Metal Materials of Spectacle Frame Materials: Stainless Steel and Nickel Alloy

Commonly used materials for spectacle frames are generally divided into metal materials, plastics and synthetic materials (including natural materials), and mixed materials. Metal materials are divided into stainless steel and nickel alloy. This blog mainly introduces stainless steel and nickel alloy among the metal materials of the spectacle frame.

The metal spectacle frame refers to the spectacle frame made of metal materials as the main part of the mirror body. Metal materials have long been used in spectacle frames, mainly through the development of copper alloys (brass, white copper) → stainless steel → nickel alloys → pure titanium → titanium alloys → shape memory alloys.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel is an alloy material containing iron, chromium, and nickel. The main element to be added is chromium, which is generally 12%~38%. Nickel, iron, and other elements can also be added. It's a special steel with corrosion resistance and high elasticity, which is often used as an edge wire and screw. At the same time, because of its good mechanical properties (especially high tensile strength), technological performance, and economic performance, it has become a newly developed spectacle frame material, but its cutting performance and welding performance are slightly poor.

Nickel alloy

When nickel alloy materials are used for spectacle profiles, they are also called money alloy materials. It's an alloy material made of metal nickel as the matrix and added with copper, iron, manganese, and other elements. Monel alloy material has good corrosion resistance and is silver white, which is suitable for making glass edge wire material.