Nickel Wire

Ken-tron draws Nickel 200, Nickel 201, Nickel 205, Nickel 220, and other nickel wire alloys for customers producing electrical contacts, electronic components, and mechanical fasteners, plus applications in the aerospace, battery, automotive, lighting, and medical industries. Nickel wire is also used for automotive screen and heating elements, and as lead wire. The most commonly ordered grades are commercially pure Nickel 200 (UNS N02200) and its low-carbon counterpart, Nickel 201 (UNS N02201).

Nickel 200/201 is commercially pure wrought nickel (99% min Ni + Co) valued for its combination of good mechanical properties, excellent corrosion resistance in caustic and reducing environments, and stable electrical/thermal characteristics. Nickel 201’s lower carbon content prevents graphite embrittlement in service above 600°F (316°C), making it the preferred grade for elevated-temperature and fused-caustic applications.

Nickel Grade Variants

Grade UNS No. Key Difference Typical Use
Nickel 200 (most common) N02200 Standard carbon (0.15% max) General-purpose nickel wire, up to ~600°F service
Nickel 201 (most common) N02201 Low carbon (0.02% max) — resists graphitization Elevated-temperature and fused-caustic service above 600°F
Nickel 211 (solution-strengthened) N02211 4.25–5.25% Mn addition Higher-strength applications, e.g., lamp and tube components

Chemical Composition

Element Nickel 200 (N02200) Nickel 201 (N02201)
Nickel, min 99.0 99.0
Copper, max 0.25 0.25
Iron, max 0.40 0.40
Manganese, max 0.35 0.35
Carbon, max 0.15 0.02
Silicon, max 0.35 0.35
Sulfur, max 0.01 0.01

Source: ASTM B160-05 (Reapproved 2019), Table 2. Nickel content shall be determined arithmetically by difference.

Mechanical Properties

ASTM B160 covers nickel in rod and bar form; the table below shows the rod/bar mechanical baseline from that specification. Ken-tron draws Nickel 200/201 wire to finer diameters and higher cold-reduction levels than rod/bar, which raises the achievable tensile range — typical drawn-wire values are shown beneath.

ASTM B160 Rod/Bar Baseline (Nickel 200)

Condition Tensile Strength, min (ksi) Yield Strength (0.2% offset), min (ksi) Elongation, min %
Cold-worked, rounds ≤1 in. 80 60 10
Cold-worked, rounds 1–4 in. 75 50 15
Hot-worked, all sizes 60 15 35
Annealed, rods/bars 55 15 40

Source: ASTM B160-05(2019), Table 1. Nickel 201 (low-carbon) and Nickel 211 hot-worked/annealed values: 50 ksi min tensile, 10 ksi min yield, 40% min elongation.

Ken-tron Typical Drawn-Wire Tensile Range

Temper Tensile Strength (ksi)
1/2 Hard 105 – 140

Source: Ken-tron typical values for cold-drawn fine wire, which develops higher strength than the rod/bar minimums in ASTM B160 due to greater cumulative cold reduction. Confirm target temper and diameter with Ken-tron engineering for a specific application.

Physical Properties

Property Value
Density 0.321 lb/in³
Melting Point ≈2,650°F
Magnetic Permeability Ferromagnetic (Curie point ≈680°F / 360°C)

Corrosion Resistance

  • Excellent resistance to caustic alkalies at all concentrations and temperatures
  • Good resistance to neutral and mildly reducing salts
  • Resists chloride-ion stress-corrosion cracking, unlike austenitic stainless steel
  • Nickel 201 (low-carbon) is specifically suited to fused caustic soda and other fused-salt service above 600°F, where standard Nickel 200 can suffer graphitization and embrittlement

Applicable Standards & Specifications

Standard Scope Grade
ASTM B160-05 (Reapproved 2019) Nickel and low-carbon nickel rod and bar — chemistry and mechanical baseline reference N02200, N02201, N02211
ASTM B880 General requirements for chemical check-analysis limits, nickel alloys All nickel alloy product

Nickel-Plated Steel Wire (Alternative)

For applications where full nickel performance is not required, Ken-tron also supplies nickel-plated steel wire — a low-carbon 1006 steel core plated with 2%, 4%, or 8% by weight of pure nickel (99.5% min, including cobalt). This construction is used as a cost-efficient substitute for solid nickel wire in vacuum tubes, batteries, music-wire wrap, and filter screens.

Property NPS 2% NPS 4% NPS 8%
Density (lb/in³) 0.285 0.285 0.286

Industries & Applications

Industry Typical Applications
Electrical & Electronics Electrical contacts, electronic components, lead wire
Battery Battery contacts and current-carrying components
Automotive Screen and heating elements
Aerospace & Medical Mechanical fasteners, precision components
Lighting Lamp and tube lead-in wire

Nickel 200 vs. Nickel 201

Property Nickel 200 (N02200) Nickel 201 (N02201)
Carbon, max 0.15% 0.02%
Service Temperature Suitable to ~600°F (316°C) Preferred above 600°F — resists graphitization
Typical Use General-purpose nickel wire Fused-caustic and elevated-temperature service

Ken-tron Wire Drawing Capability

The Ken-tron Wire Division specializes in small-diameter, close-tolerance wire made to customer specifications. Our manufacturing process for nickel wire includes:

  • Incoming material verification — mill certifications reviewed, chemistry confirmed against applicable standard
  • Controlled cold reduction — percentage reduction between anneals managed to achieve target temper and dimensional tolerance
  • In-process and final annealing — controlled-atmosphere annealing to minimize surface oxidation
  • Dimensional inspection — diameter measured using calibrated gauges; tolerance held to customer specification
  • Surface inspection — wire examined for seams, laps, or inclusions affecting downstream forming
  • Certification and documentation — mill certs and material traceability furnished with each shipment

Ken-tron manufactures to your custom specifications. For additional inquiries, please request a quote or contact us.

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