Heat exchangers are devices for maintaining the required temperature for the applications. In many applications, the transfer of excess heat is necessary. Oil Refineries, Food and Beverage industry, Chemical Plants, Steel Plants, Laser applications, Electronics industry are the major users of heat exchangers.
Based on design there are many types of heat exchangers, which include plate type, shell and tube type, finned tube types. All the types are unique and each type has an advantage over the other in some aspects.
We can make both the fins and the tubes of different types of stainless steel.
Stainless steel Heat Exchangers
Standard heat exchangers are available in the market for many applications most are made of copper. However, you need to consult the manufacturer for customized ones and for stainless steel this can be problematic. The use of standard ones is okay for simple applications like heating and cooling systems for lasers and electronics, and we have a full line of these in stainless steel. However, there are complex applications, where you need to install Custom Heat Exchangers. These can be for corrosive liquids, and other uses.
Design concerns of Custom Heat Exchangers
Thermal design engineers study the application and recommend which type of heat exchanger is best for the application. Many factors are taken into consideration before finalizing the design. These factors include the required heat transfer rate, space available to fit heat exchanger into the application, and the type of application. Using our different grades of stainless steel we can provide high burst pressures, high temperatures and all other design features.
Heat transfer rate
If the application is generating a lot of heat and needs to cool down fast, then a huge surface area of the metal pipes would be needed to build heat exchangers. Long metal tubes with fins attached to them, and liquid moving inside the pipe to extract the heat would be an ideal solution.
The size and the shape of the heat exchanger are dependent on the space available to fit them in the application. Maintenance issues, safety regulations, and industry standards are other aspects taken into consideration. There are a variety of materials used to build heat exchangers. These include 316L Steel and 304L Steel. Corrosion-resistant materials like Titanium, Alloy 20, Hastelloy, Monel 500, and AL-6xn are also popular.
Industry-specific needs are also taken into consideration. Like, for the pharmaceutical industry use of carbon steel is not advisable, since it can cause contamination problems.
If you want to replace an old heat exchanger with a new one, the utility data of the old one, its dimensions, and how it is supported are taken into consideration. Also, the cause for the failure of the old one needs to be studied, so that the new one will have features, which will prevent it from failing for the same reasons.
We mostly use the DIN 1.4404 or ASTM 316L. This is superiour to the 304L DIN 1.4404
For high temperatures we also can use 310L 1.4845
Stainless Steel 316L is renowned for its exceptional corrosion resistance, particularly in challenging environments. Here’s a simple breakdown:
Composition Advantages:
- Contains 16-18% chromium
- 10-14% nickel
- 2-3% molybdenum
- Low carbon content (the “L” means low carbon)
Corrosion Resistance Characteristics:
- Excellent resistance to most chemical environments
- Superior protection against chloride-based corrosion
- Highly effective in marine and industrial settings
- Resists pitting and crevice corrosion
- Performs well in both acidic and alkaline conditions
Specific Strengths:
- Withstands seawater exposure
- Resists sulfuric and phosphoric acids
- Performs in food processing environments
- Used in medical implants due to its bio-compatibility
- Maintains integrity in chemical processing plants
The molybdenum is key – it significantly enhances corrosion resistance compared to standard 304 stainless steel, especially in chloride-rich environments.
Real-world applications include:
- Chemical processing equipment
- Marine hardware
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Food industry components
- Medical devices
For high temperatures:
