Why Titanium for Heat Exchangers
Titanium offers exceptional corrosion resistance, high strength-to-weight ratio, and good thermal conductivity for aggressive environments. While costing 5-10x more than 316L, lifecycle cost is often lower due to unlimited service life and eliminated replacement costs. CoreMetal Steel supplies titanium tube, plate, and fittings for heat exchanger manufacturing.
Titanium Grades
Grade 2 (CP Titanium)
Most widely used. Tensile: 345 MPa. Thermal conductivity: 16.4 W/m-K. Excellent resistance to chlorides and seawater. Standard for condensers, chlor-alkali plants, desalination.
Grade 12 (Ti-0.3Mo-0.8Ni)
Tensile: 483 MPa. Improved crevice corrosion resistance for reducing acids.
Palladium Grades (7, 11)
0.15% Pd addition for enhanced reducing acid resistance.
Thermal Design
Tube Wall Thickness
Titanium strength allows thinner walls: 0.5-1.2mm vs 1.2-2.0mm for 316L. Thinner walls compensate for lower conductivity.
Fouling
Titanium’s smooth oxide surface resists fouling. Seawater fouling factor: 0.0001-0.0002 m2-K/W.
Fabrication and Welding
Above 400 degrees C, titanium absorbs atmospheric gases causing embrittlement. Weld zones must use 99.995% argon shielding. GTAW with orbital welding systems. Acceptable welds show bright silver color. Dark oxide indicates contamination requiring rework.
Applications
Seawater condensers: 30+ year life vs 5-10 years for cupronickel. Chemical process: wet chlorine, hypochlorite. Pharmaceutical: biocompatible sanitary exchangers.
CoreMetal Steel supplies complete titanium packages: tubes (ASTM B338), plates (B265), bars/fittings (B348/B363), forgings (B381) with full certifications.