Markets & Industries
Pure titanium has excellent resistance to corrosion and is used widely in the chemical industries. In many corrosive process environments, titanium proves to be the most economical solution. Its natural corrosion resistance helps maximize equipment life, reduce downtime and improve overall plant performance. There is a passive oxide film which makes it particularly resistant to corrosion in oxidising solutions. The corrosion resistance can be further improved by adding palladium (0.15 wt%), which makes hydrogen evolution easier at cathodic sites so that the anodic and cathodic reactions balance in the passive region.
Most chemical plant use steel vessels which are clad with titanium. The titanium is frequently explosion bonded. In chemical processing, titanium is used to make heat exchangers, vessels, pipe and tubing that resist aggressive oxidizing acidic and chloride solutions, elevated temperatures and pressures. Small alloying additions of palladium group metals (Pt, Pd, Ru) will improve titanium’s resistance to non-oxidizing acids by as much as 1,500 times.
Common use
● Pressure and reaction vessels
● Heat exchangers
● Pipe and fittings
● Liners
● Tubing
● Pumps
● Condensers
● Valves, ducting and filters
● Agitators
Zirconium for chemical processing
Zirconium convinces through its resistance to severely corrosive environments. It reliably protects process equipment and pipes in chemical plants against attack by highly concentrated acids or alkaline solutions. One of the major applications of Zirconium is as a corrosion-resistant material of construction for the chemical processing industry. Zirconium exhibits excellent resistance to corrosive attack in most organic and inorganic acids, salt solutions, strong alkalis, and some molten salts. In certain applications of Zirconium, the unique corrosion resistance properties can extend its useful life beyond that of the remainder of the plant.
Common use
● Chemical & Petrochemical
● Oil & Gas
● Pharmaceutical
● Geothermal
● Sea Water & Desalination
● Mining
● Utilities
● Solar Power
Nickel for chemical processing
Nickel 200 and 201 are used extensively in the chemical, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries because Ni 200 and 201 are highly resistant to many corrosive media. Commercially pure nickel is highly resistant to various reducing chemicals and is unexcelled in resistance to caustic alkalies. It also has a high Curie temperature and good magnetostrictive properties.
Although most useful in reducing environments, it can be used also under oxidizing conditions that cause the development of a passive oxide film. The outstanding resistance of Nickel 200 to caustics is based on this type of protection. In all environments, when temperatures above 600°F (315°C) are involved, the preferred material is Nickel 201.
Tantalum for Chemical processing
The ductility and excellent corrosion resistance of tantalum make it suitable for use in chemical process equipment operating under corrosive conditions at elevated temperatures. Industrial applications requiring tantalum in the 1930s relied primarily on its mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. The corrosion resistance serves both to protect the equipment as well as to maintain the purity of the handled chemicals.
Tantalum and tantalum alloys can be used to handle hydrochloric, hydrobromic, nitric and sulfuric acids. Because of tantalum’s excellent corrosion-resistant properties, tantalum mill and fabricated products are used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries in such applications as agitators, heat exchangers, evaporators, condensers, pumps and valves, thermocouple plus protecting tube, spinnerets for rayon spinning and thermometer wells and liners for reactors and tanks.
Niobium for chemical processing
Niobium and niobium alloys have a very good corrosion resistance in many severe environments. These environments include mineral acid (inorganic acid), most of the organic acids, and most of the liquid metal and salt. Niobium also has anti-corrosion effect in some fluoride-containing solution, which is a unique property among all the active metals.
Niobium is commonly used as condensers and heat exchangers for equipments served in nitrate and in pharmaceutical industry which requires strong corrosion resistance.
Niobium also can be used in oil drilling equipment, ships housing and bridge. It is also used as a material in anodes for cathodic protection systems on some water tanks, which are then usually plated with platinum.
