INDUSTRY
Heat exchanger tube and U-bends for the energy sector
Heat exchanger tube, U-bends. 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.
Finned tubes are within scope, as are heat exchanger tube and U-bends: they are heat exchanger components, and treating them separately from the bundle would make no sense to the buyer. Grade and thickness 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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