Alloy 625: Impressive Past/Significant Presence/Awesome Future

It has been close to half a century since the original research and development lead to the invention of alloy 625. Originally intended for ultra-critical steam piping, the alloy continues to find new applications and increased volume of production annually. This paper will review some of the markets where alloy 625 is the material of choice and explain the reasons for its success. Advances in material processing are noted and characterized. These advances are creating a better understanding of the uniqueness of the alloy and resulting in new uses. Welding and overlaying with alloy 625 for some developing applications will be reviewed.