Cobalt-Chrome Alloy Vicalloy Annealed
Temper
GB Vicalloy
Pick for wire drawing, tape rolling, stamping or machining before the magnetic aging treatment.
Values for the Annealed condition
Other Vicalloy tempers and conditions
Vicalloy is listed in 6 conditions; see the grade overview at Vicalloy.
Compare all 6 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AnnealedThis page solution annealed ~1150–1200 °C and rapidly cooled (magnetically soft, ductile) | Pick for wire drawing, tape rolling, stamping or machining before the magnetic aging treatment. | 400 | 700 | 22 | 22 HRC | 3.1 % IACS |
Cast + aged | For net-shape miniature magnets or hysteresis-motor rings where cold working is impractical; magnetic properties are lower than wrought+aged. | 600 | 700 | 2 | 45 HRC | 2.9 % IACS |
Vicalloy I | Choose when better ductility/drawability matters more than coercivity; Hc ≈ 24 kA/m, (BH)max ≈ 8 kJ/m³. | 1,100 | 1,350 | 3 | 46 HRC | 3.2 % IACS |
Cold worked | Intermediate condition of drawn wire or rolled tape; already semi-hard magnetically, used where a final low-temperature age is applied by the customer. | 1,200 | 1,400 | 3 | 44 HRC | 2.8 % IACS |
CW+AgeDefault Cold worked + aged | Standard delivered condition for Vicalloy wire and tape: maximum coercivity and energy product with usable strength. | 1,250 | 1,500 | 2 | 50 HRC | 2.9 % IACS |
Vicalloy II | Higher-vanadium version for maximum coercivity and energy product in cold-drawn wire and rolled tape. | 1,300 | 1,550 | 2 | 52 HRC | 2.6 % IACS |
What is Vicalloy Annealed?
Vicalloy Annealed is Vicalloy in the Annealed temper — pick for wire drawing, tape rolling, stamping or machining before the magnetic aging treatment. Vicalloy Annealed has a yield strength of 400 MPa (58 ksi) and a tensile strength of 700 MPa (102 ksi) — weaker than 96% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades. Elongation at break is 22% and the elastic modulus is 185 GPa (26.8 Msi). Vicalloy Annealed has a density of 8.25 g/cm³ (0.298 lb/in³), lighter than 96% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades. It melts at 1,440°C (2,624 °F). CW+Age is the default condition FabDigit quotes; Annealed is available on request or by drawing note.
Advantages
- Easy to machine — 40/100, better than 104% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades
- Conducts heat well — 23 W/m·K (13.3 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 100% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades
- High electrical conductivity — 3.1 % IACS, better than 100% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades
- Low embodied carbon — 6 kg CO₂/kg, better than 100% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades
- Forms and bends easily — 60/100, better than 95% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades
Limitations
- Low stiffness — 185 GPa (26.8 Msi), worse than 100% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades
- Hard to polish — 60/100, worse than 100% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades
- Low strength — 400 MPa (58 ksi), worse than 96% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades
- Needs corrosion protection — 25/100, worse than 96% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades
- Limited service temperature — 500°C (932 °F), worse than 87% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades
Vicalloy Annealed properties
Typical room-temperature values for Vicalloy Annealed; 23 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are Vicalloy reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among cobalt-chrome alloy grades.
Physical3
Vicalloy Annealed has a density of 8.25 g/cm³ (0.298 lb/in³), lighter than 96% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades. It melts at 1,440°C (2,624 °F).
Mechanical16
Vicalloy Annealed has a yield strength of 400 MPa (58 ksi) and a tensile strength of 700 MPa (102 ksi) — weaker than 96% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades. Elongation at break is 22% and the elastic modulus is 185 GPa (26.8 Msi).
Thermal5
Vicalloy Annealed is rated for continuous service to 500°C (932 °F). It conducts heat at 23 W/m·K (13.3 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 100% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades. Thermal expansion is 10.5 µm/m·K (5.83 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Vicalloy Annealed conducts electricity at 3.1 % IACS, better than 100% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is poor (25/100), worse than 96% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades.
Sustainability3
Producing a kilogram of Vicalloy Annealed takes about 95 MJ of energy and emits 6 kg of CO₂ — less than 96% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 15%.
Manufacturability7
Vicalloy Annealed's machinability is fair (40/100, better than 104% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades); weldability fair (35/100); formability good (60/100).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with Vicalloy Annealed
Is Vicalloy easy to machine?
Machine in the annealed condition with carbide tooling and generous coolant; after aging (~50 HRC) only grinding, EDM or fine finishing is practical.
Can Vicalloy be welded?
Fusion welding is avoided on finished magnets because heat dissolves the aging precipitates and erases the magnetic properties; resistance/laser tack joining plus re-aging, or mechanical assembly, is preferred.
Can Vicalloy be formed, bent or molded?
Cold draw wire or roll tape in the solution-annealed state with interpass anneals, then age 550–650 °C to develop coercivity; heavy prior deformation is essential to the magnetic hardening mechanism.
What surface finishes work on Vicalloy?
Not corrosion resistant — electroless nickel, nickel or tin plating, phosphate or lacquer coatings are used; passivation/anodizing is not applicable.
Vicalloy chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Coprincipal magnetic constituent | 49 – 54 | 52 |
| V≈10 % for Vicalloy I, ≈13–14 % for Vicalloy II | 9 – 14 | 13 |
| Ckept low | ≤ 0.05 | 0.02 |
| Mnresidual/deoxidizer | ≤ 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Siresidual/deoxidizer | ≤ 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Fe | balance | — |
Vicalloy Annealed — frequently asked
What is Vicalloy Annealed used for?
Vicalloy Annealed is typically used for magnetic recording wire/tape, small permanent magnets, relay reeds and magnetic clutches. In short: ductile-then-hard semi-hard magnet; cold work sets the coercivity; largely superseded by ferrites.
What is the yield strength of Vicalloy Annealed?
Vicalloy Annealed has a typical yield strength of 400 MPa (58 ksi) and a tensile strength of 700 MPa (102 ksi) — weaker than 96% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 6 listed tempers.
Is Vicalloy Annealed easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated fair (40/100, better than 104% of cobalt-chrome alloy grades). Machine in the annealed condition with carbide tooling and generous coolant; after aging (~50 HRC) only grinding, EDM or fine finishing is practical.
Can Vicalloy Annealed be welded?
With care — weldability is rated fair (35/100). Fusion welding is avoided on finished magnets because heat dissolves the aging precipitates and erases the magnetic properties; resistance/laser tack joining plus re-aging, or mechanical assembly, is preferred.
What surface finishes work on Vicalloy Annealed?
Not corrosion resistant — electroless nickel, nickel or tin plating, phosphate or lacquer coatings are used; passivation/anodizing is not applicable.
Can Vicalloy Annealed be formed, bent or molded?
Cold draw wire or roll tape in the solution-annealed state with interpass anneals, then age 550–650 °C to develop coercivity; heavy prior deformation is essential to the magnetic hardening mechanism.
What is the maximum service temperature of Vicalloy Annealed?
Vicalloy Annealed is rated for continuous use to about 500°C (932 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between Vicalloy CW+Age and Vicalloy V-I?
CW+Age is the default condition — standard delivered condition for Vicalloy wire and tape: maximum coercivity and energy product with usable strength. V-I: choose when better ductility/drawability matters more than coercivity; Hc ≈ 24 kA/m, (BH)max ≈ 8 kJ/m³. Yield strength is 1,250 MPa in CW+Age versus 1,100 MPa in V-I.
Sources
- ASM Handbook Vol. 2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials (magnetically hard materials) — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Specialty Handbook: Magnetically Soft and Hard Materials chapters — ASM International (1998)
- Permanent Magnet Materials and Their Application — Cambridge University Press (1994)
- Fe-Co-V semi-hard magnetic alloy strip and wire data (Vacuumschmelze / Carpenter comparable grades) — producer datasheets (2020)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.