Permendur (Hiperco 50) FeCoV

spore: profile
id: permendur
spore_version: 0.2
family: magnet-and-superconducting-alloys
name: Permendur (Hiperco 50)
abbreviation: FeCoV
role: soft magnetic core and actuator alloy
category: metals
type: magnet-alloys
summary: |
  Permendur, sold as Hiperco 50 (UNS R30005), is an iron-cobalt-vanadium soft magnetic alloy with nominal 48.5 % Co, 1.9 V and balance Fe. Carpenter prints a magnetic saturation of 24 kG for it. A TotalMateria page that credits Carpenter's product data sheet gives an electrical resistivity of 0.401 Ω·mm²/m and a thermal conductivity of 29.83 W/(m·°C). Carpenter's full datasheet is behind a registration form, so density, Curie temperature, permeability and strength by temper are taken from VACUUMSCHMELZE's datasheet for VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co, 49 Fe, 2 V), the same alloy class from another maker: 8.12 g/cm3, Curie temperature 950 °C, saturation polarization 2.30 T, yield 250 MPa and tensile 350 MPa after a final anneal at 820 °C. Those rows are labelled VACOFLUX 50 and are not Hiperco 50 values.
best_for: Soft magnetic cores and actuator parts that need high magnetic saturation (24 kG, per Carpenter)
weakest_at: Hiperco 50 strength, density and magnetic-loss values by temper are not sourced (the VACOFLUX 50 rows are another maker's grade; the VACOFLUX 50 solid material is low in strength, 250 MPa yield); magnetic and electrical properties change with ageing and heat treatment (Goodfellow)
identity:
  formula: 'Fe-Co-V alloy: nominal Co 48.5 %, V 1.9, Nb 0.05, C 0.01, balance Fe (UNS R30005, Hiperco 50)'
  source: carpenter-hiperco50
  where: Type analysis table and Applicable Specifications list on the Carpenter Hiperco 50 page. The Carpenter page prints no units; the % units for Co and C come from the TotalMateria page
  designations:
    - system: UNS
      code: R30005
      source: carpenter-hiperco50
      where: 'Applicable Specifications list, UNS #R30005'
    - system: ASTM
      code: A801
      note: Alloy Type 1, wrought iron-cobalt high magnetic saturation alloy
      source: carpenter-hiperco50
      where: Applicable Specifications list, ASTM A801 Alloy Type 1
    - system: Trade name
      code: Hiperco
      note: Trade name family; the Carpenter page prints Hiperco® 50 with a registered mark
      source: carpenter-hiperco50
      where: Page title and product name
    - system: Trade name
      code: Permendur
      source: goodfellow-hiperco50
      where: Synonyms list, Permendur rod
    - system: Trade name
      code: Supermendur
      source: goodfellow-hiperco50
      where: Synonyms list, Supermendur stick
tags:
  environments: []
  stresses: []
  applications:
    - mechanisms
properties:
  - benchmark: magnetic_saturation
    label: Magnetic saturation, Hiperco 50
    value: 24
    unit: kG
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Hiperco 50 (UNS R30005)
      field: not stated on the page
      temperature: not stated on the page
    method: Value printed in the product description of the Carpenter Hiperco 50 page, quoted as 24 kilogauss
    status: ground
    source: carpenter-hiperco50
    where: Product description paragraph, saturation phrase
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    label: Modulus of elasticity, Hiperco 50 (range)
    value: 190
    value_high: 210
    bound: range
    unit: GPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Hiperco 50
      temperature: 'not confirmed: the page shows tabs for 0 to 30 °C, 100 to 300 °C and 300 °C and above, and does not say which tab the range belongs to'
    method: Range printed on a TotalMateria page that credits Carpenter Product Data Sheets
    status: ground
    source: totalmateria-hiperco50
    where: Physical Properties, row Modulus of Elasticity
  - benchmark: electrical_resistivity
    label: Electrical resistivity, Hiperco 50
    value: 0.401
    unit: Ω·mm²/m
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Hiperco 50
      temperature: not confirmed, same tab issue as the modulus row
    method: Value printed on a TotalMateria page that credits Carpenter Product Data Sheets
    status: ground
    source: totalmateria-hiperco50
    where: Physical Properties, row Electrical Resistivity
  - benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    label: Thermal conductivity, Hiperco 50
    value: 29.83
    unit: W/(m·°C)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Hiperco 50
      temperature: not confirmed, same tab issue as the modulus row
      unit_in_source: W/(m·°C)
    method: Value printed on a TotalMateria page that credits Carpenter Product Data Sheets
    status: ground
    source: totalmateria-hiperco50
    where: Physical Properties, row Thermal Conductivity
  - benchmark: density
    label: Density, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 8.12
    unit: g/cm3
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid material, typical values
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Solid material typical values, Physical properties, Mass density
  - benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    label: Thermal conductivity, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 30
    unit: W/(m·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid material, typical values
      temperature: 25 °C
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Physical properties, Thermal conductivity (25 °C)
  - benchmark: cte
    label: Thermal expansion coefficient, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 9.4
    unit: ppm/K
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid material, typical values
      temperature: 20 to 100 °C
      unit_in_source: 10^-6 /K
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Physical properties, Thermal expansion coefficient (20 - 100 °C)
  - benchmark: electrical_resistivity
    label: Electrical resistivity, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 0.42
    unit: µΩ·m
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid material, typical values
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Physical properties, Electrical resistivity
  - benchmark: coercivity
    label: Coercivity Hc, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 100
    unit: A/m
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid rod, final annealed (820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h)
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Static magnetic properties, Coercivity HC; the main-properties box prints it as about 100 A/m
  - benchmark: saturation_polarization
    label: Saturation polarization Js, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 2.3
    unit: T
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid rod, final annealed (820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h)
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Static magnetic properties, Saturation polarization JS
  - benchmark: saturation_induction
    label: Saturation magnetization Bs at 40 kA/m, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 2.35
    unit: T
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid rod, final annealed (820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h)
      field: H = 40 kA/m
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Static magnetic properties, Saturation magnetization BS at H = 40 kA/m
  - benchmark: max_permeability
    label: Maximum permeability, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 7000
    unit: '-'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid rod, final annealed (820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h)
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Static magnetic properties, Maximum permeability µmax; the main-properties box prints it as about 7,000
  - benchmark: saturation_magnetostriction
    label: Magnetostriction constant, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 70
    unit: ppm
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid rod, final annealed (820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h)
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Static magnetic properties, Magnetostriction constant λS (+70)
  - benchmark: curie_temperature
    label: Curie temperature, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 950
    unit: °C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid material, typical values
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Static magnetic properties, Curie temperature TC
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    label: Young modulus, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 215
    unit: GPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid rod, final annealed (820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h)
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Mechanical properties (final annealed), Young modulus E
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    label: Yield strength Rp0.2, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 250
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid rod, final annealed (820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h)
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Mechanical properties (final annealed), Yield strength Rp 0.2
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength Rm, VACOFLUX 50
    value: 350
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid rod, final annealed (820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h)
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Mechanical properties (final annealed), Tensile strength Rm
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Elongation A, VACOFLUX 50 (final annealed)
    value: 3
    bound: upper
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid rod, final annealed (820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h)
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Mechanical properties (final annealed), Elongation A, printed as <3
  - benchmark: hardness_vickers
    label: Hardness, VACOFLUX 50 (final annealed)
    value: 205
    unit: HV
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11), the VACUUMSCHMELZE grade of the same Permendur alloy class; not Hiperco 50
      form: solid rod, final annealed (820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h)
    method: Typical value printed on the VACUUMSCHMELZE VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022), solid material table
    status: ground
    source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
    where: Mechanical properties (final annealed), Hardness HV
  - benchmark: saturation_polarization
    label: Saturation flux density, Permendur family (Wikipedia)
    value: 2.4
    unit: T
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Permendur (iron-cobalt family, equal parts Co and Fe; Permendur 2V is about 49 % Co, 49 % Fe, 2 % V)
      field: not stated on the page
    method: Value printed as around 2.4 tesla in the lead paragraph of the Wikipedia Permendur article, for the alloy family and not for one heat treatment
    status: ground
    source: wikipedia-permendur
    where: Lead paragraph, saturation flux density
corrosion: []
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: 'Cobalt dust and fume (cobalt metal, as Co): NIOSH recommended exposure limit 0.05 mg/m3 as an 8-hour TWA, IDLH 20 mg/m3 as Co. Symptoms listed include asthma, respiratory hypersensitivity and dermatitis. This applies to the element''s dust, not the bulk alloy.'
      ghs: []
      source: niosh-cobalt
      where: Exposure Limits and IDLH sections; Symptoms section
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Cracking and brittleness in cold service (Hiperco 50A data, sibling grade)
      trigger: Use at 77 K, liquid nitrogen temperature
      consequence: NASA Goddard tests of Hiperco 50A found strength rising at 77 K but the material becoming brittle, with cracks starting at machining flaws, so flight parts were to be screened for cracks. The grade is 50A, not 50, so this is a warning and not a Hiperco 50 value.
      severity: moderate
      source: nasa-resolve-50a
      where: Conclusions slide and LN2 test slides
    - mode: Change of magnetic and electrical properties from ageing or heat treatment
      trigger: Ageing or thermal treatment after fabrication
      consequence: Goodfellow says resistivity, coercivity and power loss change with ageing and thermal treatment, so the magnetic specification depends on the thermal history of the part.
      severity: moderate
      source: goodfellow-hiperco50
      where: Product description paragraph
  side_effects: []
  handling:
    - text: Anneal at 704–871 °C (1300–1600 °F) for 2 to 4 hours in dry hydrogen or vacuum, then cool at 139 to 222 °C per hour to 316 °C (600 °F).
      source: totalmateria-hiperco50
      where: Heat Treatment section
    - text: VACUUMSCHMELZE recommends the final heat treatment of VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V) in hydrogen at 820 °C for 10 h, cooled at 100 to 200 K/h. This is that maker's grade, not Hiperco 50.
      source: vac-vacoflux50-datasheet
      where: Recommended parameters for the final heat treatment
    - text: Keep cobalt dust down and prevent skin contact; the NIOSH limit is 0.05 mg/m3 as an 8-hour TWA.
      source: niosh-cobalt
      where: Exposure Limits and Personal Protection sections
  mitigations: []
uses:
  - application: mechanisms
    device: Actuators, solenoids, magnetic bearings and magnetic shafts in high-speed motors
    example: Goodfellow lists these uses for its Hiperco 50 rod and says it is sold for aerospace, defence and advanced power systems
    source: goodfellow-hiperco50
    where: Applications paragraph of the Hiperco 50 rod page
  - application: optics-and-cameras
    device: Magnetic shielding of adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator stages in NASA's Resolve instrument
    example: NASA Goddard says Hiperco 50A is used to shield the ADR stages of Resolve. The source is about grade 50A, a sibling of Hiperco 50, so it supports the family use only and no Hiperco 50 value
    source: nasa-resolve-50a
    where: Introduction and application slides
supply:
  - subject: Cobalt (about 48.5 % of the alloy)
    producers:
      - country: Congo (Kinshasa)
        share_percent: 73
        year: 2025
      - country: Indonesia
        share_percent: 14
        year: 2025
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: 'USGS: in 2025 cobalt content of purchased scrap was 25 % of estimated cobalt consumption.'
    substitutes:
      - 'USGS: in magnets, barium or strontium ferrites, neodymium-iron-boron alloys or nickel-iron alloys can substitute for cobalt, depending on the application and with possible loss of performance.'
    source: usgs-mcs2026-cobalt
    where: Events, Trends, and Issues (world share of mine production, estimated), Recycling and Substitutes sections
documents:
  - title: Carpenter Technology, Hiperco 50 (UNS R30005) alloy page
    type: datasheet
    url: https://carpentertechnology.com/alloy-finder/Hiperco-50
  - title: TotalMateria, PROPRIETARY Hiperco 50 (credits Carpenter Product Data Sheets)
    type: database
    url: https://www.totalmateria.com/en-us/material/1350110
  - title: Goodfellow, Hiperco 50 rod group
    type: datasheet
    url: https://www.goodfellow.com/usa/hiperco-50-rod-group
  - title: 'Wikipedia: Permendur'
    type: database
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permendur
  - title: VACUUMSCHMELZE, VACOFLUX 50 datasheet (July 2022)
    type: datasheet
    url: https://vacuumschmelze.com/03_Documents/Brochures/Datasheet%20%20VACOFLUX%2050.pdf
    year: 2022
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Cobalt'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-cobalt.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: NASA Goddard, Mechanical Tensile Testing of Hiperco 50A at Cryogenic Temperature (NTRS 20190027527)
    type: report
    url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20190027527/downloads/20190027527.pdf
  - title: 'NIOSH Pocket Guide: Cobalt metal dust and fume (as Co)'
    type: database
    url: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0146.html
gaps:
  - Carpenter's Hiperco 50 datasheet is behind a registration form (carpenterelectrification.com). Density, Curie temperature, coercivity, permeability, core loss, and specific heat for Hiperco 50 are not recorded because no fetched page prints them for this grade.
  - 'Strength: TotalMateria prints a tensile range of 517 to 1413 MPa, a yield range of 193 to 1310 MPa and an elongation range of 1 to 15 %, without the temper of each row. These ranges are not recorded, because a value must carry one temper.'
  - 'Same-class values recorded under their own name: the 15 VACOFLUX 50 rows (VACUUMSCHMELZE datasheet, July 2022, 49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11, final annealed 820 °C for 10 h in hydrogen) and the Wikipedia Permendur 2.4 T row. Each carries its grade in conditions.grade. They are not Hiperco 50 values and Hiperco 50 may differ. Values for Hiperco 50A (High Temp Metals, Goodfellow, NASA) are still not recorded: another grade, and the High Temp Metals page does not say which grade its physical table describes.'
  - 'Vanadium and niobium shares are not recorded as numbers: the Carpenter page prints nominal V 1.9 and Nb 0.05 without units, and TotalMateria hides them.'
  - 'Designations: no EN, DIN, JIS, AISI or W.Nr. code for Hiperco 50 was printed on any fetched page. Permendur 2V (also called Permendur 49) is a related grade and is not listed as an alias.'
  - Corrosion and oxidation for Hiperco 50 were not found in any fetched page. High Temp Metals covers 50A and gives no corrosion data.
  - Cold-service data exist only for 50A (NASA Goddard). No Hiperco 50 cryogenic value was found.
  - 'Spacecraft use: the NASA Resolve use is for grade 50A. No flight source naming Hiperco 50 was found, so no tags.environments entry is set.'
  - Cobalt hazard data come from NIOSH for cobalt metal dust and fume. The PubChem GHS classification could not be read because the page returned a browser check.
  - 'Supply of vanadium: the USGS 2026 vanadium summary was downloaded but its producer shares were not computed, so no vanadium supply entry is written. The cobalt critical-minerals listing was not confirmed from the text extracted.'
  - 'Non-canonical property names (not in spores/property-canon.yaml, new snake_case names): magnetic_saturation, saturation_polarization, saturation_induction, coercivity, max_permeability, saturation_magnetostriction, hardness_vickers.'
  - VACUUMSCHMELZE's web page for VACOFLUX 50 prints a thermal expansion coefficient for 20 to 200 °C (9.4); the datasheet PDF prints 20 to 100 °C. The datasheet is used. The VAC pages print no field or temperature for coercivity and permeability beyond the final-anneal parameters.
  - 'Hiperco 50 CAS number and a formal recipe table with atomic weights were not recorded: no page printed atomic weights for this alloy and none was read from a fetched page.'
sources:
  carpenter-hiperco50:
    title: Carpenter Technology, Hiperco 50 (UNS R30005) alloy page
    url: https://carpentertechnology.com/alloy-finder/Hiperco-50
    kind: web
    license: Manufacturer product page (cited, not reproduced)
  totalmateria-hiperco50:
    title: TotalMateria, PROPRIETARY Hiperco 50 (page credits Carpenter Technology Product Data Sheets)
    url: https://www.totalmateria.com/en-us/material/1350110
    kind: database
    license: Database page (cited, not reproduced)
  goodfellow-hiperco50:
    title: Goodfellow, Hiperco 50 rod group
    url: https://www.goodfellow.com/usa/hiperco-50-rod-group
    kind: datasheet
    license: Supplier product page (cited, not reproduced)
  vac-vacoflux50-datasheet:
    title: VACUUMSCHMELZE, VACOFLUX 50 datasheet, 49 Co - 49 Fe - 2 V, IEC 60404-8-6 F11 (July 2022)
    url: https://vacuumschmelze.com/03_Documents/Brochures/Datasheet%20%20VACOFLUX%2050.pdf
    year: 2022
    kind: datasheet
    license: Manufacturer datasheet, typical values (cited, not reproduced)
  wikipedia-permendur:
    title: 'Wikipedia: Permendur'
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permendur
    kind: web
    license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (cited, not reproduced)
  usgs-mcs2026-cobalt:
    title: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Cobalt
    id: USGS MCS 2026
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-cobalt.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  nasa-resolve-50a:
    title: Mechanical Tensile Testing of Hiperco 50A at Cryogenic Temperature (Bryan L. James, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
    url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20190027527/downloads/20190027527.pdf
    kind: report
    license: public domain (NASA)
  niosh-cobalt:
    title: 'NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Cobalt metal dust and fume (as Co)'
    url: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0146.html
    kind: handbook
    license: US government (cited, not reproduced)
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-26'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 20
  unreachable: 2
  caveats: 6
  note: 'Values were read by an AI assistant on 2026-10-26 from the TotalMateria and Carpenter pages named in each entry. Unreachable or gated: Carpenter datasheet (registration), ASM Alloy Digest (subscription), ASTM A801 text (403 and 404), PubChem cobalt GHS (browser check), Matmatch (DNS). Caveats: only four values are Hiperco 50 itself; fifteen rows are VACOFLUX 50 from VACUUMSCHMELZE (same alloy class, labelled as such) and one is the Wikipedia Permendur family value; the TotalMateria values carry no confirmed temperature; Hiperco 50A and 50HS values were deliberately not recorded; several magnetic benchmark names are not canonical.'
story:
  risk_groups:
    - title: For people
      lead: The hazard in this profile is cobalt dust, not the bulk alloy. The opened sources give exposure limits for cobalt metal dust and fume.
      level: 1
      verdict: Cobalt dust limits apply
      points:
        - label: Dust and fume
          line: NIOSH sets a recommended limit of 0.05 mg/m3 as an 8-hour average for cobalt metal dust and fume, with an IDLH of 20 mg/m3. Symptoms listed include asthma and dermatitis.
    - title: If it fails
      lead: These are failure routes from the sources. The cryogenic one comes from a sibling grade, 50A.
      points:
        - label: Ageing or heat treatment
          line: Goodfellow says resistivity, coercivity and power loss change with ageing and thermal treatment, so the anneal and storage history matter.
        - label: Cold service
          line: NASA Goddard tensile tests of Hiperco 50A at 77 K found strength rising but the material becoming brittle, with cracks starting at machining flaws. This is 50A data, not Hiperco 50.
    - title: Handling and storage
      points:
        - label: Anneal
          line: TotalMateria, citing Carpenter, gives an anneal at 704 to 871 °C for 2 to 4 hours in dry hydrogen or vacuum, then a slow cool.
        - label: Dust
          line: Keep cobalt dust down and prevent skin contact.
  why: Hiperco 50 is a cobalt-rich soft magnetic alloy with nominal 48.5 % Co and 1.9 V, a little niobium and carbon, and the rest iron. Carpenter prints its magnetic saturation as 24 kilogauss. Goodfellow sells it for aerospace, defence and advanced power systems, for actuators, solenoids and magnetic bearings. NASA uses the sister grade 50A to shield the cold magnet stages of its Resolve instrument. Four numbers are sourced for Hiperco 50 itself; fifteen more come from VACUUMSCHMELZE's datasheet for VACOFLUX 50, the same alloy class (49 Co, 49 Fe, 2 V), and are labelled as such.
  uses:
    - where: Actuators and bearings
      line: Goodfellow lists actuators, solenoids, magnetic bearings and structural cores, plus magnetic shafts in high-speed motors, for its Hiperco 50 rod.
    - where: Spacecraft instrument
      line: NASA Goddard reports that Hiperco 50A shields the cold magnet stages of the Resolve instrument. That is grade 50A, so it is evidence for the family and not a Hiperco 50 value.
  can_do:
    - label: High saturation
      value: 24 kG
      benchmark: magnetic_saturation
      line: Carpenter describes Hiperco 50 as having the highest magnetic saturation available while keeping core loss below electrical steel. The page gives no test field.
    - label: Conducts heat
      value: 29.83 W/(m·°C)
      benchmark: thermal_conductivity
      line: Thermal conductivity is 29.83 W/(m·°C) on the TotalMateria page. The temperature of that value is not confirmed.
    - label: Stiffness
      value: 190 to 210 GPa
      benchmark: elastic_modulus
      line: Modulus of elasticity is printed as a 190 to 210 GPa range. The page does not confirm the temperature of the range.
    - label: Resistivity
      value: 0.401 Ω·mm²/m
      benchmark: electrical_resistivity
      line: Electrical resistivity is 0.401 Ω·mm²/m on the same TotalMateria page.
    - label: Saturation polarization
      value: 2.30 T
      benchmark: saturation_polarization
      line: VACUUMSCHMELZE prints 2.30 T for its VACOFLUX 50 (49 Co, 49 Fe, 2 V), and Wikipedia gives around 2.4 T for the Permendur family. Neither is a Hiperco 50 test.
    - label: Stays magnetic when hot
      value: 950 °C
      benchmark: curie_temperature
      line: VACUUMSCHMELZE prints a Curie temperature of 950 °C for VACOFLUX 50. This is that maker's grade, not Hiperco 50.
  compare: Set against the copper profile on this site, this alloy is a poor heat and current conductor, so its advantage is magnetic saturation, not conduction. The table rows show the sourced numbers for this grade only.
  compare_rows:
    - label: Thermal conductivity
      benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    - label: Electrical resistivity
      benchmark: electrical_resistivity
    - label: Modulus of elasticity
      benchmark: elastic_modulus
  handling:
    - 'Specify the anneal: 704 to 871 °C for 2 to 4 hours in dry hydrogen or vacuum, then slow cooling (TotalMateria, citing Carpenter).'
    - 'Control cobalt dust: the NIOSH limit is 0.05 mg/m3 as an 8-hour TWA (NIOSH).'
    - Do not apply the 50A cold-service data to Hiperco 50 without a Hiperco 50 test.
  good_for:
    - High-saturation soft magnetic cores and actuator parts, per Carpenter and Goodfellow.
    - Solenoids and magnetic bearings in aerospace use, per Goodfellow.
  watch_out:
    - 'Hiperco 50 strength by temper is not sourced: the TotalMateria ranges span tempers. The VACOFLUX 50 solid material is soft after final anneal (yield 250 MPa, tensile 350 MPa, elongation under 3 %).'
    - Density, Curie temperature, permeability and strength are sourced only from VACUUMSCHMELZE for VACOFLUX 50 (final annealed 820 °C, 10 h, hydrogen), not for Hiperco 50. Corrosion is not sourced.
    - 'Cobalt supply is concentrated: Congo (Kinshasa) mined an estimated 73 % of world cobalt in 2025, and Indonesia 14 % (USGS).'
    - Cold-service data exist only for the sister grade 50A.
  verdict: Hiperco 50 is a cobalt-rich soft magnetic alloy with a printed saturation of 24 kG and a modulus range of 190 to 210 GPa. Four values are sourced for Hiperco 50 itself; the density, Curie temperature (950 °C), saturation polarization (2.30 T), permeability and strength rows come from the VACOFLUX 50 datasheet and describe that maker's grade. Hiperco 50 strength by temper, Curie temperature and corrosion need Carpenter's registration-gated datasheet.
  recipe:
    line: Hiperco 50 is an iron-cobalt-vanadium alloy with nominal 48.5 % Co, vanadium 1.9, niobium 0.05 and carbon 0.01, balance Fe (Carpenter, TotalMateria). Carpenter prints no units; the % units for Co and C come from TotalMateria. Vanadium and niobium units are not printed on either page. The alloy is annealed to set its magnetic properties (TotalMateria).
    parts:
      - name: Cobalt
        symbol: Co
        share_percent: 48.5
        role: Main element, nominal 48.5 % (TotalMateria, Chemical Composition).
      - name: Iron
        symbol: Fe
        role: Balance of the alloy (Carpenter type analysis, Iron Balance).
      - name: Vanadium
        symbol: V
        role: Alloying addition, nominal 1.9 (unit not printed on the Carpenter page).
      - name: Niobium
        symbol: Nb
        role: Minor addition, nominal 0.05 (unit not printed on the Carpenter page).
      - name: Carbon
        symbol: C
        share_percent: 0.01
        role: Trace element, 0.01 % (TotalMateria, Chemical Composition).