Heat exchangers corrosion

Impervious graphite Constructed of graphite for corrosion protection. Used in very highly corrosive heat exchange services. 

Model crevice Studies of crevice chemistry and corrosion heat exchangers, PWR steam generators Crevice chemistry and corrosion data for specific conditions... 

The reactor products are so hot or corrosive that if passed directly to a heat exchanger, special materials-of-construction or an expensive mechanical design would be required. 

The reactor effluent might require cooling by direct heat transfer because the reaction needs to be stopped quickly, or a conventional exchanger would foul, or the reactor products are too hot or corrosive to pass to a conventional heat exchanger. The reactor product is mixed with a liquid that can be recycled, cooled product, or an inert material such as water. The liquid vaporizes partially or totally and cools the reactor effluent. Here, the reactor Teed is a cold stream, and the vapor and any liquid from the quench are hot streams. 

Explosion-bonded metals are produced by several manufacturers in the United States, Europe, and Japan. The chemical industry is the principal consumer of explosion-bonded metals which are used in the constmction of clad reaction vessels and heat-exchanger tube sheets for corrosion-resistant service. The primary market segments for explosion-bonded metals are for corrosion-resistant pressure vessels, tube sheets for heat exchangers, electrical transition joints, and stmctural transition joints. Total world markets for explosion-clad metals are estimated to fluctuate between 30 x 10 to 60 x 10 annually. 

Nickel—Copper. In the soHd state, nickel and copper form a continuous soHd solution. The nickel-rich, nickel—copper alloys are characterized by a good compromise of strength and ductihty and are resistant to corrosion and stress corrosion ia many environments, ia particular water and seawater, nonoxidizing acids, neutral and alkaline salts, and alkaUes. These alloys are weldable and are characterized by elevated and high temperature mechanical properties for certain appHcations. The copper content ia these alloys also easure improved thermal coaductivity for heat exchange. MONEL alloy 400 is a typical nickel-rich, nickel—copper alloy ia which the nickel content is ca 66 wt %. MONEL alloy K-500 is essentially alloy 400 with small additions of aluminum and titanium. Aging of alloy K-500 results in very fine y -precipitates and increased strength (see also Copper alloys). 

Alkyl or aryl phosphonates, which contain a carbon—phosphoms bond, are comparatively more stable. They are of interest as antiscaling additives and corrosion inhibitors for cooling towers and heat exchangers (see Dispersants Water, industrial water treatment), surfactants (qv), sequestrants, and textile-treating agents. Trialkyl phosphites are usehil as esterification (qv) reagents. 

Other hydrocarbons. They have been used as corrosion inhibitors in glycol heat-exchanger fluids (antifree2es) and as volatile corrosion inhibitors for steel (see Corrosion and corrosion inhibitors). They also stabilize sulfur trioxide. 

The first commercial use of tantalum was as filaments ia iacandescent lamps but it was soon displaced by tungsten. Tantalum is used ia chemical iadustry equipment for reaction vessels and heat exchangers ia corrosive environments. It is usually the metal of choice for heating elements and shields ia high temperature vacuum sintering furnaces. In 1994, over 72% of the tantalum produced ia the world went iato the manufacturiag of over 10 x 10 soHd tantalum capacitors for use ia the most demanding electronic appHcations. 

Cooling System Corrosion Corrosion can be defined as the destmction of a metal by chemical or electrochemical reaction with its environment. In cooling systems, corrosion causes two basic problems. The first and most obvious is the failure of equipment with the resultant cost of replacement and plant downtime. The second is decreased plant efficiency to loss of heat transfer, the result of heat exchanger fouling caused by the accumulation of corrosion products. 

Galvanic corrosion can be controlled by the use of sacrificial anodes. This is a common method of controlling corrosion in heat exchangers with Admiralty tube bundles and carbon steel tube sheets and channel heads. The anodes are bolted direcdy to the steel and protect a limited area around the anode. Proper placement of sacrificial anodes is a precise science. 

The chemical corrosion resistance of Zr 704 is slightly less than that of Zr 702 in some environments but Zr 704 is superior in high temperature, high pressure water, and steam. A softer version of Zr 705 is Zr 706, developed specifically for severe forming appUcations such as panel-type heat exchangers. 

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