Alfa Laval’s new tantalum range to minimise lifecycle costs for heat exchangers

April 11, 2014 10:42 am

Alfa Laval
is launching a new range of tantalum heat exchangers that offer
exceptionally high corrosion resistance of a solid tantalum heat
exchanger, but at a much lower investment cost. The combined benefits of
lower capital cost, long lifetime and minimal maintenance requirements
results in significantly lower total cost of ownership compared to heat
exchangers made of high-grade alloys, graphite, silicon carbide or
glass.Unique surface treatmentTantalum
is one of the most corrosion-resistant metals, but it’s also very
costly, making solid tantalum heat exchangers extremely expensive. The
new heat exchangers are made of stainless steel and 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.Designed for the toughest conditionsThe
new tantalum range has been specifically developed for use with hot,
highly corrosive liquids. The tantalum surface allows these heat
exchangers to be used with most corrosive media at temperatures up to
225 C. Unlike many high-grade alloys, they can be used with mixed media and at variable concentrations.Minimal maintenance costsThe
high chemical resistance and robust design minimises 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. The steel core gives Alfa Laval tantalum heat exchangers high
mechanical stability. The robust design gives them much greater
resistance to thermal shock than glass, silicon carbide and graphite
heat exchangers.