Metal finishing Q&As since 1989
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Teflon coating of heat exchangers
Q. I am doing my project on coating a heat exchanger with Teflon to make it corrosion resistant. The heat exchanger will be used in oil & gas or petroleum industry.
The conditions are: approx. 160 o C temperature, untreated water, H2S gas inside the tube while water is outside the tube to cool the gas. The pressure inside the tube is around 1282 psi. The heat exchanger weighs around 4.5 ton.
Could anybody please tell me whether I can use Teflon coating for such application and if I can then what process I can use? Thanks Cathy
Student - Auburn, Maine, U.S.A
2004
A. For safety reasons it would not be a good idea to coat pipes with a thin layer of Teflon which might separate from the basis and loose its imperviousness and expose the metal. Thick coatings as well as solid Teflon would impede the primary function of a heat exchanger due to the poor heat transfer of all plastics. In summary, I think you selected a very difficult application or project.
Guillermo MarrufoMonterrey, NL, Mexico
2004
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A. If you are allowed to change the focus of your assignment, anodized aluminum makes great heat exchangers, especially in water cooled applications. "The Surface Treatment and Finishing of Aluminum and Its Alloys" goes into the details of why it works so well; second volume, mid-way or so... Compton, California, USA 2004 A. Well ... some companies are making all-Teflon heat exchangers. I wonder how they dealt with the heat transfer issues. But I think if coating is thin enough then heat transfer wouldn't be a problem. And if coating is done well then it will protect it fairly. Catherine Hunt- Auburn, Maine, U.S.A 2004 |
A. I am a final year chemical engineering student. I have selected this topic for my seminar in my college. I found some information about this topic in the magazine "Chemical Engineering World", page no. 46. I hope it will help you....
Pranav Kulkarni- Miraj, Sangli, Maharashtra, India
August 7, 2010
A. If I had seen your question earlier I would have had some comment then, I am sure you are done with your work. Teflon® coated heat exchangers have been around for years though they are not common. If done correctly with the right materials the coatings do not come off. They do in fact offer corrosion protection and antifouling performance. Hope you project went well.
Laurence McKeen- Surfside Beach, South Carolina
February 4, 2015
Hi Laurence. There are more than 100 readers for every writer, so your posting is not in vain :-)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 2015
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