Superalloy prices rose following robust demand, especially for stainless steel scrap.
The weekly Davis Index for Hastelloy C rose by 14¢/lb to $6.27/lb for delivered processor yard and was up by 8¢/lb for Hastelloy X to $4.36/lb for single truckloads.
Inconel 600 grew by 10¢/lb to $5.65/lb and increased for Inconel 601 by 8¢/lb to $4.46/lb delivered processor yard.
The indexes for Inconel 617 Vac and Inconel 625 Vac were up by 7¢/lb and 21¢/lb, respectively to settle at $3.97/lb delivered and $5.54/lb delivered processor yard. Inconel 718 Vac also rose by 17¢/lb to $4.29/lb delivered processor yard.
The official LME Nickel cash contract closed Thursday at $18,870/mt, up by $175/mt from $18,695/mt on Jul 15.
Demand for superalloys is gradually climbing especially for lagging grades like Inconel 625 and Inconel 718, according to some participants. That said, processors are seeing improvements in the overall market and expect the prices to increase similar to stainless steel.