Cobalt alloys

About the material

Cobalt-based alloys are characterised by their exceptional strength, high corrosion resistance and excellent thermal stability. In many demanding applications – from watchmaking to medical technology – they offer properties that conventional stainless steels or nickel alloys cannot meet.

Jacques Allemann offers high-precision cobalt alloys in strip or wire form for applications with very high requirements.

Typical properties

• Excellent heat resistance (up to > 800°C)
• High wear and fatigue resistance
• Rustproof, even in aggressive media (acids, chlorides)
• Good dimensional stability, non-magnetic or weakly magnetic
• Very good cold formability (particularly with Phynox)
• Biocompatible (Phynox, MP35N) – suitable for implants

Nivaflex® (e.g. 45/5 and 45/18)

Nivaflex is a protected cobalt alloy specially developed for watchmaking – particularly for balance springs (spirals) with high dimensional stability and thermal stability. The number (e.g. 45/18) indicates specific material modifications and magnetisabilities.

Properties:

• Very high elasticity and restoring force
• Non-magnetic
• Temperature stable
• Ageing-resistant

Area of application: high-precision components in mechanical watch movements (spirals, tension springs, drive springs).

Phynox® (comparable to UNS R30003 / 2.4711)

Phynox is a hardenable cobalt-chrome-nickel alloy that offers an excellent combination of strength, corrosion resistance and formability. It is non-magnetic and can be hardened by strain hardening and ageing.

Main chemical components:
~50% Co, 15-20% Cr, 15% Ni, <1% Mo, <0.1% C

Special features:

• Biocompatible → ideal for medical implants, surgical springs and dental components
• Very high fatigue strength
• Excellent cold-forming properties → ideal for fine strips, springs, clips
• Ageing treatment (e.g. 500 °C/5 h) increases hardness and elasticity

Material K13C20N16Fe15D07

This material is chemically and functionally closely related to Phynox and similar CoCrNiMo alloys. It typically consists of:

• 13% Cr
• 20% CO
• 16% Ni
• 15% Fe
• 0.07% C

This composition results in a stainless, cold-formable and age-hardenable cobalt alloy with high thermal strength and non-magnetic behaviour. Areas of application:

• Precision engineering
• Sensors
• Heavy-duty technical springs
• Watch springs and hair springs
• Medical technology