Petrochemical

Titanium Heat Exchanger Seawater Cooling — Middle East

Qatar8 tonsTitanium Grade 2 seamless tube, tube sheets

Project Background

A petrochemical complex in Qatar required replacement titanium Grade 2 heat exchanger tubes for a seawater-cooled condenser serving an ethylene plant. The existing copper-nickel tubes had suffered severe erosion-corrosion after 5 years of service with seawater velocities exceeding 2.5 m/s. Titanium Grade 2 was specified for its complete immunity to seawater corrosion and superior erosion resistance.

Technical Specifications

Material	Titanium Grade 2 (UNS R50400)
Standard	ASTM B338
OD × Wall	19.05mm × 1.24mm (¾ inch × 18 BWG)
Length	6,000mm
Testing	100% ET + pneumatic test
Quantity	3,200 tubes (8 tons)
Delivery	12 weeks

The Challenge

Titanium tube manufacturing requires specialized equipment and expertise different from stainless steel. Wall thickness tolerance is critical for heat exchanger tube rolling into tube sheets — ±8% maximum per ASTM B338. The 6-meter length requirement meant special handling to prevent bending or surface damage. Delivery timing was critical as the plant could only shut down for a 3-week maintenance window.

TOKO TECH Solution

TOKO TECH supplied Titanium Grade 2 seamless tube manufactured to ASTM B338 with 100% eddy current testing per ASTM E426 and pneumatic testing at 1.5× design pressure. All tubes were individually wrapped in VCI paper and packed in wooden crates with separation layers to prevent surface contact. Delivery was timed precisely for the maintenance window — tubes arrived 1 week before shutdown, allowing on-site tube rolling preparation. The customer reported flawless installation with zero tube rejection.

Search Keywords

titanium heat exchanger tubetitanium Grade 2 tubeseawater cooling titaniumASTM B338 titanium tubeethylene plant condensertitanium tube manufacturer Chinaseawater corrosion titanium

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use titanium instead of stainless steel for seawater cooling?

Titanium is completely immune to corrosion in seawater at all temperatures and velocities. Stainless steels (including 316L and duplex) can suffer crevice corrosion under deposits or in stagnant conditions. For heat exchangers with seawater on the tube side, titanium eliminates the risk of tube perforation and the resulting product contamination — the higher material cost is recovered through zero maintenance and 30+ year service life.

What is the cost difference between titanium and stainless steel heat exchanger tubes?

Titanium Grade 2 tube typically costs 4-6 times more than 316L stainless steel on a per-kilogram basis. However, because titanium's density is only 60% of steel, the weight required is lower. The installed cost premium is typically 3-4×, which is recovered through extended service life (30+ years vs. 5-10 years for stainless in seawater) and eliminated maintenance costs.

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