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Heat Exchanger Materials

High-performance materials for shell & tube, plate, and specialized heat transfer equipment

Shell & TubePlate ExchangersTEMA StandardsHeat Transfer

Materials for Efficient Heat Transfer

Heat exchangers are critical components in virtually every industrial process, from power generation to chemical processing. These systems must efficiently transfer heat while withstanding corrosive environments, thermal cycling, and varying fluid properties.

Howco provides specialized materials and manufacturing services for heat exchangers, ensuring optimal thermal performance, corrosion resistance, and long-term reliability in demanding heat transfer applications.

Shell & Tube Exchangers

  • • Fixed tubesheet design
  • • Floating head design
  • • U-tube design
  • • Kettle reboilers
  • • Thermosiphon reboilers

Plate Heat Exchangers

  • • Gasketed plate exchangers
  • • Brazed plate exchangers
  • • Welded plate exchangers
  • • Plate & frame systems
  • • Spiral heat exchangers

Air Coolers

  • • Forced draft coolers
  • • Induced draft coolers
  • • Natural draft systems
  • • Fin-tube bundles
  • • Headers & manifolds

Condensers

  • • Surface condensers
  • • Direct contact condensers
  • • Partial condensers
  • • Reflux condensers
  • • Overhead condensers

Reboilers

  • • Kettle reboilers
  • • Thermosiphon reboilers
  • • Forced circulation reboilers
  • • Fired reboilers
  • • Falling film reboilers

Specialty Exchangers

  • • Cryogenic exchangers
  • • High-pressure exchangers
  • • Fouling service exchangers
  • • Scraped surface exchangers
  • • Printed circuit exchangers

Heat Exchanger Operating Challenges

Thermal Cycling

Expansion/contraction stresses

Corrosion

Process fluid attack

Fouling

Heat transfer degradation

Erosion

High velocity fluids

Heat Exchanger Material Solutions

Tube Materials

Stainless Steel Tubes

  • 316/316L: General chemical service
  • 321: High-temperature stability
  • 347: Carbide precipitation resistance
  • 904L: Enhanced corrosion resistance
  • 254 SMO: Superior chloride resistance

Specialty Tube Alloys

  • 70/30 CuNi: Seawater cooling
  • 90/10 CuNi: Brackish water service
  • Titanium Gr 2: Chloride environments
  • Alloy 625: High-temperature corrosion
  • Hastelloy C-276: Severe corrosion service

Shell & Channel Materials

Carbon & Low Alloy Steels

  • SA-516 Gr 70: General shell construction
  • SA-537 Class 1: Improved toughness
  • SA-387 Gr 22: Elevated temperature

Stainless Steel Shells

  • 304/304L: Mild corrosive service
  • 316/316L: Chloride environments
  • Duplex 2205: High-strength applications

Tubesheet Materials

Standard Tubesheets

  • SA-516 Gr 70: Carbon steel service
  • SA-240 TP316: Stainless steel tubes
  • SA-182 F316: Forged tubesheets

Clad Tubesheets

  • • Stainless clad carbon steel
  • • Nickel alloy cladding
  • • Titanium cladding
  • • Cost-effective solutions

Plate Heat Exchanger Materials

Plate Materials

  • 316/316L: Standard applications
  • 254 SMO: High chloride service
  • Titanium: Extreme corrosion resistance
  • Alloy 625: High-temperature service

Gasket Materials

  • • EPDM rubber
  • • Nitrile (NBR)
  • • Viton (FKM)
  • • PTFE lined gaskets

Design & Material Selection Factors

Thermal Performance

  • • Heat transfer coefficient
  • • Thermal conductivity
  • • Fouling resistance
  • • Temperature range

Mechanical Properties

  • • Pressure rating
  • • Thermal expansion
  • • Fatigue resistance
  • • Tube-to-tubesheet joints

Corrosion Resistance

  • • Process fluid compatibility
  • • Galvanic compatibility
  • • Pitting resistance
  • • Stress corrosion cracking

Industry Standards & Codes

TEMA
Shell & Tube Standards
ASME VIII
Pressure Vessel Code
API 660/661
Shell & Tube Exchangers
HTRI
Heat Transfer Research

Optimize Your Heat Transfer Performance

Let our heat exchanger experts help you select the optimal materials for maximum thermal efficiency and reliability.

Contact Our Heat Transfer Team