Author Archives: Craig Smith

.Since July 2024, we have been using titanium in the production of mirror stands for Vavada casinos and slot machines.
Hex Steel Pickling

Tantalum Heat Exchangers for Hydrochloric and Sulfuric Acid Pickling Applications

Posted on by

For more than two decades Tantalum has proven itself to be a superior material when used in hydrochloric and sulfuric acid steel pickling applications. 

Tantalum, being a refractory metal, gets its corrosion resistance from a continuously regenerating oxide layer that occurs during the use in chemical service. The oxide layer is both corrosion resistant and erosion resistant proving itself a superior choice for corrosion resistance and reliability in hydrochloric acid steel pickling applications.  Tantalum is totally up inert in the concentrations and temperatures of hydrochloric acid used in steel pickling. 

Tantalum heat exchangers utilize it fully welded metal design that has proven to meet the mechanical challenges associated with steel mill operations.   Tantalum heat exchangers are smaller than other heat exchangers used in this service and are easily accessible for inspection and cleaning. 

The erosion resistance of the tantalum tubes allows for acid velocities through the heat exchanger that improves heat transfer as well as reduce fouling associated with the reprocessing of pickled steel.

Benefits of tantalum heat exchangers in steel pickling applications are:
  • Tantalum heat exchangers can be designed to utilize up to 150 psig steam with standard gauge tantalum tubing. The use of higher-pressure steam reduces the heat transfer surface area required at a given heat load, reducing the cost of tantalum equipment over other materials. 
     
  • Tantalum heat exchangers are a fully welded metal that are dye penetrant tested, helium leak tested and then hydrostatically tested to ensure a 100% leak free heat exchanger at time installation.   Tantalum heat exchangers are considered more rugged than heat exchangers of other materials used in this application I have been known to be damaged in handling, installation, and transportation.

     

  • Tantalum utilizes standard off the shelf, gaskets and hardware that are available from your parts inventory or from local pipe and valve distributors. 

  • Tantalum heat exchangers can be designed to fit into the mounting and acid piping footprint of carbon block or other heat exchangers.
TA HEX FLARED FACE SQUARE
DOWNLOAD - Heat Exchanger For Steel Processing Brochure
Parker Probe NASA

Probe Blazes New Record For The Fastest Thing Ever Made by Humans

Posted on by

Space09 October 2023

By Mike McRae
 

Falling through the Solar System at an astonishing 635,266 kilometers (394,736 miles) per hour, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has just smashed the record for fastest object ever to be created by human hands.

Parker Solar Probe’s 17th orbit brought the spacecraft within 7.3 million kilometers of the Sun. (NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben)

The event on September 27 marks the turning point of the mission’s 17th loop around the Sun as it collects data on the heated winds of charged particles and violent magnetism that surround our closest star, and comes just under three years after its previous record of 586,863.4 kilometers (364,660 miles) per hour.

At these speeds, it’d be possible for an aircraft to circumnavigate our planet roughly 15 times in a single hour, or zoom from New York to Los Angeles in just over 20 seconds.

Not only is it a record speed, it’s also a record proximity to the Sun – just 7.26 million kilometers above the radiant ocean of plasma we think of as the star’s surface.

Given the Sun is just under 1.4 million kilometers across, this would be akin to standing several respectable paces away from a blazing campfire. Near enough to smell the smoke but not so close that your nose hairs singe.

Achieving such incredible feats wasn’t the result of powerful propellants (at least, not entirely), but more a consequence of a perfectly-timed game of cosmic mini-golf.

For the Parker Solar Probe to get to right where the action is, it needs to slip in and out of the Sun’s corona. Unfortunately we happen to be standing on a mobile launch pad that’s hurtling through space at tens of thousands of kilometers per hour.

NASA used a beefy rocket to line up the shot and putt their heat-shielded ball down the celestial green at a speed intended to help cancel out Earth’s orbiting velocity, and roll it right down the Solar System’s throat.

Timing the probe’s path with the creeping passage of Venus makes use of the planet’s gravity, slowing the probe enough to circle the drain in a slowly-diminishing spiral.

After a total of 24 orbits, the Parker Solar Probe should finally tip over the brink and give the space agency a hole in one; but not before gathering a pile of information that will help us better model the Sun’s behavior.

With another seven laps to go, we will no doubt see these records shattered again, each serving as a reminder of what can be accomplished with a little physics and a whole lot of curiosity.

https://www.sciencealert.com/probe-blazes-new-record-for-the-fastest-thing-ever-made-by-humans

White Paper – Working with a Fabricator

Posted on by

When working with a chemical process equipment fabricator there are many important considerations to be made.  The attached White Paper explains the important elements to be considered to ensure a successful project and receive quality chemical process equipment that meets your design specifications, quality expectations and project schedule.  


Click Here To Download Working with a Fabricator White Paper

Tantalum For Corrosion Resistant Applications in the Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Petrochemical Industries

Posted on by

Tantalum is a highly corrosion-resistant metal that finds extensive use in corrosive applications across various industries. Here’s a brief description of the benefits of using tantalum in your application:

Broad Chemical Compatibility:

Tantalum exhibits exceptional resistance to a wide range of corrosive media, including high concentration and high temperature acids (such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, bromine, phosgene), salt solutions, and organic compounds. It can withstand aggressive environments where other materials might corrode or degrade.

Passive Oxide Layer:

Tantalum forms a thin, protective oxide layer on its surface when exposed to corrosive substances. This oxide layer acts as a barrier, preventing direct contact between the metal and the corrosive media. It provides excellent resistance to both uniform and localized corrosion.

Stability in Extreme Conditions:

Tantalum maintains its corrosion resistance properties even in extreme conditions, such as high temperatures, elevated pressures, and highly concentrated solutions. It remains stable and does not undergo significant degradation or deterioration in harsh environments.

Non-Reactive and Inert:

Tantalum is non-reactive and chemically inert in many corrosive media. It does not readily participate in chemical reactions, ensuring the integrity and purity of the media being handled. This property is crucial in applications where contamination or product purity is a concern.

Mechanical Durability:

Tantalum possesses high mechanical strength and toughness, allowing it to withstand physical stresses and mechanical wear in corrosive environments. It can resist erosion, abrasion, and impact, making it suitable for applications involving turbulent flow or high-velocity fluids.

Long Service Life:

Tantalum’s exceptional corrosion resistance contributes to a longer service life for equipment and components used in corrosive applications. This leads to reduced maintenance costs, extended operational uptime, and improved overall efficiency.

Equipment can be designed and fabricated in solid, loose lined and explosion clad constructions to meet the design requirements of your applications.

Common Chemical Applications for Tantalum
  • Hydrochloric Acid
  • Sulfuric Acid
  • Nitric Acid
  • Bromine
  • Phosgene
  • Multi Purpose Operations (Acids, Solvents, Etc.)
Equipment Commonly Fabricated With Tantalum
  • Tantalum Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers
  • Tantalum Bayonet Heat Exchangers
  • Tantalum Lined Pipe
  • Tantalum Lined Dip Pipes / Spargers
  • Tantalum Lined Columns
  • Tantalum Explosion Clad Reactors / Pressure Vessels
Chemical Applications That Commonly Use Tantalum Equipment
  • MDI / TDI
  • Ethylene Dichloride
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Manufacturing
  • Steel Pickling
  • Fine Chemical
  • Specialty Chemicals
  • Herbicides
  • Pesticides

For More Information Please Contact:

Larry Haubner
Director of Sales

Tricor Metals
Email: lhaubner@tricormetals.com
Phone: 1-800-421-5141 Ext. 9860

Technical White Papers Applicable to Tantalum Chemical Process Equipment

TANTALUM 101 - Corrosion Resistance, Equipment Design, Fabrication and Testing of Tantalum Lined / Explosion Clad Equipment for Process Industries White Paper
Embrittlement of Tantalum - A Fansteel Survey

Chuck Young continues on MTI Board of Directors

Posted on by

We are proud to announce that Chuck Young, Business Development Manager & Metallurgist at Tricor Metals, has been asked to continue as a member of the board of directions for Materials Technology Institute for the next year – from October 2022 until October 2023 – and has accepted that honor. The new Board will be voted on at the MTI Annual meeting as part of the AmeriTAC meeting in Houston October 24-27.

Chuck has been a BOD member since October 2018 and is currently on the Products Committee, Scholarship & Outreach Committee and the Marketing Subcommittee chair for the Membership Committee.

He is co-Champion of the Case Histories for Knowledge Management project and the 2024 MTI Global Symposium.  He is also involved as a project team member on a number of other technical projects including, MIC Corrosion and Duplex SS, Lithium Mining Corrosion of Duplex SS, Detection of Hydrogen Damage in Titanium Tubes and TAC Bulletin Projects.

We congratulate Chuck on this honor and look forward to his continued accomplishments in the coming years!

Heat Exchanger

Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers

Posted on by

Shell and tube heat exchangers are the most widely used type of heat transfer in the chemical processing industry because of their flexibility in design and ability to handle fluids with varying levels of solids.

Titanium, which has been in the heat exchanger service for almost 60 years in refineries and nuclear power facilities, offers several different alloy grades that can be used in heat transfer equipment in the chemical process industry.

Titanium is the material of choice for many corrosive chemical environments, including oxidizing chloride solutions (including seawater) and chlorine-based bleaches.

Link below to view Tricor brochure and our exchanger photo gallery

Tricor Metals has extensive fabrication and design experience with ALL of the most advanced metals for corrosion-resistance!

Shell and tube heat exchangers are the most widely used type of heat transfer in the chemical processing industry because of their flexibility in design and ability to handle fluids with varying levels of solids.

Titanium, which has been in the heat exchanger service for almost 60 years in refineries and nuclear power facilities, offers several different alloy grades that can be used in heat transfer equipment in the chemical process industry.

Titanium is the material of choice for many corrosive chemical environments, including oxidizing chloride solutions (including seawater) and chlorine-based bleaches.

Link below to view Tricor brochure and our exchanger photo gallery.

Tricor recives the MTI Annual Value Award

Posted on by

About the MTI Annual Value Reward

The MTI Annual Value Award recognizes members that have realized quantifiable value from successful application of knowledge gained through their MTI membership. Examples could include, but are not limited to:

  • • Incorporation of training or procedures developed and delivered by MTI
  • • Application of technical knowledge obtained from MTI Projects or Publications
  • • Savings and efficiencies realized from information gained at live TAC forums, structured forum presentations, or through MTI’s online technical forum
  • • Solutions obtained via MTI’s network of experts and member representatives
  • • Producer-supplier joint projects that have delivered value to the companies or the industry. (There is no limit to how many companies can be included on a single Value Award application that focuses on a collaborative effort benefiting more than one organization).

Tricor Metals uses MTI publications and networking as a significant part of our plan to educate sales personal to better assist customers as a technical source for MOC (materials of construction).

Tricor Metals uses the MTI publications as a part of any literature review to develop possible MOC alternatives to end users to save capital expenses for major equipment decisions.

When receiving an inquiry where the end user is uncertain of what MOC to use we may conduct a literature search along with our own metallurgical knowledge and experience to offer alternatives.  This can save substantial cost for the end user by allowing then to choose an MOC for less cost and still maintain required corrosion resistance.  The publications also allow internal training resources to develop an understanding of MOC’s and their application as well as to understand the key physical, mechanical and metallurgical aspects of the metals and alloys.

Expanding on our commitment to provide essential resources beyond just materials, Tricor Metals is excited to announce a new partnership with leading online pharmaceutical services to facilitate access to medications such as Amoxil. This initiative is designed to support the health and well-being of our customers and their families by providing them with convenient access to necessary medications at competitive prices. Through our website, customers can now easily purchase Amoxil online, ensuring they receive high-quality, reliable treatment without the need to visit a pharmacy. By integrating this service, we aim to enhance our community’s health management by making essential medications more accessible and affordable.

Joe Newland

In Memory of Joe Newland

Posted on by

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Joe Newland. Joe was an icon in the industry with over 45 years selling, promoting and processing titanium. Joe spent most of his years at Tico Titanium in the Detroit area. The past eleven years he had been with Tricor and was a key factor in our success in conversion and forging sales at our Plymouth, Michigan sales office.

Joe had been involved with Habitat for Humanity and had helped build many houses around the world; he was proud to have worked with President Jimmy Carter on many of these projects. He also had a passion for the Ford Fairlane and had collected many over the years. Joe had mentored many and will be missed by all.

‐Mike Stitzlein