New Tantalum Heat Exchangers for Highly Corrosive Applications

April 17, 2014
Range has been developed for use with hot, highly corrosive liquids.

Alfa Laval is launching a new range of tantalum heat exchangers that offer the high corrosion of a solid-tantalum heat exchanger. Tantalum is one of the most corrosion-resistant metals, but it’s also very costly, making solid-tantalum heat exchangers extremely expensive.

The heat exchangers in Alfa Laval’s new tantalum range are stainless steel heat exchangers that have undergone a unique treatment where a thin layer of tantalum is metallurgically bonded to all surfaces exposed to corrosive media. The result is maximum corrosion resistance and mechanical stability at a low investment cost, making the technology affordable to a wide range of applications, according to Alfa Laval.          

The new tantalum range has been developed for use with hot, highly corrosive liquids. The tantalum surface allows Alfa Laval’s new heat exchangers to be used with most corrosive media at temperatures up to 437 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike many high-grade alloys, they can be used with mixed media and at variable concentrations.

The high chemical resistance and robust design minimizes service needs. The only required maintenance is a cleaning-in-place procedure if the heat exchanger is operating in a fouling duty. The highly turbulent flow helps reduce fouling and makes cleaning-in-place procedures more effective.