Metco 14E is the middle rung of Oerlikon Metco's Ni-Cr-B-Si self-fluxing ladder — the grade your shop reaches for when Colmonoy 6 and Metco 15E are overkill and Metco 12C is too soft. Oerlikon's nominal chemistry is Ni balance / Cr 11 / Si 3.7 / Fe 2.75 / B 2.2 / C 0.5, and the fused deposit lands at HRC 45-50: hard enough to resist mild-to-moderate abrasion, adhesive wear, and erosion, but ductile enough to avoid the crack-sensitivity that dogs the harder Ni self-fluxing grades on thick build-ups and hardenable steels.

That middle position is the whole point. When a pump sleeve, shaft, or printing roll needs 30-60 mils of dimensional restoration plus moderate wear protection, 14E is the workhorse — cheaper than cobalt Stellite, more forgiving than 15E or Colmonoy 6, and friendly to traditional oxyacetylene flame-spray-and-fuse tooling. The boron and silicon scavenge oxides during the fuse cycle, so the finished layer is metallurgically bonded (>80 MPa) and sub-1% porous without separate flux or shielding gas. Service tops out near 1,000°F / 540°C continuous. Deposits grind to a good finish but do not machine easily — plan the repair around the cylindrical grinder, and Metco 14E earns its spot in the rack.

Technical data

Hardness: Roughly 450-550 HV on fused deposits (converted from 45-50 HRC); research on NiCrBSi family reports 789-1,100 HV on flame-sprayed as-deposited layers and up to ~1,185 HV for HVOF-sprayed (as-sprayed, unfused) — fused deposits land in the mid-range as the microstructure coalesces.
Hardness (HRC): 45-50 HRC typical deposit (spray + fuse) per Oerlikon Metco e-guide; microhardness min 45 / macrohardness max 50 HRC; some references cite HRC 47-53 on tightly fused, low-dilution samples.
Bond strength: Metallurgically bonded after fusing — substrate-limited, not coating-limited. Published adhesion on flame-sprayed-and-fused NiCrBSi reaches >80 MPa (~11,600 psi); as-sprayed (unfused) flame spray is mechanical bond, typically 3,000-5,000 psi, and must be fused before service.
Max service temp: ~1,000°F continuous (Oerlikon specifies 540°C / ~1,000°F as the maximum recommended service temperature for the self-fluxing Ni family; the shop rule-of-thumb of ~950°F gives a margin of safety).
Max service temp: ~540°C
As-sprayed porosity: Flame spray unfused 5-15%; after fuse cycle <1%; HVOF + fuse ~1%; research shows ~17-20% volumetric shrinkage during the fuse step.
Typical thickness: Flame spray + fuse 20-60 mils (typical sweet spot for 14E's thicker build-ups); HVOF + fuse 5-20 mils; PTA/ (1-3 mm).
Melting range: ~1,800-2,000°F; approximate fusing temperature 1,950-2,000°F (1,065-1,095°C). Oerlikon lists a melting temperature of 982°C (~1,800°F) for the alloy itself.
Density: ~8.0-8.2 (typical of NiCrBSi self-fluxing alloys; not tabulated on current Oerlikon e-guide for 14E specifically, but density closely tracks Colmonoy-family chemistries at 8.10 g/cc).

Where it earns its keep

Moderate hardness (HRC 45-50) hits the 'good-enough' sweet spot for the largest class of general-industrial wear repairs — harder than Metco 12C (HRC 35-40), softer and more forgiving than Metco 15E (HRC 58-62) or Colmonoy 6 (HRC 56-61)
Self-fluxing — boron and silicon scavenge oxides during the fuse cycle, so the finished layer is metallurgically bonded, dense (<1% porosity), and needs no separate flux or shielding gas on the fuse step
Thicker build-ups are safer than with the harder grades — Oerlikon specifically positions 14E as the choice 'where thick, wear-resistant coatings are desired' because it is less crack-sensitive on highly hardenable steels
Machinable only with difficulty but grinds to a good finish — realistic on the shop floor for pump sleeves, shafts, and rolls that finish on a cylindrical grinder
Applies by flame spray + fuse, HVOF, PTA, and spray-weld torch — every major Ni self-fluxing process we run
Forgiving spray parameters — traditional oxyacetylene flame-and-fuse equipment handles 14E well, which keeps tooling costs and setup time low for repair work
Cost-effective relative to the harder Ni-Cr-B-Si grades and well below cobalt-base Stellites

Where it doesn't

Not for heavy abrasion, high-stress grinding, or slurry-erosion service — step up to Metco 15E, Colmonoy 6, or Colmonoy 88 when wear intensifies
Not for service above ~1,000°F / 540°C continuous — chromium borides soften and oxidation accelerates; Oerlikon's stated maximum is 540°C
Flame-sprayed deposits must be fused before service — as-sprayed is porous and mechanically bonded only
Thick deposits on tool steels and other hardenable substrates still want controlled preheat, interpass temperature, and slow cool to keep cracks out
Deposits do not machine easily — plan for grind finishing rather than turning; carbide tools will struggle
Approximately 17-20% shrinkage during fuse — stock allowance and build-up planning have to account for this or the part finishes undersize

Which process, when?

Flame spray + fuse is the classic route for Metco 14E on pump sleeves, shafts, and rolls where build-ups of 20-60 mils are needed and the part can take a fuse cycle — this is where 14E's crack-tolerance and forgiving spray window matter most. HVOF produces a thinner, denser as-sprayed layer (5-20 mils) that fuses to near-zero porosity and works well on smaller-diameter shafts. Plasma transferred arc (PTA) is the precision-placement option for thick (40-120 mil), low-dilution deposits on valve trim, rotor heads, and build-up repair where heat input needs to stay tight. Spray-and-fuse torch with a hand-held oxyacetylene gun is still the shop-friendly answer for field and repair work on larger shafts and rolls.

Sources

Data points on this page draw on the following published references. Nothing here replaces a material-specific review by our process engineers — but it's the working starting point.

Oerlikon Metco — Metco 14E Thermal Spray Powder (Materials e-Guide)
“Nominal composition Ni 11Cr 3.7Si 2.75Fe 2.2B 0.5C; microhardness minimum 45 HRC, macrohardness maximum 50 HRC; melting temperature 982°C; maximum service temperature 540°C; applied by laser cladding, PTA, and spray-and-fuse; used for abrasion, adhesive wear, erosion, sliding wear, and dimensional restoration in corrosive service including crude oil, seawater, and corrosive mud; not easily machined but grinds to a good finish; less susceptible to cracking than harder self-fluxing alloys, suitable for highly hardenable steels.”
Oerlikon Metco DSMTS-0026.7 — Nickel and Cobalt Self-Fluxing Alloys
“Product data sheet covering the Ni and Co self-fluxing alloy family (Metco 12C, 14E, 15E, 16C, 17C and related grades); defines the spray-and-fuse process, typical fusing temperatures, and positions 14E as a moderate-hardness workhorse for thick, wear-resistant deposits on highly hardenable steels where harder grades would crack.”
Oerlikon Metco DSM-0263 — Nickel- and Cobalt-Based Self-Fluxing Alloys for Thermal Spray
“Family datasheet for the Ni/Co self-fluxing alloys, including 14E; documents typical flame-spray-and-fuse, HVOF, and PTA process routes and positions the alloys for general wear restoration, dimensional build-up, and corrosion protection in pump, roll, and shaft applications.”
Oerlikon Metco — Metco 12C Thermal Spray Powder
“Ni 7.5Cr 3.5Si 2.5Fe 1.7B 0.25C; minimum 35 HRC / maximum 40 HRC; fusing temperature ~1,050°C; max service 540°C; self-fluxing Ni alloy for mild wear and corrosion — the softer sibling below 14E in the Oerlikon ladder.”
Oerlikon Metco — Metco 15E Thermal Spray Powder
“Ni 17Cr 4Fe 4Si 3.5B 1C; microhardness minimum 58 HRC / macrohardness maximum 62 HRC; typical deposit 60 HRC; fusing temperature ~993°C; max service 540°C — the harder sibling above 14E; preferred when wear is severe but may crack on thick deposits over highly hardenable steels.”
HTS Coatings — Metco 16C Spray and Fuse Material
“Nickel-based self-fluxing alloy (Cr 16, Si 4, B 4, Cu 3, Mo 3, Fe 2.5, C 0.5, Ni balance); typical coating hardness ~60 HRC; up to ~3 mm (1/8 in) thickness; spray-and-fuse process at ~1,950°F; applications in buffing/polishing fixtures, augers, feed screws, forging tools, exhaust fans, and valve seats.”
Modeling and Optimization in Investigating Thermally Sprayed Ni-Based Self-Fluxing Alloy Coatings — PMC review
“Flame-sprayed NiCrBSi coatings report 789-1,100 HV and porosity 10-20% as-sprayed; HVOF coatings 997-1,185 HV0.1 and ~0.9% porosity; furnace fuse at ~1,080°C consolidates the microstructure, reduces porosity to <1%, and achieves metallurgical bonding. Adhesive strength ranges from ~22 MPa (flame + fuse minimum) to >80 MPa after full fuse.”
Welding in the World — Microstructural analysis of flame-sprayed and PTA-deposited NiCrBSi self-fluxing coatings
“Comparative microstructural study of NiCrBSi coatings deposited by flame spray (with post-fuse) and PTA; confirms dense metallurgically bonded layers with chromium boride and nickel boride phases in a Ni-Cr-Si matrix — the hardness mechanism common to the Metco 12C / 14E / 15E family.”
Cremer Coating — NiCrBSi Self-Fluxing Alloy Overview
“NiCrBSi self-fluxing alloys are used below 750°C for wear, corrosion, and oxidation protection on oil-pump plungers, shaft sleeves, piston rods, and similar rotating/reciprocating components; fused in flame, laser, or furnace for metallurgical bonding.”

Material data on this page is provided as a general reference and can vary by lot, substrate, and application. Contact HTS to confirm the right material and specification for your specific part.

Metco 14E

Technical data

Where it earns its keep

Where it doesn't

Typical applications

Wear modes addressed

Industries

Substrates

Which process, when?

Sources

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