is Inconel 690 magnetic?

No. Alloy 690 is a fully austenitic single-phase alloy with a relative magnetic permeability of approximately 1.001, so it is practically non-magnetic at room temperature and remains so after forging and annealing. Heavy cold work does not induce a ferromagnetic phase as it can in some austenitic stainless steels.

Can Inconel 690 be hardened by heat treatment?

No. Alloy 690 is a solid-solution alloy containing no aluminium, titanium or niobium in the quantities needed to form strengthening precipitates, so no ageing or precipitation-hardening cycle will raise its strength. The only routes to higher strength are cold work and grain-size control. Heat treatment is used to restore properties by solution annealing at about 1038 °C, or in the 690TT condition to improve stress-corrosion resistance at about 700 to 715 °C.

What is the difference between Inconel 690 and Inconel 600?

The difference is chromium content. Alloy 600 contains 14 to 17 % chromium and Alloy 690 contains 27 to 31 %. That difference is significant in hot high-purity water: Alloy 600 steam generator tubing suffered widespread primary water stress-corrosion cracking from the 1970s onwards, and Alloy 690 in the thermally treated condition was developed as its replacement. Alloy 690 also performs better in nitric acid and caustic service. Alloy 600 carries more nickel, 72 % minimum, and remains adequate for general furnace and heat-treatment fixtures where stress-corrosion cracking is not the failure mode.

What standard covers Inconel 690 forgings?

ASTM B564 and ASME SB-564, Standard Specification for Nickel Alloy Forgings, cover UNS N06690 forgings. In the annealed condition the specification requires a minimum tensile strength of 586 MPa (85 ksi), a minimum 0.2 % yield strength of 241 MPa (35 ksi) and minimum elongation of 30 %. Related forms are covered by ASTM B166 for bar, B167 for pipe and tube, B168 for plate and B163 for heat-exchanger tube.

What is the maximum service temperature of Inconel 690?

It depends on whether the part carries load. Alloy 690 resists oxidation in air well above 1000 °C, so unstressed furnace hardware can run at high temperature. Load-bearing and pressure-retaining parts are limited by creep long before oxidation becomes the issue, in practice around 600 to 650 °C for sustained stress, and the allowable stresses in the applicable ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code section govern. For structural service above that range, Alloy 617 and Haynes 230 are the usual alternatives.

Is Alloy 690 the same as Inconel 690, Nicrofer 6030 and NCF690?

Yes, these are all names for the same material, UNS N06690 and W.Nr. 2.4642. INCONEL is a registered trademark of Special Metals Corporation, Nicrofer 6030 is the VDM Metals trade name, NCF690 is the JIS designation, and NS3105 and NS315 are the Chinese GB designations. When ordering from a manufacturer other than the trademark holder, specify UNS N06690 and the ASTM standard rather than the trade name, since that is what the mill certificate is issued against.

How is Inconel 690 machined?

Alloy 690 work-hardens rapidly, so the cutting edge must stay below the hardened layer at all times. Use a low surface speed with a heavy positive feed, sharp positive-rake carbide or ceramic tooling, a rigid setup with minimum overhang, and generous flood coolant. Do not allow the tool to dwell or rub, because a stopped cut hardens the surface and the following pass has to cut through that layer. Plan for materially lower removal rates than austenitic stainless steel and quote machining time accordingly.

What sizes of Inconel 690 forgings can Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal supply?

Rolled rings from 200 mm to 4000 mm outside diameter, forged discs up to 2500 mm diameter, tube sheets up to 3000 mm diameter, forged bars from 50 mm to 800 mm diameter and up to 6000 mm long, and flanges from DN 15 to DN 2000. Single-piece weight ranges from 5 kg to 15 000 kg. Send drawings to sales@steelforgepieces.com and we will confirm feasibility against our press and ring mill.

What is the lead time and minimum order quantity?

Typical lead time is 25 to 45 days from drawing approval, depending on size, machining scope and third-party inspection. There is no minimum order quantity. We produce single prototype forgings as well as production batches, and quotations are issued within 24 hours of receiving a drawing.

Do you supply EN 10204 3.2 third-party certificates?

Yes. EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificates are issued as standard with every Inconel 690 forging. EN 10204 3.2 certificates witnessed by TUV, Bureau Veritas, SGS, Lloyd's Register or DNV are available on request. State the inspection body in the enquiry so that the witness points are built into the inspection and test plan from the start.

Are you a forging factory or a trading company?

Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer. Open-die forging, ring rolling, heat treatment and machining are performed in our own plant at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China. Factory visits and video audits of the press, furnaces and inspection area are welcome before an order is placed.

The factory

Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, China, producing forged rings, flanges, tube sheets, discs, shafts, bars and sleeves in carbon steel, alloy steel, tool steel, stainless steel and nickel-base alloys including Inconel 690, Inconel 625, Inconel 718, Incoloy 800H, Monel 400 and the Hastelloy grades.

Jiangyin is located in the Yangtze River delta between Shanghai and Nanjing, a region with a long-established forging and special-steel supply chain. That location gives short lead times on certified nickel-alloy stock and direct access to the Shanghai and Ningbo container ports.

Company: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd.
Type: Open-die forging manufacturer
Address: No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China
Telephone: +86 189 2135 9659
Email: sales@steelforgepieces.com
Website: www.steelforgepieces.com
Materials: Carbon, alloy, tool and stainless steel, nickel and cobalt-base alloys
Certification: EN 10204 3.1 as standard, 3.2 with third-party witness

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Request a quotation

Send the grade, the size and the quantity, or attach a sketch. An engineer will reply with a forging route, a test plan and a firm lead time.

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Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd.
No.1 Chengxiqiao Road
Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City
Jiangsu Province, China

Tel +86 189 2135 9659
WhatsApp +86 189 2135 9659
Email sales@steelforgepieces.com

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