Heat Exchanger Efficiency

Why Repair

Predominantly, heat exchanger tubes and the tube sheets in which they reside are manufactured from different materials – copper tubes and mild steel tube sheets are the industry norm. When exposed to an electrolytic solution, bi-metallic or galvanic corrosion results at the junction of the tube and the tube sheet resulting in anodic attrition and ultimately leakage across the tube sheet.

Why Protect

Galvanic corrosion in heat exchangers gradually reduces efficiency and, if left untreated, can result in tube-side to shell-side leaks which often cause forced outages due to gross loss of efficiency and product stream contamination. Plant costs progressively increase in the form of energy loss and ultimately in downtime due to the need for replacement of parts damaged beyond repair.

How We Improve

Due to their electrically isolative properties, Belzona products isolate the two differing metals from the electrolyte thereby breaking the corrosion cell. The result is complete elimination of the galvanic corrosion over the useable life of the coating. Tremendous adhesion, erosion resistance, and chemical resistance – all characteristics of Belzona – provide a useable lifespan that is superior to other coating technologies; in all, a solution that can last decades.

Solution – What Makes Us Different?

Not all coatings are the same.

Belzona offers superior benefits when compared to other solutions. Adhesion to the substrate, lack of permeability, erosion resistance, chemical resistance, and the often overlooked cold wall blistering resistance all go into making a good coating for heat exchanger equipment, and all present in Belzona coatings.

How competitors disguise their products

Red Color - Materials with poor adhesion or high permeability will provide a very punctuated useable life and are typically red in order to disguise rust bleed through, an early sign of premature failure. Coatings lacking adequate erosion or chemical resistance can wear away or catastrophically fail in months.

Applied Thick - Materials with poor cold wall blistering resistance are applied very thickly in order to in order to attempt to compensate for their lack of resistance thereby driving up material costs. In fact, the material cost of a coating will typically be less than 25% of a coating project and cheaper coatings may require more labor to apply than Belzona coatings, especially thick-build material. Another major downfall is that these coatings offer much short useable lives and result in greatly increased coat per annum.

Bottom line – Belzona works and here is why

Cost Effective Repair Systems

Many of our repairs offer the ability to salvage equipment and restore them to new condition:

• Rebuilding and protecting eroded/corroded tube sheets
• Rebuild division bars and seal faces
• Protect water boxes and end covers against corrosion
• Repair existing linings
• Repair and seal holed casings
• Seal leaking tubes
• Seal leaks at flange joints

These are all common repairs done to heat exchangers, and are not an option with traditional repair techniques. Maintenance workers or engineers, who utilize these techniques, will have significantly lower repair costs on their heat exchangers while extending their life for decades.

Why not use a product designed for the intended service, field proven as effective across decades, and backed by a worldwide organization?

Belzona History with Heat Exchangers

Since 1952, Belzona’s systems and techniques have enabled us to protect over 100,000 units attacked by fresh and salt water at ambient or elevated temperatures, including steam. Heat exchangers protected by Belzona are documented worldwide – several over 20 years in service within all Power industry segments that include:

• Fossil
• Nuclear
• Hydro
• Geo-Thermal

Application Focus Flyers

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