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FAQs about ALLVAR

Yes! ALLVAR Alloys are titanium-based alloys that are corrosion-resistant, non-magnetic, and can be welded to Ti-6-4 and other ALLVAR Alloy components.

No, the elements in ALLVAR alloys are non-toxic.

Currently, we provide:

  • Solid bar up to 2.25″ in. round
  • Tube up to 3 in. OD, depending on the wall thickness
  • Rod as small as 1/8 in. diameter
  • Constant force-load washers for fasteners in temperature variant environments

There are many applications and products that negative CTE ALLVAR Alloys can improve! Some of the most notable are space telescopes, optics used in extreme environments, lens housings, cryostats and cryogenic equipment, and unique scientific instruments. Negative thermal expansion alloys are novel, so if your application is not on the list, we would love to help!

ALLVAR Alloys can be used to achieve net zero linear thermal expansion. Negative thermal expansion ALLVAR Alloys can compensate for positive thermal expansion components along an axial direction. The CTE of an assembly can be tuned to a specific value, negative, positive, or zero CTE. Learn more in this video or contact us to talk to one of our thermal expansion experts.

Yes! If you can machine titanium, you can machine ALLVAR Alloys. They can be machined into rods, struts, tubes, or other custom components.

No. Additional processing is not needed to achieve ALLVAR Alloys novel, patented negative thermal expansion capabilities.

ALLVAR Alloys have similar magnetic properties to other titanium-based alloys, which are generally considered non-magnetic.

We are in the process of getting negative CTE ALLVAR Alloys into space, and we expect to achieve that goal within the next 1-2 years. ALLVAR Alloys are true Titanium alloys and behave as such. We do not foresee any problems with ALLVAR’s performance in space. You can read about our projects to bring ALLVAR Alloys to space here or contact us to see what we can do in space.

Since ALLVAR Alloys are made of true metals, they behave like all other metals do in a vacuum. There is no moisture or other material component that would cause problems from outgassing.

Yes! We have successfully welded ALLVAR Alloys to Ti-6-4 and other ALLVAR pieces.

We have two alloys currently available, and each alloy has a different operating temperature.

  • ALLVAR Alloy 30 operates from cryogenic temperatures to 100 °C
  • ALLVAR Alloy HT, our newest alloy, operates from cryogenic temperatures to 250 °C

Let us know if you have an application outside of these temperature ranges. We are material scientists at heart and would love the opportunity to develop a higher temperature NTE alloy.

No, ALLVAR Alloys are anisotropic, meaning if the bar shrinks in length, it will grow in the radial direction. The growth is consistent and runs about 2 ppm/°C more than the shrinkage in the length. For example, if the ALLVAR bar has a negative 30 ppm/°C in the length, it will have a positive 32 ppm/°C in the radial direction.
Yes, ALLVAR Alloys are corrosion resistant. ALLVAR Alloys are titanium-based and are comparably corrosion resistant to titanium.
While the ALLVAR team has never coated them, we have been told by our partners that it can be coated like titanium.
We have never polished it internally, but it will polish like titanium, which we have been told by our partners is a bit gummy.
While we have not studied this directly, we have never observed a change in CTE characteristics or performance during the normal handling experienced in a machine shop environment.
No, ALLVAR Alloys do not absorb moisture from the surrounding environment.
Like in any other industry, economies of scale affect the proprietary steps and cost of material. While you might save money on the upfront cost using other materials for your system, our alloy can reduce design time and lead to higher yield/reduced scrap. Those additional costs can be far greater than the initial investment in the right material for the job.

ALLVAR Alloys are designed for companies that have extreme performance requirements and need a customized solution for performance critical applications. ALLVAR Alloys are for previously unachievable size, length, and weight requirements, where plastic titanium, or aluminum will not make the cut.

It depends on your project’s risk adversity and requirements. ALLVAR Alloys are a completely unique, true metal material, with revolutionary athermalizing properties – there are no other materials like this in existence. To meet more stringent requirements, our team of technical engineers are constantly testing and developing our products to collect more data. We are working towards getting our design-allowable properties in the Metallic Materials Properties Development and Standardization (MMPDS), and we are currently exploring opportunities for funding in this area.
ALLVAR Alloys are new. They are not manufactured to any ASTM or other governing body’s standards because there are no specifications to compare it to. According to these standards, there is no such thing as a titanium or any metal that shrinks when it gets hot!
INVAR’s material cost does not reflect the cost of the machining and processing. INVAR requires multiple rounds of heat treating to achieve its near-zero CTE properties in machined parts, greatly increasing its processing cost. While INVAR may be a less expensive near-zero CTE material than ALLVAR Alloys, there are many downsides to using it. INVAR is sensitive – not to mention heavy. It is also magnetic and very corrosive. Unlike INVAR, ALLVAR Alloys derive their negative CTE properties through a unique blend of processing and chemistry. ALLVAR Alloys are also lightweight, corrosion-resistant, non-magnetic, and don’t require extensive heat treatments.

ALLVAR Alloy 30 is not available in powder form for 3D printing. 

ALLVAR sells directly to the end user – we do not have any distributors currently.

Please contact us! We are just as much a team of material engineers as we are material manufacturers. We pride ourselves on being a transparent and solution-oriented team that will tell you if ALLVAR Alloys are right for you. If ALLVAR Alloys are not right for you, we are more than happy to suggest an alternative solution that will fit your needs.

Engineers have joked that a negative thermal expansion material is unobtanium. We are pleased to announce that unobtanium has arrived! We can provide negative thermal expansion ALLVAR Alloys for your project today.
info@allvaralloys.com
979 599-5090

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