NiCr15Fe vs NiCr15Fe8: What is the real difference?
Two designation strings appear on data sheets, purchase orders and material certificates as though they describe two distinct alloys. This guide explains exactly what each one means, where the real difference lies — and whether any of it affects your forging project.
Jiangsu Liangyi Engineering Team·Published: April 10, 2026·≈ 1,650 words · 8 min read
Quick answer
NiCr15Fe and NiCr15Fe8 are the same alloy family — both are European (DIN/EN) short-name designations for the nickel-chromium-iron superalloy DIN 2.4816, equivalent to Inconel® 600 / UNS N06600. NiCr15Fe8 is the more precise form: the "8" denotes approximately 8 wt% iron. In most engineering and procurement contexts, both names appear on the same mill test certificate for the same heat of material. Whether this difference matters depends on your specification's exact wording — this guide covers every scenario.
How nickel alloy designations work
If you have sourced a nickel superalloy forging internationally, you will have noticed that the same material travels under at least four different names depending on which country's standard the engineer, the mill, or the end-user prefers. This is not confusion — it reflects the fact that the same alloy was independently standardised by different bodies at different times.
For the nickel-chromium-iron alloy family covered in this article, four main identification systems are in active global use. All of them refer to the material that Jiangsu Liangyi manufactures as 2.4816 NiCr15Fe forgings — open die forgings and seamless rolled rings supplied to nuclear, oil & gas, and chemical industries worldwide.
DIN / EN — European number
2.4816
Material number. Unambiguous, preferred in EU technical documents and export contracts.
DIN short name — European
NiCr15Fe NiCr15Fe8
Composition shorthand. Both refer to 2.4816. NiCr15Fe8 is the fully qualified form with nominal iron stated.
UNS — North American
N06600
ASTM / SAE Unified Numbering System. Standard in US and Canadian engineering specifications.
Trade name
Inconel® 600
Registered trademark of Special Metals Corporation. Widely used as shorthand globally — but not a specification in itself.
BS — British
NA14
Historical British Standard. Still cited in older UK plant documentation and legacy project specs.
The DIN short-name system encodes the alloy's dominant elements and their approximate percentages directly into the name. This is the system that produces both NiCr15Fe and NiCr15Fe8 — and it is the source of any apparent ambiguity between the two strings.
What NiCr15Fe actually means
Reading a DIN short name requires parsing three components:
Base element first — Ni: The name starts with the primary constituent, indicating ≥ 72 wt% nickel. Everything else is an addition to the nickel base.
Alloying element with content number — Cr15: Nominally 15% chromium (actual range 14–17% per DIN 17742). The chromium content rounds to "15" for naming purposes.
Remaining major element, quantity unspecified — Fe: Iron is present but not numerically qualified in the abbreviated form. This is what distinguishes NiCr15Fe from NiCr15Fe8.
So NiCr15Fe communicates: nickel base, approximately 15% chromium, iron present — but leaves the iron content as an open range. This is sufficient for general identification but less precise than the fully qualified form.
Why the abbreviated form exists
DIN naming conventions allow abbreviated short names when the iron content falls within a well-understood range for the alloy group. For the Ni–Cr–Fe system, the absence of a number after Fe implies iron is the remainder element — distinguishing this alloy from Ni–Cr alloys without iron (such as NiCr20) without requiring the full quantification every time.
What the "8" adds in NiCr15Fe8
NiCr15Fe8 is the fully qualified DIN short name. The digit "8" specifies the nominal iron content: approximately 8 wt% iron. The composition range for iron in DIN 17742 is 6.0–10.0 wt%, with a nominal mid-value near 8%. Adding "8" pins the iron quantity and removes ambiguity about which nickel-chromium-iron grade is being specified.
This matters most in two situations:
Cross-referencing against other Ni–Cr–Fe alloys: Related alloys with different iron content or additional elements (e.g. NiCr15Fe7TiAl, designation 2.4669, which is precipitation-hardenable) share the "NiCr15Fe" prefix. The numeric iron qualifier or element suffixes distinguish them.
Formal document traceability: Mill test certificates issued under DIN 17742 often use NiCr15Fe8 as the primary short name, while purchasers may write NiCr15Fe in their procurement spec. Both are accepted as referring to the same material under the same DIN number.
Side-by-side comparison
The table below covers every axis on which the two designations could potentially differ — and confirms that the underlying material, standards, and properties are identical.
Property / axis
NiCr15Fe
NiCr15Fe8
Status
DIN material number
2.4816
2.4816
IDENTICAL
UNS equivalent
N06600
N06600
IDENTICAL
Trade name equivalent
Inconel® 600
Inconel® 600
IDENTICAL
British designation
NA14
NA14
IDENTICAL
Ni content (wt%)
≥ 72.0
≥ 72.0
IDENTICAL
Cr content (wt%)
14.0 – 17.0
14.0 – 17.0
IDENTICAL
Fe nominal value
Not stated
≈ 8.0 wt%
NOMINAL ONLY
Fe compositional range
6.0 – 10.0 wt%
6.0 – 10.0 wt%
IDENTICAL
C max (wt%)
0.10
0.10
IDENTICAL
Tensile strength (RT, annealed)
550 – 830 MPa
550 – 830 MPa
IDENTICAL
0.2% Yield strength (RT)
≥ 205 MPa
≥ 205 MPa
IDENTICAL
Max service temperature
1,000 °C
1,000 °C
IDENTICAL
Applicable standards
DIN 17742, EN 10095, ASTM B564
DIN 17742, EN 10095, ASTM B564
IDENTICAL
Designation form
Abbreviated short name
Fully qualified short name
FORM ONLY
Typical document usage
Common in commercial specs
Preferred in formal DIN MTCs
CONTEXT
Key finding
Thirteen of the fifteen axes are absolutely identical. The only differences are a nominal iron figure (within the same compositional range) and which version of the short name appears on paper. No forging manufacturer — including Jiangsu Liangyi — produces a physically distinct product for "NiCr15Fe" versus "NiCr15Fe8" orders. Both ship from the same ingot heats with identical mill test certificates.
Relationship to Inconel® 600 and UNS N06600
Ni minimum
72.0 wt%
ASTM B564 / DIN 17742
Cr range
14–17 wt%
Same in all three systems
Fe range
6–10 wt%
Nominal 8 wt% in NiCr15Fe8
C maximum
0.10 wt%
Critical for sensitization control
Max service temp
1,000 °C
Continuous oxidising atmosphere
Density
8.47 g/cm³
At 20 °C, all designations
Inconel® 600 is the commercial trade name under which this alloy was first produced by Wiggin Metals (later Special Metals Corporation) in the 1940s. The UNS system — categorising it as N06600 — was developed later as a neutral, non-proprietary identifier for use in ASTM standards. The DIN designation 2.4816 and its associated short names represent the European standardisation of the same composition.
One practical implication: ordering to Inconel® 600 or UNS N06600 means ordering to an ASTM specification (primarily ASTM B564 for forgings). Ordering to 2.4816 / NiCr15Fe / NiCr15Fe8 means ordering to DIN/EN. Both define essentially the same composition and mechanical property minima. The mill test certificate format and signatory requirements differ (EN 10204 under DIN; ASTM supplementary requirements under ASTM B564) — but the metal is the same. For full composition tables, elevated-temperature mechanical data, and available product forms, see the NiCr15Fe8 forged bars, rings and discs product page.
"Inconel® 600 is what the commercial world calls it. 2.4816 is what European engineers specify. N06600 is what ASTM test methods reference. NiCr15Fe8 is what the mill test certificate prints. All four describe the same atoms in the same proportions."
— Jiangsu Liangyi Metallurgical Engineering Team
Does the distinction matter in practice?
For most projects: no. For a handful of specific situations, a quick check is worth doing. Use the decision matrix below.
When does the NiCr15Fe / NiCr15Fe8 distinction actually matter?
Your spec says "NiCr15Fe" or "NiCr15Fe8"
No action needed. Both names unambiguously refer to DIN 2.4816. Your supplier will produce and certify the same heat of material. Request the MTC to reference whichever form your spec uses — both are acceptable under DIN 17742.
Your spec cites a specific iron content range
Confirm with chemistry review. The standard range is 6–10 wt%, meaning actual heat chemistry can sit anywhere in that window. If a tighter iron range is critical (rare), specify it explicitly in your RFQ rather than relying on the grade name alone.
Your spec mixes DIN and ASTM designations
Specify the governing standard. When both appear, state which governs in case of conflict. Composition is essentially identical, but ASTM B564 and DIN 17742 differ on supplementary test requirements and MTC format.
Nuclear, aerospace, or PED pressure equipment
State full designation plus MTC level. Write "2.4816 (NiCr15Fe8) per DIN 17742, EN 10204 3.1 minimum" or your project equivalent. The MTC level, applicable code, and supplementary tests — not the designation string — are what drive compliance.
Comparing NiCr15Fe8 against NiCr15Fe7TiAl (2.4669)
These are genuinely different alloys. NiCr15Fe7TiAl adds titanium and aluminium for precipitation hardening, resulting in much higher strength but requiring age-treatment and different welding procedures. They cannot be substituted. See our 2.4669 NiCr15Fe7TiAl forgings page for full data.
The one real risk to avoid
The only situation where this naming creates a genuine engineering risk is confusing NiCr15Fe8 (2.4816) with NiCr15Fe7TiAl (2.4669). Both names start with "NiCr15Fe" — but the "TiAl" suffix in 2.4669 flags the precipitation-hardening additions. A solid-solution strengthened forging supplied in place of a precipitation-hardened one will have roughly half the yield strength in service. Jiangsu Liangyi always confirms the full DIN designation number with customers before production begins for exactly this reason.
What to write on your RFQ
Based on thousands of enquiries processed over 25 years, here is the designation wording that produces the cleanest quotes and avoids back-and-forth clarification:
Standard commercial order
2.4816 (NiCr15Fe / NiCr15Fe8), DIN 17742, annealed condition, EN 10204 3.1 MTC
ASTM-primary specification
UNS N06600 per ASTM B564, annealed, full MTC per ASTM A262 Practice E or equivalent
EU Pressure Equipment Directive (PED)
2.4816 (NiCr15Fe8) per EN 10095 / DIN 17742, EN 10204 3.1 MTC signed by QC Manager
Nuclear or third-party witnessed order
2.4816 (NiCr15Fe8) per DIN 17742, EN 10204 3.2 MTC witnessed by [TPI body], VIM+ESR+VAR triple melt required
Dual DIN + ASTM acceptance
2.4816 / UNS N06600 — DIN 17742 governs composition & mechanical; ASTM B564 supplementary S1–S5 as noted; EN 10204 3.1
Free RFQ checklist
A complete 2.4816 / NiCr15Fe forging specification checklist — covering NDT levels, MTC options, forging form, delivery condition, and documentation requirements — is available on the product page linked at the end of this article. Copy it into your enquiry to get an accurate, no-surprise quotation first time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between NiCr15Fe and NiCr15Fe8?
NiCr15Fe is the abbreviated DIN short name and NiCr15Fe8 is the fully qualified form — both refer to exactly the same alloy, DIN material number 2.4816, equivalent to Inconel® 600 (UNS N06600). The "8" in NiCr15Fe8 specifies the nominal iron content of approximately 8 wt%. The underlying composition, mechanical properties, applicable standards (DIN 17742, ASTM B564), and the forged material itself are identical. No manufacturer produces a different product for one versus the other.
Is NiCr15Fe8 the same as Inconel 600?
Yes. NiCr15Fe8 (DIN 2.4816) is the European designation for the same alloy commercially known as Inconel® 600, standardised in North America as UNS N06600 under ASTM B564. All three designations describe a nickel-chromium-iron alloy with ≥ 72 wt% Ni, 14–17 wt% Cr, and 6–10 wt% Fe. Composition limits and minimum mechanical properties are essentially identical across DIN and ASTM.
Can I use NiCr15Fe and NiCr15Fe8 interchangeably on a purchase order?
Yes, in virtually all standard commercial and industrial procurement situations. Both names refer to DIN 2.4816 / UNS N06600 and a knowledgeable forging supplier will treat them identically. For maximum clarity, always lead with the DIN material number 2.4816 alongside the short name, and state the MTC level required (EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2).
What does the '8' mean in NiCr15Fe8?
The digit "8" specifies the nominal iron (Fe) content of approximately 8 wt%. Under DIN 17742, the actual iron range is 6.0–10.0 wt% for this alloy family. The nominal value of 8 wt% represents the mid-range typical of production heats. This qualifier distinguishes the fully qualified name NiCr15Fe8 from the abbreviated form NiCr15Fe, which does not state the iron content numerically.
Is NiCr15Fe8 the same as NiCr15Fe7TiAl (2.4669)?
No — these are completely different alloys. NiCr15Fe8 (2.4816) is a solid-solution strengthened alloy equivalent to Inconel 600. NiCr15Fe7TiAl (2.4669) is precipitation-hardenable, containing titanium and aluminium, resulting in roughly twice the yield strength but requiring age-treatment and different welding procedures. They must never be substituted for each other. See the 2.4669 NiCr15Fe7TiAl product page for full specifications.
Which standard governs NiCr15Fe and NiCr15Fe8 forgings?
The primary European standards are DIN 17742 (chemical composition and mechanical properties) and EN 10095 (heat resisting nickel alloys). For North American specifications, ASTM B564 governs nickel alloy forgings in UNS N06600. Mill test certificates are issued per EN 10204 3.1 (standard) or EN 10204 3.2 (third-party witnessed). Both DIN/EN and ASTM define essentially the same composition and minimum mechanical property requirements.
Who manufactures NiCr15Fe8 forgings in China?
Jiangsu Liangyi Co., Limited is an ISO 9001:2015 certified forging factory in Jiangyin, Jiangsu, China, specialising in 2.4816 (NiCr15Fe / NiCr15Fe8) open die forgings and seamless rolled rings. With 25+ years of experience and triple melt (VIM+ESR+VAR) technology, they supply forgings up to 30,000 kg and 6,000 mm OD to nuclear power, oil and gas, and chemical industries in 50+ countries. Free quotes within 24 hours at jnmtforgedparts.com.
Main product page
2.4816 NiCr15Fe NiCr15Fe8 Forging Parts
Full chemical data, mechanical properties at RT and elevated temperature, creep data, corrosion ratings, welding guide, and complete RFQ checklist.