INDUSTRY
Heat exchanger tube, U-bends and tubesheets for the energy sector
Heat exchanger tube, U-bends, tubesheets. Power stations, biomass, district heating: equipment where creep resistance and tube length drive the choice of grade as much as the medium does.
321H · 347H · CuNi 90/10 · Titanium Gr 2 U-bends made to measure 4 partner mills
What you come to us for
A bundle, rarely a tube. Which means a quantity known well in advance, a length that is not a standard mill length, and a deadline tied to a planned outage. Immediate availability is almost never the issue: the issue is holding a delivery date fixed months earlier.
Then the choice of grade, where in half the cases the question asked is the wrong one. A 347H is not chosen for corrosion resistance — its pitting resistance is on a par with a 304 — but for creep strength and niobium stabilisation. Confusing the two leads to over-specifying an expensive grade on a criterion it does not serve.
What we supply
Heat exchanger tube in stabilised austenitic grades, copper-nickels and titanium, in lengths set at order stage. U-bends made to measure. Our four partner mills take over from stock as soon as volume and horizon justify it, which on a bundle is the normal case.
Tubesheets are within scope, as are finned tubes and U-bends: they are heat exchanger components, and treating them separately from the bundle would make no sense to the buyer. Grade, thickness and drilling pattern are set at enquiry stage.
On nuclear applications: we supply grades and forms found in those installations, but we do not claim the nuclear sector, which requires heavy qualification (RCC-M, ASME III) that we do not hold. An enquiry requiring those codes should be presented as such from the outset.
Grades in this industry
| Grade | EN | Indicative PREN |
|---|---|---|
| 321H | 1.4541 | 18–20 ¹ |
| 347H | no exact equivalent | 17–19 † |
| CuNi 90/10 | CW352H | does not apply to this family |
| Titanium Gr2 | 3.7035 | does not apply to this family |
† PREN is calculable but not the deciding factor for this grade, see the note below · ¹ usual value from the technical literature, not drawn from a product standard.
PREN caveats (†)
- 347H
- ⚠️ PREN is not the deciding factor for this grade. 347H is chosen for creep resistance and stabilisation, not aqueous corrosion — its pitting resistance is at the level of a 304.
The grades listed are the most common in this industry, not a closed list. Every piping grade belongs to one of our nine families; if yours doesn't appear here, it is not outside our scope.
Applicable standards
Seamless heat exchanger tube: ASTM A213, EN 10216-5. Welded heat exchanger tube: ASTM A249, EN 10217-7. Copper-nickels: ASTM B111, EN 12451. Titanium: ASTM B338. H-grades and stabilised grades: EN 10088-1 for designation.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you bend the U-bends yourselves or subcontract them?
- Bending is done by the mill or a specialist partner, depending on grade and size. Radius, leg lengths and post-bend heat treatment are settled at enquiry stage, not after the order.
- Why choose a 347H over a 316L for an exchanger?
- For prolonged high-temperature service, not for aqueous corrosion: niobium ties up the carbon and prevents sensitisation at grain boundaries. On an exchanger running at moderate temperature, a 316L remains the rational choice and costs considerably less.
- What lead time on a complete bundle?
- It depends on the source. From partner stock, the standard is 5 working days from confirmation. From a partner mill — the usual route for a bundle — the lead time is built with the mill at enquiry stage. We respond within 2 to 3 working days on this type of enquiry.
- Do you supply copper-nickel and titanium, or only stainless?
- All three. 90/10 and 70/30 copper-nickels and grade 2 titanium are everyday materials in this industry and have been within our scope from the start.
Tell us what you need: grade, size, quantity, deadline. Same-day response on a simple enquiry, within 2 to 3 working days on a complex one.
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