A New Anti-Corrosion Solution for the Chemical Industry

The corrosion of heat-exchanger tubes has long been the “invisible killer” in chemical plants. When the shell-side and tube-side media have very different corrosive characteristics, a single corrosion-resistant alloy can seldom meet the demands of service conditions. Today, we lift the veil on tube corrosion and explore a decisive countermeasure.

Why Heat-Exchanger Tubes Get “Hurt”

Tubes are in permanent contact with process fluids and subjected to complex physical and chemical attacks. Research shows that corrosion is governed mainly by the chemical environment. For instance, when high concentrations of chloride ions are present, the entire tube wall suffers pronounced corrosion. This attack alters both the tube’s appearance and its mechanical properties. More critically, it can lead to perforation, leakage, process shutdown, and even environmental contamination. Statistics indicate that corrosion is responsible for 70 – 90 % of all tube failures, causing economic losses in the billions of yuan.

The Material Dilemma in Chemical Heat Exchangers

Selecting the right material has always been a headache. On the one hand, the corrosive fingerprints of process streams vary widely; on the other, highly alloyed materials such as duplex 2205 or 2507, or nickel-based alloys 825 and 625, offer excellent resistance but at prohibitive cost, sharply inflating project budgets. This leaves plant owners caught between performance and price.

Dual-Metal Metallurgical Composite Tubes: A Powerful Solution

Tianyang’s dual-metal metallurgical composite tubes provide a way out. The tubes use high-precision carbon or low-alloy steel seamless pipe as the structural base, ensuring safe pressure containment. A thin-walled, seamless noble-alloy cladding supplies the corrosion barrier. Tianyang’s proprietary pressure-fusion/anchor metallurgical bonding process unites the two seamless tubes into a single entity with a bond strength ≥ 210 MPa and a 100 % bonded interface.

Thanks to this unique process, the composite tubes meet stringent corrosion requirements while delivering clear economic advantages. At the same wall thickness, they cost 30 – 50 % less than solid noble-alloy tubes, markedly reducing capital expenditure and simultaneously boosting plant efficiency and profitability.