SpaceX is casting Raptor engine manifold out of Inconel

Posted on February 16, 2019

SpaceX Founder Elon Musk has shared a video and image through his twitter account to inform that SpaceX foundry is casting Raptor engine manifold out of Inconel.

Inconel is an alloy of nickel containing chromium and iron, resistant to corrosion at high temperatures.

When heated, Inconel forms a thick, stable, passivating oxide layer protecting the surface from further attack. Inconel retains strength over a wide temperature range.

In June 2018, Elon Musk announced completion of work on a new Inconel superalloy called SX 300 developed for high-temperature, high-pressure, highly-oxidative environments in a rocket engine.

Casting Inconel is as not common. Scientists are researching various approaches for casting inconel.

It seems Elon Musk’s SpaceX has decided to create its Raptor Engine by casting Inconel.

Raptor is a staged combustion, methane-fueled rocket engine under development by SpaceX. The engines are powered by cryogenic liquid methane and liquid oxygen (LOX).

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