• Alfa Laval (India) Limited

Heat Exchangers, Tantalum

Alfa Laval Launches has launched a new Tantalum Range of 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.

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.

The new tantalum range has been specifically 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 225°C (437°F). 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. 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. The new Alfa Laval tantalum heat exchangers are based on plate technology. Thanks to a highly turbulent flow they have a significantly higher thermal efficiency than a shell-and-tube.