spore: profile
id: kanthal-a1
spore_version: 0.2
family: resistance-and-thermocouple-alloys
name: Kanthal A-1 (FeCrAl resistance heating alloy)
abbreviation: FeCrAl
role: resistance heating alloy
category: metals
type: steels-and-stainless
summary: |
  Kanthal A-1 is a ferritic iron-chromium-aluminium resistance heating alloy sold under the Kanthal trademark. Its wire datasheet gives a melting point of 1500 °C, a maximum continuous operating temperature in air of 1400 °C and an electrical resistivity of 1.45 Ω mm2/m at 20 °C. Typical use is electrical heating elements in high-temperature furnaces.
best_for: Electrical heating elements in air up to 1400 °C, where the maker's 1400 °C continuous limit and 1.45 Ω mm2/m resistivity are the main reasons to choose it
weakest_at: 'Strength when hot: the datasheet''s tensile strength falls from 34 MPa at 900 °C to 4 MPa at 1300 °C, and creep data are given only at 800 °C and 1000 °C'
identity:
  formula: 'Ferritic iron-chromium-aluminium alloy (FeCrAl). Datasheet composition: Cr 20.5 to 23.5 %, Al 5.8 % (nominal), C max 0.08 %, Si max 0.7 %, Mn max 0.4 %, Fe balance'
  source: kanthal-a1-wire
  where: Chemical composition table of the Kanthal A-1 wire datasheet (nominal row and min and max rows). The extracted page did not keep the column headers for the nominal row, so 5.8 is assigned to Al and Bal. to Fe by column order (the strip datasheet shows the same order).
tags:
  environments: []
  stresses:
    - extreme-heat
  applications:
    - thermal-control
properties:
  - benchmark: density
    label: Density, Kanthal A-1
    value: 7.1
    unit: g/cm3
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: wire and strip (same value on both datasheets)
      temperature: not printed
    method: Value printed in the physical properties list of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Physical properties, Density row (printed as 7.10 (0.257) g/cm3); the strip datasheet prints 7.10 g/cm3
  - benchmark: melting_point
    label: Melting point, Kanthal A-1
    value: 1500
    unit: °C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: melting point printed in the datasheet property list; no test condition stated
    method: Value printed in the physical properties list of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Physical properties, Melting point row (printed as 1500 (2732) °C)
  - benchmark: max_service_temp
    label: Maximum continuous operating temperature in air, Kanthal A-1
    value: 1400
    unit: °C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      environment: air
      basis: maximum continuous operating temperature, as printed
    method: Value printed in the datasheet property list and repeated in its introduction ('up to 1400°C')
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Physical properties, row 'Max continuous operating temperature in air'; introduction text
  - benchmark: electrical_resistivity
    label: Electrical resistivity at 20 °C, Kanthal A-1
    value: 1.45
    unit: Ω mm2/m
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 20 °C
      unit_in_source: Ω mm2/m (printed also as 872 Ω circ. mil/ft)
    method: Value printed in the physical properties list of the datasheet; the unit is kept as printed
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Physical properties, Electrical resistivity at 20 °C row (printed as 1.45 (872))
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    label: Yield strength Rp0.2, 1.0 mm wire, room temperature table
    value: 545
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: wire, 1.0 mm diameter
      property: Rp0.2 (0.2 % offset)
      temperature: room-temperature table; no temperature printed
    method: Value printed in the mechanical properties table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties table, 1.0 mm row, Yield strength Rp0.2 column
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength Rm, 1.0 mm wire, room temperature table
    value: 760
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: wire, 1.0 mm diameter
      temperature: room-temperature table; no temperature printed
    method: Value printed in the mechanical properties table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties table, 1.0 mm row, Tensile strength Rm column
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Elongation A, 1.0 mm wire, room temperature table
    value: 20
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: wire, 1.0 mm diameter
      temperature: room-temperature table; no temperature printed
    method: Value printed in the mechanical properties table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties table, 1.0 mm row, Elongation A % column
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    label: Yield strength Rp0.2, 4.0 mm wire, room temperature table
    value: 475
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: wire, 4.0 mm diameter
      property: Rp0.2 (0.2 % offset)
      temperature: room-temperature table; no temperature printed
    method: Value printed in the mechanical properties table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties table, 4.0 mm row, Yield strength Rp0.2 column
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength Rm, 4.0 mm wire, room temperature table
    value: 680
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: wire, 4.0 mm diameter
      temperature: room-temperature table; no temperature printed
    method: Value printed in the mechanical properties table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties table, 4.0 mm row, Tensile strength Rm column
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Elongation A, 4.0 mm wire, room temperature table
    value: 18
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: wire, 4.0 mm diameter
      temperature: room-temperature table; no temperature printed
    method: Value printed in the mechanical properties table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties table, 4.0 mm row, Elongation A % column
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    label: Yield strength Rp0.2, 1.5 mm strip, room temperature
    value: 460
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: strip, 1.5 mm thickness
      property: Rp0.2 (0.2 % offset)
      temperature: room temperature table; no temperature printed
    method: Value printed in the mechanical properties table of the strip datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-strip
    where: Mechanical properties table, thickness 1.5 mm row, Rp0.2 column
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength Rm, 1.5 mm strip, room temperature
    value: 670
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: strip, 1.5 mm thickness
      temperature: room temperature table; no temperature printed
    method: Value printed in the mechanical properties table of the strip datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-strip
    where: Mechanical properties table, thickness 1.5 mm row, Rm column
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Elongation A, 1.5 mm strip, room temperature
    value: 22
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: strip, 1.5 mm thickness
      temperature: room temperature table; no temperature printed
    method: Value printed in the mechanical properties table of the strip datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-strip
    where: Mechanical properties table, thickness 1.5 mm row, Elongation A column
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Ultimate tensile strength at 900 °C
    value: 34
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 900 °C
      test: ultimate tensile strength at elevated temperature; wire size not printed; deformation rate as stated in the datasheet heading
    method: Value printed in the elevated-temperature table of the wire datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties at elevated temperature, 900 °C row
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Ultimate tensile strength at 1000 °C
    value: 18
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 1000 °C
      test: ultimate tensile strength at elevated temperature; wire size not printed; deformation rate as stated in the datasheet heading
    method: Value printed in the elevated-temperature table of the wire datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties at elevated temperature, 1000 °C row
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Ultimate tensile strength at 1100 °C
    value: 10
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 1100 °C
      test: ultimate tensile strength at elevated temperature; wire size not printed; deformation rate as stated in the datasheet heading
    method: Value printed in the elevated-temperature table of the wire datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties at elevated temperature, 1100 °C row
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Ultimate tensile strength at 1200 °C
    value: 6
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 1200 °C
      test: ultimate tensile strength at elevated temperature; wire size not printed; deformation rate as stated in the datasheet heading
    method: Value printed in the elevated-temperature table of the wire datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties at elevated temperature, 1200 °C row
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Ultimate tensile strength at 1300 °C
    value: 4
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 1300 °C
      test: ultimate tensile strength at elevated temperature; wire size not printed; deformation rate as stated in the datasheet heading
    method: Value printed in the elevated-temperature table of the wire datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Mechanical properties at elevated temperature, 1300 °C row
  - benchmark: creep_strength_1pct_1000h
    label: Creep strength, 1 % elongation in 1000 h, at 800 °C
    value: 1.2
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 800 °C
      criterion: 1 % elongation in 1000 h
      form: not printed
    method: Value printed in the creep table of the wire datasheet
    status: ground
    note: Non-canonical property name (creep_strength_1pct_1000h); not in the canonical property file.
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Creep strength (1% elongation in 1000 h), 800 °C row
  - benchmark: creep_strength_1pct_1000h
    label: Creep strength, 1 % elongation in 1000 h, at 1000 °C
    value: 0.5
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 1000 °C
      criterion: 1 % elongation in 1000 h
      form: not printed
    method: Value printed in the creep table of the wire datasheet
    status: ground
    note: Non-canonical property name (creep_strength_1pct_1000h); not in the canonical property file.
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Creep strength (1% elongation in 1000 h), 1000 °C row
  - benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    label: Thermal conductivity, Kanthal A-1, at 50 °C
    value: 11
    unit: W/(m·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 50 °C
      unit_in_source: W m-1 K-1
    method: Value printed in the thermal conductivity table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Thermal conductivity table, 50 °C row
  - benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    label: Thermal conductivity, Kanthal A-1, at 600 °C
    value: 20
    unit: W/(m·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 600 °C
      unit_in_source: W m-1 K-1
    method: Value printed in the thermal conductivity table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Thermal conductivity table, 600 °C row
  - benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    label: Thermal conductivity, Kanthal A-1, at 1000 °C
    value: 26
    unit: W/(m·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 1000 °C
      unit_in_source: W m-1 K-1
    method: Value printed in the thermal conductivity table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Thermal conductivity table, 1000 °C row
  - benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    label: Thermal conductivity, Kanthal A-1, at 1400 °C
    value: 35
    unit: W/(m·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 1400 °C
      unit_in_source: W m-1 K-1
    method: Value printed in the thermal conductivity table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Thermal conductivity table, 1400 °C row
  - benchmark: cte
    label: Coefficient of thermal expansion, 20 to 250 °C
    value: 11
    unit: ppm/K
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature_range: 20 to 250 °C
      unit_in_source: x 10-6/K
    method: Value printed in the thermal expansion table of the datasheet; unit converted from x 10-6/K, which is the same as ppm/K
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Coefficient of thermal expansion table, 20 to 250 °C row
  - benchmark: cte
    label: Coefficient of thermal expansion, 20 to 500 °C
    value: 12
    unit: ppm/K
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature_range: 20 to 500 °C
      unit_in_source: x 10-6/K
    method: Value printed in the thermal expansion table of the datasheet; unit converted from x 10-6/K, which is the same as ppm/K
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Coefficient of thermal expansion table, 20 to 500 °C row
  - benchmark: cte
    label: Coefficient of thermal expansion, 20 to 750 °C
    value: 14
    unit: ppm/K
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature_range: 20 to 750 °C
      unit_in_source: x 10-6/K
    method: Value printed in the thermal expansion table of the datasheet; unit converted from x 10-6/K, which is the same as ppm/K
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Coefficient of thermal expansion table, 20 to 750 °C row
  - benchmark: cte
    label: Coefficient of thermal expansion, 20 to 1000 °C
    value: 15
    unit: ppm/K
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature_range: 20 to 1000 °C
      unit_in_source: x 10-6/K
    method: Value printed in the thermal expansion table of the datasheet; unit converted from x 10-6/K, which is the same as ppm/K
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Coefficient of thermal expansion table, 20 to 1000 °C row
  - benchmark: specific_heat
    label: Specific heat capacity at 20 °C
    value: 0.46
    unit: kJ/(kg·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 20 °C
      unit_in_source: kJ kg-1 K-1
    method: Value printed in the specific heat capacity table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Specific heat capacity table, 20 °C row
  - benchmark: specific_heat
    label: Specific heat capacity at 400 °C
    value: 0.63
    unit: kJ/(kg·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 400 °C
      unit_in_source: kJ kg-1 K-1
    method: Value printed in the specific heat capacity table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Specific heat capacity table, 400 °C row
  - benchmark: specific_heat
    label: Specific heat capacity at 600 °C
    value: 0.75
    unit: kJ/(kg·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 600 °C
      unit_in_source: kJ kg-1 K-1
    method: Value printed in the specific heat capacity table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Specific heat capacity table, 600 °C row
  - benchmark: specific_heat
    label: Specific heat capacity at 1400 °C
    value: 0.8
    unit: kJ/(kg·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 1400 °C
      unit_in_source: kJ kg-1 K-1
    method: Value printed in the specific heat capacity table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Specific heat capacity table, 1400 °C row
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    label: Young's modulus at 20 °C
    value: 220
    unit: GPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 20 °C
    method: Value printed in the Young's modulus table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Young's modulus table, 20 °C row (printed as 220 [32] GPa [Msi])
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    label: Young's modulus at 600 °C
    value: 170
    unit: GPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 600 °C
    method: Value printed in the Young's modulus table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Young's modulus table, 600 °C row
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    label: Young's modulus at 1000 °C
    value: 130
    unit: GPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 1000 °C
    method: Value printed in the Young's modulus table of the datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Young's modulus table, 1000 °C row
  - benchmark: curie_temperature
    label: Curie point, Kanthal A-1 (magnetic below this temperature)
    value: 600
    unit: °C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: printed as approximately 600°C; the datasheet says the material is magnetic up to approximately this temperature
    method: Value printed in the magnetic properties text of the strip datasheet
    status: ground
    note: Printed as 'approximately 600°C (Curie point)'; the value is approximate as printed.
    source: kanthal-a1-strip
    where: Magnetic properties, sentence on magnetism up to approximately 600°C (Curie point)
corrosion:
  - environment: Air at high temperature
    headline: The maker rates Kanthal A-1 for use in air up to 1400 °C and calls its oxidation resistance very good.
    effect: The datasheet says the alloy is 'characterized by high resistivity and very good oxidation resistance'. It does not name the oxide scale, give an oxidation rate, or state a test duration.
    rating: low
    conditions:
      environment: air
      basis: manufacturer datasheet statement; no oxidation test data printed
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Introduction paragraph of the wire datasheet
  - environment: Repeated heating and cooling (cyclic service)
    headline: No cycling or oxidation test data were found for Kanthal A-1 in the sources read.
    effect: The wire and strip datasheets give property tables only, with no cycling test, scale-adhesion result or weight-change data. Resistance to repeated heating and cooling is therefore not established by this profile.
    rating: unknown
    conditions:
      basis: no test data in the sources read
    source: kanthal-a1-strip
    where: Whole strip datasheet read; no oxidation or cycling section printed
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: Kanthal's safety information sheet lists Kanthal A1 together with A, AE, AF, AMR, AX2, D, DT and LT in one document. It gives GHS statement H351 (Warning, suspected of causing cancer), H317 (Warning, may cause an allergic skin reaction) and H372 (Danger, causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure). The sheet covers several grades at once, so these are family-level statements, not a separate classification for Kanthal A-1. It prints no pictograms.
      ghs:
        - H351
        - H317
        - H372
      source: kanthal-a1-sis
      where: Multi-grade safety information sheet, product line and GHS statements (Italian page, sheet revised 2026-08-25)
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Oxidation or overheating above the 1400 °C air limit
      trigger: Continuous service above 1400 °C in air
      consequence: The datasheet gives no time to failure above the limit and prints no oxidation rate.
      severity: moderate
      source: kanthal-a1-wire
      where: Physical properties, row 'Max continuous operating temperature in air'
    - mode: Loss of strength when hot
      trigger: Load applied at 900 °C or above
      consequence: Tensile strength in the datasheet's elevated-temperature table falls from 34 MPa at 900 °C to 4 MPa at 1300 °C. Creep is given only at 800 °C and 1000 °C.
      severity: high
      source: kanthal-a1-wire
      where: Mechanical properties at elevated temperature table; creep strength table
  side_effects: []
  handling:
    - text: No storage, handling, forming or welding advice is printed in the Kanthal A-1 datasheets read. The safety information sheet that lists A1 is cited under risks.hazards.
      source: kanthal-a1-wire
      where: Whole wire datasheet read; no handling section printed
  mitigations:
    - text: Keep service at or below the printed 1400 °C continuous limit in air; the datasheet gives no higher rating.
      source: kanthal-a1-wire
      where: Physical properties, row 'Max continuous operating temperature in air'
uses:
  - application: thermal-control
    device: Electrical heating elements in high-temperature furnaces
    example: The Kanthal datasheet says typical applications for Kanthal A-1 are electrical heating elements in high-temperature furnaces.
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Application sentence in the datasheet text
  - application: thermal-control
    device: Furnaces for heat treatment, ceramics, glass, steel and electronics industries
    example: The same datasheet sentence names heat treatment, ceramics, glass, steel and electronics as the industries that use these furnaces. This is a ground use.
    source: kanthal-a1-wire
    where: Application sentence in the datasheet text (same sentence as the furnace heating-element use)
supply:
  - subject: Iron
    producers:
      - country: Australia
        share_percent: 37.7
        year: 2025
      - country: Brazil
        share_percent: 16.2
        year: 2025
      - country: India
        share_percent: 11.9
        year: 2025
      - country: China
        share_percent: 11.2
        year: 2025
    critical_lists:
      - list: USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals
        listed: false
    recycling: 'USGS iron ore chapter: ''None''. It refers readers to the Iron and Steel Scrap chapter.'
    substitutes:
      - 'USGS: the only source of primary iron is iron ore, used directly as direct-shipping ore or converted to briquettes, concentrates, DRI, iron nuggets, pellets, or sinter.'
    source: usgs-mcs2026-iron
    where: World Mine Production and Reserves table, usable ore, 2025e (world total 2,600,000 thousand t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom against that printed total). Recycling and Substitutes sections. Critical list status from the USGS 2025 final list page (iron not on it).
  - subject: Chromium
    producers:
      - country: South Africa
        share_percent: 45.1
        year: 2025
      - country: Turkey
        share_percent: 17.6
        year: 2025
      - country: Kazakhstan
        share_percent: 13.7
        year: 2025
    critical_lists:
      - list: USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals
        listed: true
    recycling: 'USGS: in 2025, recycled chromium (contained in reported stainless-steel scrap receipts) accounted for 21% of apparent consumption.'
    substitutes:
      - 'USGS: chromium has no substitute in stainless steel, the leading end use, or in superalloys, the major strategic end use.'
    source: usgs-mcs2026-chromium
    where: World Mine Production and Reserves table, 2025e column (world total 51,000 thousand t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom; Kazakhstan value estimated by USGS); Recycling; Substitutes. Critical list from the USGS 2025 final list page.
  - subject: Aluminium
    producers:
      - country: China
        share_percent: 60.8
        year: 2025
      - country: India
        share_percent: 5.7
        year: 2025
      - country: Russia
        share_percent: 5.3
        year: 2025
      - country: Canada
        share_percent: 4.5
        year: 2025
    critical_lists:
      - list: USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals
        listed: true
    recycling: 'USGS: aluminum recovered from old scrap was equivalent to about 28% of apparent consumption in 2025.'
    substitutes:
      - 'USGS: copper can replace aluminum in electrical and heat-exchange applications.'
    source: usgs-mcs2026-aluminum
    where: World Smelter Production table, 2025e column (world total 74,000 thousand t, rounded; shares calculated by Space Mushroom against that printed total). Recycling; Substitutes. Critical list from the USGS 2025 final list page (the USGS spelling is Aluminum).
documents:
  - title: Kanthal A-1 resistance heating wire datasheet (Kanthal)
    type: datasheet
    url: https://kanthal.com/en/products/material-datasheets/wire/resistance-heating-wire-and-resistance-wire/kanthal-a-1
  - title: Kanthal A-1 strip datasheet (Kanthal)
    type: datasheet
    url: https://www.kanthal.com/products/material-datasheets/strip/kanthal-a-1
  - title: Kanthal FeCrAl alloys list (Kanthal), table row for Kanthal A-1
    type: datasheet
    url: https://www.kanthal.com/en/products/materials-in-wire-and-strip-form/wire/list-of-alloys/list-of-fecral-alloys/
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Iron Ore'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-iron-ore.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Chromium'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-chromium.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Aluminum'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-aluminum.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: Kanthal safety information sheet, multi-grade sheet listing Kanthal A1 (Kanthal prodshop)
    type: sds
    url: https://prodshop.kanthal.com/it/prodotti/datasheets/safety-information-sheets/safety-information-sheet/kanthal/
gaps:
  - The only hazard statements found are in a safety information sheet that covers Kanthal A1 with eight other FeCrAl grades in one document, so they are family-level. The official single-grade Kanthal A-1 safety sheet page returned not found in this run, and no separate A-1 classification was read.
  - 'No PubChem GHS record for the alloy or its elements was read: the PubChem page returned a browser check in this run.'
  - No UNS, EN (1.xxxx or name), DIN, AISI, ASTM, SAE or JIS designation is printed for Kanthal A-1 in any source read. Only the trade name is listed.
  - Poisson's ratio 0.30 is printed on the wire and strip datasheets without a unit, so it is left out rather than given a unit.
  - Emissivity of fully oxidized material, 0.70, is printed without a unit or temperature, so it is left out.
  - The Ct temperature factor for electrical resistivity (100 to 1400 °C) on the strip datasheet is not a canonical property and is not recorded.
  - Hardness values printed in Hv on the wire and strip datasheets are not recorded in this profile.
  - The composition nominal row lost its column headers in the extracted page; the 5.8 aluminium figure and the Fe balance are assigned by column order, and the carbon, silicon and manganese figures are maximums only.
  - The room-temperature mechanical table prints no test temperature, and the elevated-temperature table prints no wire size. Hot tensile values are therefore not tied to a wire diameter.
  - The wire datasheet gives 2550 °F in its text and 2552 °F in its table for the 1400 °C limit; the Celsius value is the same in both.
  - No oxidation rate, scale composition, weight-change, cyclic-oxidation or steam-exposure data for Kanthal A-1 were found. The Kanthal APM and D steam-oxidation paper found in a search concerns sibling grades and is not used.
  - No space or flight application for Kanthal A-1 was found. Both listed uses are terrestrial furnace uses.
  - Atomic weights and a CAS number for the alloy were not read from a fetched page, so the recipe carries percentages only.
  - The trade name is printed as Kanthal® A-1 on both datasheets, with the registered mark written as an HTML entity. The verifier could not match that encoding, so the trade name is not listed in identity.designations; the name field carries it.
  - EU critical raw materials list not checked for iron, chromium or aluminium. Only the USGS 2025 list is recorded.
  - Supply abundance (crustal abundance) for iron, chromium and aluminium was not read in this run.
  - No images were read or published for this profile, so the media list is empty.
  - The Wikipedia article on the Kanthal alloy family gives composition ranges for the family as a whole; those are not Kanthal A-1 values and are not used as properties.
sources:
  kanthal-a1-wire:
    title: Kanthal® A-1 resistance heating wire and resistance wire datasheet (Kanthal)
    id: Kanthal material datasheet, kanthal-a-1 (wire)
    url: https://kanthal.com/en/products/material-datasheets/wire/resistance-heating-wire-and-resistance-wire/kanthal-a-1
    kind: datasheet
    license: Manufacturer datasheet (cited, not reproduced)
  kanthal-a1-strip:
    title: Kanthal® A-1 strip datasheet (Kanthal)
    id: Kanthal material datasheet, kanthal-a-1 (strip)
    url: https://www.kanthal.com/products/material-datasheets/strip/kanthal-a-1
    kind: datasheet
    license: Manufacturer datasheet (cited, not reproduced)
  kanthal-fecral-list:
    title: 'Kanthal FeCrAl wire alloys: list of FeCrAl alloys (Kanthal)'
    id: Kanthal product list, FeCrAl alloys
    url: https://www.kanthal.com/en/products/materials-in-wire-and-strip-form/wire/list-of-alloys/list-of-fecral-alloys/
    kind: web
    license: Manufacturer web page (cited, not reproduced)
  wikipedia-kanthal-alloy:
    title: 'Kanthal (alloy), Wikipedia: history and family of FeCrAl alloys'
    id: Wikipedia article Kanthal (alloy)
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanthal_(alloy)
    kind: web
    license: CC BY-SA (Wikipedia); cited for history only
  usgs-mcs2026-iron:
    title: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Iron Ore
    id: USGS MCS 2026, February 2026
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-iron-ore.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  usgs-mcs2026-chromium:
    title: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Chromium
    id: USGS MCS 2026, February 2026
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-chromium.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  usgs-mcs2026-aluminum:
    title: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Aluminum
    id: USGS MCS 2026, February 2026
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-aluminum.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  usgs-crit2025:
    title: About the 2025 List of Critical Minerals (USGS, final list of 60 minerals)
    id: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
    url: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/mineral-resources-program/science/about-2025-list-critical-minerals
    year: 2025
    kind: web
    license: public domain (USGS)
  kanthal-a1-sis:
    title: Kanthal safety information sheet, multi-grade sheet listing Kanthal A1 (Kanthal prodshop, Italian page)
    id: Kanthal safety information sheet, A1 with eight other FeCrAl grades
    url: https://prodshop.kanthal.com/it/prodotti/datasheets/safety-information-sheets/safety-information-sheet/kanthal/
    kind: datasheet
    license: Manufacturer safety information sheet (cited, not reproduced)
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-11-01'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 36
  unreachable: 0
  caveats: 3
  note: 'Values read by an AI assistant on 2026-11-01 from the Kanthal A-1 wire and strip datasheets and the Kanthal FeCrAl list page, and from the USGS 2026 commodity chapters. Caveats: all Kanthal values are manufacturer figures with no test standard printed; the composition column assignment is by position; the creep and Curie entries use non-canonical or approximate wording as printed.'
story:
  recipe:
    line: Kanthal A-1 is a ferritic iron-chromium-aluminium alloy, sold under the Kanthal trademark, with no UNS or EN number printed in any source read. The datasheet's composition table gives chromium at 20.5 to 23.5 %, aluminium at 5.8 % (nominal) and iron as the balance, with maximum limits on carbon, silicon and manganese. The melting and rolling process is not described in the sources read.
    parts:
      - name: Iron
        symbol: Fe
        share_note: balance
        role: The matrix of the alloy. The datasheet prints Fe as the balance (Bal.) in its nominal row.
        source: kanthal-a1-wire
        where: Chemical composition table, nominal row
      - name: Chromium
        symbol: Cr
        share_percent: 20.5
        share_high: 23.5
        role: The second main alloying element in the datasheet composition table. The datasheet gives a minimum and maximum, not a nominal figure.
        source: kanthal-a1-wire
        where: Chemical composition table, min and max rows
      - name: Aluminium
        symbol: Al
        share_percent: 5.8
        role: The nominal aluminium figure printed in the datasheet composition table. The column header was lost in extraction, so this assignment is by column order.
        source: kanthal-a1-wire
        where: Chemical composition table, nominal row (5.8)
      - name: Carbon
        symbol: C
        share_note: maximum 0.08
        role: A trace element; the datasheet gives a maximum only.
        source: kanthal-a1-wire
        where: Chemical composition table, max row
      - name: Silicon
        symbol: Si
        share_note: maximum 0.7
        role: A trace element; the datasheet gives a maximum only.
        source: kanthal-a1-wire
        where: Chemical composition table, max row
      - name: Manganese
        symbol: Mn
        share_note: maximum 0.4
        role: A trace element; the datasheet gives a maximum only.
        source: kanthal-a1-wire
        where: Chemical composition table, max row
  risk_groups:
    - title: For people
      lead: The Kanthal safety information sheet that lists A1 gives three GHS statements for the grade family. The datasheets read carry no hazard, storage or handling statements.
      level: 1
      verdict: Family-level GHS statements only
      points:
        - label: Classification
          line: The safety information sheet, which covers A1 with eight other grades in one document, gives three GHS statements, listed under risks.hazards. It prints no separate classification for A-1 alone.
        - label: Fumes and dust
          line: No source read covers fume or dust from grinding, cutting or welding this alloy, so none is stated here.
    - title: If it overheats
      lead: The datasheet gives a continuous limit in air, and no failure time above it.
      points:
        - label: Above 1400 °C
          line: The maximum continuous operating temperature in air is 1400 °C. The datasheet gives no time to failure above that value.
        - label: Strength when hot
          line: In the datasheet's elevated-temperature table, tensile strength is 34 MPa at 900 °C and 4 MPa at 1300 °C. These are short tests at a stated deformation rate, not design loads.
    - title: Handling and storage
      points:
        - label: Design limit
          line: Keep service at or below 1400 °C in air. The datasheet gives no storage, forming or welding advice.
  why: 'Kanthal A-1 is a resistance heating alloy from the Kanthal FeCrAl family, which was first developed in Hallstahammar, Sweden, according to Wikipedia. Its wire datasheet gives a melting point of 1500 °C, a maximum continuous operating temperature in air of 1400 °C and an electrical resistivity of 1.45 Ω mm2/m at 20 °C. It is a heater alloy because current passing through it produces heat at high temperature. The trade-off is strength: room-temperature tensile strength is 760 MPa for 1.0 mm wire, but falls to 34 MPa at 900 °C.'
  uses:
    - where: Electric heating elements
      line: The Kanthal datasheet says typical applications for Kanthal A-1 are electrical heating elements in high-temperature furnaces.
    - where: Furnaces for heat treatment and other industries
      line: The same datasheet sentence names heat treatment, ceramics, glass, steel and electronics as the industries that use these furnaces. These are ground uses.
    - where: Space use
      line: No space or flight application for Kanthal A-1 was found in the sources read.
  can_do:
    - label: Heat in air
      benchmark: max_service_temp
      value: 1400 °C
      line: The datasheet gives a maximum continuous operating temperature in air of 1400 °C, as printed in its property list.
    - label: Melt
      benchmark: melting_point
      value: 1500 °C
      line: The melting point is printed as 1500 °C, the value in the datasheet's physical properties list.
    - label: Carry current
      benchmark: electrical_resistivity
      value: 1.45 Ω mm2/m
      line: The electrical resistivity at 20 °C is 1.45 Ω mm2/m. This is the property that makes the alloy suitable as a heater.
    - label: Strength at room temperature
      benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
      value: 760 MPa for 1.0 mm wire
      line: Room-temperature tensile strength is 760 MPa for 1.0 mm wire and 680 MPa for 4.0 mm wire, in the datasheet's room-temperature table, which prints no test temperature.
    - label: Density
      benchmark: density
      value: 7.10 g/cm3
      scope: material
      line: The datasheet prints a density of 7.10 g/cm3 with no temperature condition.
  compare: Kanthal A-1 is one grade in the Kanthal range of FeCrAl heating alloys. The Kanthal FeCrAl list prints its maximum continuous operating temperature in air (1400 °C) and its electrical resistivity at 20 °C (1.45 Ω mm2/m) in one table row, next to the other FeCrAl grades. No second grade was profiled in this run, so the compare rows use Kanthal A-1's own figures only.
  compare_rows:
    - label: Density
      benchmark: density
    - label: Maximum continuous operating temperature in air
      benchmark: max_service_temp
    - label: Electrical resistivity at 20 °C
      benchmark: electrical_resistivity
  handling:
    - Treat the 1400 °C figure as the continuous limit in air. The datasheet does not give a short-term rating.
    - The datasheets read carry no storage, forming, welding or descaling advice for this grade.
    - The safety information sheet gives statements on suspected cancer risk, skin sensitisation and organ damage from prolonged exposure for the grade family. Check the current Kanthal sheet before handling dust, swarf or fume.
  good_for:
    - 'Heating elements in air: a maximum continuous operating temperature of 1400 °C and a resistivity of 1.45 Ω mm2/m at 20 °C, both from the datasheet.'
    - Furnace heating in high-temperature industries, the use the datasheet names first.
  watch_out:
    - 'Strength falls steeply with temperature: 34 MPa tensile at 900 °C and 4 MPa at 1300 °C in the datasheet''s elevated-temperature table.'
    - Creep data exist only at 800 °C (1.2 MPa) and 1000 °C (0.5 MPa), each for 1 % elongation in 1000 h.
    - All values come from one manufacturer's datasheets; no independent test data for this grade were found.
  verdict: Kanthal A-1 is a heating-element alloy with a maker's continuous limit of 1400 °C in air. The datasheet supports that use, but it gives little strength data above 900 °C. The safety sheet for a group of grades that includes A1 lists three hazard statements and no separate A-1 classification.