MPS  /  MATERIALS  /  INDUSTRIAL & AM POWDER  /  COBALT & COBALT ALLOYS
Co
Z 27 · ATOMIC MASS 58.933

Cobalt & Cobalt Alloys

Wear, temperature, and biocompatibility.   Gas-atomized Stellite 6, 12, 21; CoCrMo (F75 / F1537) for medical implants; CoCrW (Haynes 25 / L605); pure Co for hardmetal binder. Aerospace hot-section vanes, medical, and industrial hardfacing.

Program Intake Program Tiers
Grades
Stellite 6/12/21 · F75 · L605
Standards
ASTM F75 · F1537 · AMS 5390/5537
PSD cuts
15–45 · 45–106 · 106–250 μm
Process
VIM · GA · Water atomized
Lead time
4 weeks standard
Sourcing
Conflict-free (RMI-audited)
01METALLURGY

Cobalt alloys deliver a rare triple threat — wear resistance (Stellite), high-temperature oxidation resistance (L605, Haynes 188), and biocompatibility (CoCrMo F75). They are the default material for medical implants (hip and knee resurfacing), aeroengine hot-section vanes, and industrial hardfacing applications where WC-Co is too heavy or brittle.

Global Co supply is dominated by the DRC (~70% of mined output). We source exclusively from RMI-audited, conflict-free supply chains (DRC-conflict-free, Australia, Canada, Cuba, Philippines) with full CMRT documentation. Battery-grade Co is not our market; our focus is spherical PM-grade and cast alloy powder for aerospace, medical, and industrial applications.

02SPECIFICATION
Chemistry — F75 (CoCrMo cast)
ASTM F75 · Cr 27–30, Mo 5–7, C 0.35 max, Ni ≤ 0.5
Chemistry — F1537 (CoCrMo wrought)
ASTM F1537 · Cr 26–30, Mo 5–7, C 0.14 max
Chemistry — Stellite 6
AMS 5387 · Cr 27–32, W 4–6, C 0.9–1.4
Chemistry — Stellite 12
AMS 5390 · Cr 27–32, W 7–9.5, C 1.2–1.7
Chemistry — Stellite 21
AMS 5385 · Cr 25.5–29, Mo 5–6, C 0.20–0.35
Chemistry — L605 (Haynes 25)
AMS 5537 · Cr 19–21, W 14–16, Ni 9–11
Oxygen
≤ 200 ppm
Nitrogen
≤ 100 ppm
Morphology
Spherical (GA) or angular (water-atomized)
Apparent density
Reported per lot COA under program qualification
Hall flow
Reported per lot COA under program qualification
Traceability
Mine (RMI-audited) → refinery → VIM heat → GA lot
03GRADES & ALLOYS
Stellite 6
AMS 5387. The reference wear-resistance alloy. Valve seats.
Stellite 12
AMS 5390. Higher hardness than 6.
Stellite 21
AMS 5385. Machinable Stellite variant. Aerospace vanes.
CoCrMo F75
ASTM F75. Medical implant cast alloy. Knee/hip resurfacing.
CoCrMo F1537
ASTM F1537. Wrought equivalent of F75. Higher fatigue strength.
L605 (Haynes 25)
AMS 5537. Hot-section vanes and combustor components.
Haynes 188
Similar to L605 with lanthanum addition for oxidation resistance.
Pure Co (99.8%)
Hardmetal binder for WC-Co and diamond-tool matrices.
04PROCESSING ROUTES
LPBF
Stellite 21 and F75 fully qualified. Post-HIP recommended.
EBM
F75 medical implants qualified production route (Arcam).
DED / LMD
Primary industrial hardfacing route.
Plasma-transferred arc (PTA)
Valve-seat and turbine-blade hardfacing.
Thermal spray (HVOF)
Stellite coatings for wear applications.
Press & sinter
Traditional route for tool bits and cutting inserts.
05APPLICATIONS
Medical
Orthopedic Implants
F75 and F1537 for hip, knee, and dental implants. ISO 13485 documentation.
Aerospace
HP Vane Hardfacing
Stellite 21 and L605 for hot-section vanes. AMS 5385 / 5537 certified.
Industrial
Valve Seats
Stellite 6 hardfacing on valve seats for slurry and abrasive service.
Oil & Gas
Downhole Wear
Stellite 6 and 12 for drill-bit tips and downhole tool wear surfaces.
Power Generation
Steam-Valve Seats
Stellite 6 hardfacing on high-pressure steam valve seats.
Semiconductor
Precision Wear
Cobalt-bonded tungsten carbide for wafer-handling components.
06QUALITY CONTROL
Chemistry
LECO (O/N/C) · ICP-OES for all alloying elements
PSD
Laser diffraction per ASTM B822
Morphology
SEM per lot with circularity index
Conflict-free verification
RMI CMRT documentation per lot
Biocompatibility (medical)
ISO 10993 testing available on F75/F1537 lots
Hardness (Stellite)
Sintered puck hardness verification
Every lot ships with a mill-certified Certificate of Conformance (CofC) documenting chemistry, PSD, morphology, flow, and traceability from mill heat through atomization to PO. Retained samples are held per lot for program-life duration.

Move it to a
program.

MPS-1 qualification, MPS-2 production, or MPS-3 strategic supply. 4-week standard lead time on qualified stock.

Program Intake Compare Program Tiers