Application and Advantages of Titanium Materials in the Chemical Industry

Specific Applications in the Chemical Industry

Titanium materials are used in almost all chemical sub-sectors involving highly corrosive media, primarily in the form of reactors, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, towers, pipelines, fittings, valves, pumps, agitators, and electrodes.

Here are some typical application scenarios:

1. Chlor-Alkali Industry (Largest Chemical Application)

The chlor-alkali industry produces caustic soda, chlorine, and hydrogen, all of which are highly corrosive media.

• Application Equipment:

  • Ion-Membrane Electrolyzers: Titanium is used as the core material for the anode chamber (exposed to chlorine, hydrochloric acid, and hypochlorous acid), anode plates, and cooling pipes. This is the largest application of titanium in the chemical industry.

  • Wet Chlorine Gas Coolers/Heat Exchangers: The corrosion resistance of titanium makes it the only economically viable metal material for manufacturing shell-and-tube or plate-type coolers for high-temperature wet chlorine gas.

  • Chlorine Gas Scrubbers, Drying Towers, and Delivery Pipelines: Titanium is widely used throughout the system handling wet and dry chlorine gas.

2. Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) Industry

• Application Equipment:

  • External Coolers, Condensers, and Coolers: In the soda ash production process, the media contain high concentrations of chloride ions (Cl⁻) and ammonium ions (NH₄⁺), which cause severe pitting and stress corrosion in stainless steel. Titanium heat exchangers perfectly solve this problem, with a service life of over 20 years, compared to just 1-2 years for stainless steel equipment.

3. Urea Industry

• Application Equipment:

  • Urea Synthesis Towers, High-Pressure Heat Exchangers, and Stripping Towers: Urea production occurs under high temperature and pressure, and the intermediate product, ammonium carbamate, is highly corrosive. Early use of stainless steel required oxygen passivation protection and had limited service life. The adoption of titanium-lined or all-titanium equipment significantly extends service life and improves safety and reliability.

4. Nitric Acid Industry

• Application Equipment:

  • Nitric Acid Reboilers, Condensers, Heating Coils, Pumps, and Valves: Titanium exhibits excellent stability in nitric acid of various concentrations and temperatures (except fuming nitric acid), with corrosion resistance superior to stainless steel and aluminum alloys.

5. Organic and Fine Chemicals

• Application Equipment:

  • Reaction Kettles (with Jackets or Coils) and Coils: Used in the production of pesticides, dyes, pharmaceutical intermediates, cosmetics (e.g., acetic acid environments), etc. Whenever corrosive media such as chlorides, hydrochloric acid, or organic acids are involved, titanium equipment provides a pure reaction environment, avoiding metal ion contamination of products.

  • PTA (Purified Terephthalic Acid) Production: Titanium is a key material for manufacturing reactors and heat exchangers in acetic acid media.

6. Seawater Cooling and Desalination

• Application Equipment:

  • Seawater Coolers for Power Plants and Chemical Plants: Titanium tube heat exchangers are standard equipment for coastal power plants and chemical plants due to their unmatched resistance to seawater erosion and corrosion.

  • Seawater Desalination Plants: The heat transfer tubes in multi-stage flash (MSF) or low-temperature multi-effect (MED) desalination plants almost exclusively use titanium tubes to ensure long-term stable water production rates.