TANTALUM HEAT EXCHANGER

Tantalum and niobium – the special materials

Tantalum : Chemical element(Ta) with atomic number 73.– Specified by ASTM B365, B521 and B708; VdTUV material sheet 382 and 507
Niobium : Chemical element (Nb) with atomic number 41.– Specified by ASTM B392, B393 and B394
Both elements occur together in nature
They are non-toxic and almost inert
They are very heat conductive and ductile
They develop an oxide coating which acts as a passive layer(protective layer)
Therefore they have a very high resistance to chemical substances and molten metal
elow 150˚C tantalum is resistant to most acids
Comparable with the properties of precious metals

Tantalum – incomparably affordable and usable within a wide range

Due to high levels of corrosion, metallic substances are very often unsuitable when acids such as H2SO4(sulphuric acid), HCI(hydrochloric acid), H3PO4(phosphoric acid) and HNO3(nitric acid) are used in production or are further concentrated.In this case tantalum is the first choice for heat exchangers for sulphuric acid reclamation and concentration in the chemical industry.
Non-metal materials such as graphite or glass often separate due to their detrimental properties, for example when the highest level of cleanliness is required in the pharmaceutical industry.The highly specific heat conductivity of tantalum(54W/m*K) ad well as its inertness are further important material selection criteria, for example when shell-and-tube condensers are involved.