A Copper Alliance Member The excellent corrosion resistance of
copper alloys has long been recognized by the engineering
community. This is due to the formation of a protective oxide
film, which when combined with the inherent antifouling
characteristics and high thermal conductivity results in their
wide use. Typical applications include the large tonnage
multistage flash evaporators for desalting plants, power utility
surface condensers and petrochemical plant heat exchangers.
Clean, debris-free water, with a pH range of 7.2 to 8.5 and with
adequate oxygen content, allows a protective film to form
properly on the inside tube surface. Such film formation can be
accelerated by ferrous sulfate additions, particularly in
seawater, which greatly reduces the severe corrosion rate and
effectively prevents both uniform and localized sulfide attack
with concurrent improved resistance to impingement attack. On-
line tube cleaning effectively controls film formation while
maintaining acceptable heat transfer efficiency