Corrosion failures in plate heat exchangers

Conference · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:549911

Turissini, R L; Bruno, T V; Dahlberg, E P; Setterlund, R B ^[1]

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1. Metallurgical Consultants, Inc., Houston, TX (United States)

Corrosion failures in plate heat exchangers are discussed with reference to equipment design, service conditions and materials of construction. Included are case histories that illustrate service experience. Plate heat exchangers are chosen over shell-and-tube exchangers for applications requiring superior heat transfer efficiency and compactness, and lower weight. Efforts to maximize their inherent advantages drive plate heat exchanger design toward the use of thin plate sections that require highly corrosion-resistant materials, and narrow flow passages that are conductive to fouling. Plate heat exchangers in general require extensive sealing along the edges of the plate. Consequently, crevice corrosion may occur under gaskets or adjacent to seal welds. Localized corrosion may be either initiated or aggravated by the leaching of harmful ionic species into crevices from polymer gasket materials. Stress-corrosion failures are also encountered, particularly at cold formed corrugations incorporated into some designs to contain gaskets or to improve heat transfer coefficients.

• OSTI ID: 549911
• Report Number(s): CONF-970332--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CORROSION
CRACK PROPAGATION
CREVICE CORROSION
DESIGN
EMBRITTLEMENT
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER
MATERIALS
OPERATION
PITTING CORROSION
PLATES
SEALS
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STRESS CORROSION
TITANIUM