Inconel 738 Scrap Buyer, Importer and Exporter in India
IN-738 is one of the workhorse blade alloys of industrial gas turbines, so ex-service blades and foundry revert reach the market every outage season. Mipra Steel buys and sells them as IN-738, kept apart from the other cast nickel alloys found in the same machines.
Sell Inconel 738 Scrap
Tell us whether you have ex-service blades and vanes or foundry revert, the turbine model and stage if known, weight, location and photographs. Coatings and braze should be visible in the photos. Readings showing tantalum, niobium and tungsten help most. We review incoming enquiries and respond with relevant next steps.
Buy Inconel 738 Scrap
Foundries and remelters can say whether they need 738 or 738LC, the quantity, accepted forms (revert, cleaned blades) and coating limits.
What Is Inconel 738 Scrap?
IN-738 is a vacuum-cast nickel superalloy that pairs high-temperature strength with unusually good hot-corrosion resistance for a blade alloy. The two come from its balance: about 16% chromium, higher than most later blade alloys, for corrosion resistance, and a gamma prime precipitate from roughly equal titanium and aluminium for strength. Tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum and niobium add solid-solution and carbide strengthening.
It is produced in a standard carbon version and in IN-738LC, the low-carbon version; the TMS cast superalloy table, citing Cannon-Muskegon, gives 0.09% carbon for 738LC. The carbon level of a particular heat is set by the foundry specification, and it is the main thing a buyer cannot confirm with a handheld analyser.
Scrap arises in two streams. Investment foundries generate gates, risers and rejected castings that are clean and single-grade. Power plants generate ex-service blades and vanes at hot-gas-path inspections, carrying coatings, braze repairs and sometimes tip caps of other alloys. Both are valuable for the cobalt and refractory elements they carry, as long as they are not mixed with IN-939, GTD-111 or René 80 from the same turbine.
Inconel is a trademark of Special Metals Corporation, used here only to identify material.
IN-738 is listed with the Inconel alloys and belongs to the cast superalloys.
Where Inconel 738 Scrap Comes From
Two streams dominate.
Investment Foundries
Gates, risers, sprues and rejected blade and vane castings. Uncoated, single-grade and the cleanest IN-738 scrap.
IGT Outages
Blades and vanes replaced at hot-gas-path and major inspections of power and mechanical-drive turbines.
Repair Shops
Parts judged beyond repair, with coatings, braze and weld filler to account for.
Inconel 738 Chemical Composition
Nominal composition of IN-738LC in weight per cent from the TMS table of typical cast superalloys (source given there as the C-M Group nickel-base equiaxed alloy index). The standard IN-738 differs mainly in carbon.
| Element | Symbol | IN-738LC nominal wt% |
|---|---|---|
| Nickel | Ni | Balance |
| Chromium | Cr | 16 |
| Cobalt | Co | 8.5 |
| Aluminium | Al | 3.5 |
| Titanium | Ti | 3.5 |
| Tungsten | W | 2.5 |
| Niobium | Nb | 2 |
| Tantalum | Ta | 1.7 |
| Molybdenum | Mo | 1.7 |
| Carbon | C | 0.09 |
| Zirconium | Zr | 0.05 |
| Boron | B | 0.010 |
Inconel 738 Applications
- Industrial gas turbine blades (buckets)
- Industrial gas turbine vanes (nozzles)
- Other cast hot-section parts needing hot-corrosion resistance
Source industries: power generation and oil and gas (mechanical-drive turbines).
How Inconel 738 Scrap Is Identified
| Check | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Chromium about 16% | Higher than GTD-111 and René 80 (about 14%); lower than IN-939 (about 22%). |
| Niobium about 2% with tantalum about 1.7% | A combination the other common IGT blade alloys do not share. |
| Cobalt about 8.5% | IN-939 has about 19%. |
| Carbon by lab | The only reliable way to tell 738 from 738LC apart from records. |
Grades Most Often Confused with Inconel 738
- IN-939: about 22% chromium and 19% cobalt.
- GTD-111: about 14% chromium, more titanium and tantalum, no niobium.
- René 80: about 14% chromium, 5% titanium and 4% molybdenum, no tantalum.
Preparing Inconel 738 Scrap for Sale
- Keep each turbine and stage in its own lot, with part records.
- Separate foundry revert from ex-service parts.
- Note coatings and braze; remove locking plates, seals and other-alloy parts.
- Do not mix with IN-939, GTD-111 or René 80.
Inconel 738 Scrap Price per Kg: What Decides It
- Nickel and cobalt content.
- Tungsten, tantalum, niobium and molybdenum credits.
- Coatings and braze on ex-service parts.
- Grade evidence, including 738 versus 738LC where it matters to the melter.
- Lot size.
Inconel 738 Scrap Import and Export
Blades from turbine outages in the Gulf and Asia are imported into India under heading 7503.00 with the grade named; foundry revert moves the same way. Exports are crated by grade and stage. See importing, export documents and selling turbine blade scrap.
Related Reading
To tell this alloy from other cast superalloys, see how to identify cast superalloy scrap.
Inconel 738 FAQ
What is the difference between IN-738 and IN-738LC?
IN-738LC is the low-carbon version of IN-738. The TMS cast superalloy table lists 0.09% carbon for 738LC; the standard version carries more. Other elements are essentially the same.
Where does Inconel 738 scrap come from?
Mostly from industrial gas turbine blades and vanes replaced at inspections, and from investment foundries that cast them.
How is IN-738 told apart from GTD-111?
IN-738 reads about 16% chromium and 2% niobium; GTD-111 about 14% chromium with no niobium and more titanium and tantalum.
Which HS code applies to Inconel 738 scrap?
Heading 7503.00, nickel waste and scrap.
Sources and Review
Figures are quoted as published in these sources; any value we could not confirm has been left out.
- TMS, Compositions of Typical Cast Superalloys table: Inconel 738 LC (C-M Group, Nickel Base Equiax Alloy Index).
- GTD-111 and IN-939 values as listed on this site's grade pages.
Reviewed by Mitesh Shah, Proprietor, Mipra Steel · Published by Mipra Steel, Khetwadi, Mumbai · Last updated