Monel

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Monel is a trademark comprising a series of rustless (stainless) metal alloys, primarily composed of nickel (up to 67%) and copper, with some iron and other trace elements. It is resistant to corrosion and acids, and some alloys can withstand a fire in pure oxygen. It is commonly used in applications with highly corrosive conditions. Small additions of aluminum and titanium form an alloy with the same corrosion resistance, but with very high strength.

It was created by Robert Crooks Stanley for INCO in 1901, and named for company president Ambrose Monell.

Monel is used as the material for valve pistons in some higher quality trumpets, e.g., Bach Stradivarius. It is also often used for kitchen sinks and in the frames of eyeglasses. Its corrosion resistant characteristic makes it ideal for marine applications such as piping systems, pump impellers, trolling wire, and strainer baskets. Some alloys are completely non-magnetic and are used for anchor cable aboard minesweepers, housing magnetic field measurement equipment, and have applications in the oil drilling industry. Monel is typically much more expensive than stainless steel.

Monel is very hard to machine as it work hardens instantly with heat and does not harden into a constant matrix. It needs to be turned and worked at slow speeds and low feed rates.

MONEL® is a trademark of Special Metals Corporation.

RotoSound introduced the use of monel for bass strings in 1962, and these strings have been used on countless albums throughout the 1960s and by such artists as the Who, Sting, John Deacon, and John Paul Jones. Monel was in use in the early 1930's by other musical string manufacturers, such as Gibson of Kalamazoo, et al.