Forged ASTM B171 Copper Alloy Tubesheet for Pressure Vessel and Heat Exchanger Application

ASTM B171/B171M is the specification for Copper-Alloy Plate and Sheet for Pressure Vessels, Condensers and heat exchanger. Here tubesheet also known as tube plate, which is one of the main components of shell and tube heat exchangers. Holes are drilled in the tube sheet to accommodate a series of pipes within a closed tubular pressure vessel. It is widely used in heat exchanger products in the fields of shipbuilding, nuclear power, petrochemical and military industry.

Key Characteristics:

• Corrosion Resistance: Very good resistance to seawater and several other corrosive environments.
• Thermal Conductivity: Good thermal conductivity makes it ideal for heat exchangers.
• Fabricability: Can be easily welded and formed into various shapes.
• Strength: Reasonable mechanical strength that maintains performance in high-pressure applications.

Other Materials

Tubesheets should not be more noble than the tubes as this can cause a galvanic influence on the corrosion rate of the tube ends. Therefore 90-10 Cu-Ni tubesheet can be used with 90-10 Cu-Ni tubes. Also, Naval brass, Muntz metal and aluminium bronzes are slightly anodic to 90-10 Cu-Ni tubes and are therefore compatable.70-30 tubes should have 90-10 or 70-30 tubesheets. For clad tube sheets, welded tube to tube sheet joints are preferred.

There are many different tube/tube sheet (T/TS) weld joint designs used in industry and each has their particular advantages and disadvantages. The more common joints are the flush tube, recessed tube, trepanned tube sheet, added-ring and face side fillet weld when the weld is made on the tubesheet face.

Applications

Tube plate is widely used in tubular heat exchangers, boilers, pressure vessels, steam turbines, large central air conditioners, condensers, evaporators and other products. The metal material makes it not only rigid, but also has great heat conduction performance. The precision of tube plate processing, especially the tolerance of hole spacing and diameter, perpendicularity, and finish greatly affect the assembly and performance of the equipment listed above.