Niobium-based alloy that is resistant to aqueous corrosion
View Patent ↗In various embodiments, a metal alloy resistant to aqueous corrosion consists essentially of or consists of niobium with additions of tungsten, molybdenum, and one or both of ruthenium and palladium.
1. A heat exchanger for use with acidic process fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:
a shell defining therewithin an interior volume for containing a heat-exchange fluid;
disposed within the interior volume, a plurality of tubes for containing the process fluid during heat exchange between the process fluid and the heat-exchange fluid;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process inlet for supplying the process fluid to the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process outlet for receiving the process fluid from the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange inlet for supplying the heat-exchange fluid to the interior volume; and
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange outlet for receiving the heat-exchange fluid from the interior volume,
wherein an interior of each of the tubes is composed of a metallic alloy consisting essentially of (i) 2 weight percent-10 weight percent tungsten, (ii) 0.5 weight percent-10 weight percent molybdenum, (iii) at least one of ruthenium or palladium collectively present at 0.2 weight percent-5 weight percent, and (iv) the balance niobium.
2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein a grain size of the metallic alloy is greater than 6 microns.
3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the tubes comprises steel and a layer of the metallic alloy disposed on an interior surface thereof.
4. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the shell of the heat exchanger comprises steel.
5. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein an entirety of each of the tubes is composed of the metallic alloy.
6. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises both ruthenium and palladium.
7. The heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein a ratio of ruthenium content to palladium content in the alloy ranges from 1000:1 to 1:1000.
8. The heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein a ratio of ruthenium content to palladium content in the alloy ranges from 500:1 to 1:500.
9. The heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein a ratio of ruthenium content to palladium content in the alloy ranges from 100:1 to 1:100.
10. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the alloy contains 2 weight percent-10 weight percent molybdenum.
11. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the alloy contains at least one of ruthenium or palladium collectively present at 2 weight percent-5 weight percent.
12. A heat exchanger for use with acidic process fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:
a shell defining therewithin an interior volume for containing a heat-exchange fluid;
disposed within the interior volume, a plurality of tubes for containing the process fluid during heat exchange between the process fluid and the heat-exchange fluid;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process inlet for supplying the process fluid to the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process outlet for receiving the process fluid from the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange inlet for supplying the heat-exchange fluid to the interior volume; and
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange outlet for receiving the heat-exchange fluid from the interior volume,
wherein an interior of each of the tubes is composed of a metallic alloy consisting essentially of (i) 1 weight percent-10 weight percent tungsten, (ii) 2 weight percent-10 weight percent molybdenum, (iii) at least one of ruthenium or palladium collectively present at 0.2 weight percent-5 weight percent, and (iv) the balance niobium.
13. The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein each of the tubes comprises steel and a layer of the metallic alloy disposed on an interior surface thereof.
14. The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein the shell of the heat exchanger comprises steel.
15. The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein an entirety of each of the tubes is composed of the metallic alloy.
16. The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein the alloy comprises both ruthenium and palladium.
17. The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein the alloy contains at least one of ruthenium or palladium collectively present at 2 weight percent-5 weight percent.
18. A heat exchanger for use with acidic process fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:
a shell defining therewithin an interior volume for containing a heat-exchange fluid;
disposed within the interior volume, a plurality of tubes for containing the process fluid during heat exchange between the process fluid and the heat-exchange fluid;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process inlet for supplying the process fluid to the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process outlet for receiving the process fluid from the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange inlet for supplying the heat-exchange fluid to the interior volume; and
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange outlet for receiving the heat-exchange fluid from the interior volume,
wherein an interior of each of the tubes is composed of a metallic alloy consisting essentially of (i) 1 weight percent-10 weight percent tungsten, (ii) 0.5 weight percent-10 weight percent molybdenum, (iii) at least one of ruthenium or palladium collectively present at 2 weight percent-5 weight percent, and (iv) the balance niobium.
19. The heat exchanger of claim 18 , wherein each of the tubes comprises steel and a layer of the metallic alloy disposed on an interior surface thereof.
20. The heat exchanger of claim 18 , wherein the shell of the heat exchanger comprises steel.
21. The heat exchanger of claim 18 , wherein an entirety of each of the tubes is composed of the metallic alloy.
22. The heat exchanger of claim 18 , wherein the alloy comprises both ruthenium and palladium.