June 2-4, 2026
Rosemont, Illinois
Author Archive: Craig Smith
Space Tech Expo – June 3-4, Anaheim, CA
June 3-4, 2026
Anaheim, California
Titanium USA – Oct. 4-6 Las Vegas, NV
October 4-6, 2026
Las Vegas, Nevada
View International Titanium Association Annual Conference & Expo Details
Fabrication Tips to Prevent Crevice Corrosion
Corrosion resistance charts are a great resource to use to find suitable alloys for a given chemical service. However, pay attention to the footnotes and read supporting literature as well, because those corrosion charts are really only reflecting general corrosion with the posted numerical values. One of the other types of corrosion that needs to be considered is crevice corrosion.
Figure 1 An immersion coil in Tricor’s shop for repair. There are many potential places for crevice corrosion in this design, like where the tubes contact the support beams and the u-bolts around the tubes.
Crevice corrosion is a localized form of corrosion that occurs when a corrosive fluid becomes trapped in the crevices, cracks, or joints of metal surfaces or under deposits. Crevice corrosion initiates in these confined spaces, where the access of oxygen and other oxidants is limited. The presence of stagnant conditions, often caused by capillary forces, allows for the accumulation of corrosive agents within the crevice. Over time, the passive layer, which normally protects the metal from corrosion, can be compromised due to the restricted supply of oxygen and the accumulation of aggressive substances.
There are some important fabrication techniques that can help prevent or reduce crevice corrosion:
- Avoid Overlapping Joints: Overlapping joints can create crevices where corrosion
may initiate. Whenever possible, use butt joints to minimize gaps. - Use Continuous Welds: Specify continuous welds instead of spot or stitch welding to reduce the chances of crevice formation.
- Design to Eliminate Crevices: Design components to avoid features that could trap
fluids or debris, such as sharp corners or tightly fitting parts. - Ensure Good Weld Quality: Make sure that welded joints achieve full root
penetration and avoid undercuts or cracks. - Minimize Complex Weldments: Simplified designs reduce the risk of creating small, inaccessible spaces where crevices can form, improving weld quality overall.
- Avoid Stagnant Zones: Ensure that the pressure vessel design avoids areas where fluids could become stagnant, as this is a primary factor in crevice corrosion. This can include ensuring proper drainage and avoiding dead zones in the design.
If crevices are unavoidable, another approach is to upgrade to a more corrosion resistant alloy in those areas. For example, titanium Grade 7 is generally more resistant to crevice corrosion compared to Grade 2. So, on a titanium Grade 2 vessel design, Grade 7 material can be used in areas where at risk for
crevice corrosion:
- Grade 7 material for lap rings/stub ends on all body flange and nozzle connections.
- Grade 7 filler metal in all process-wetted Grade 2 vessel weld joints.
- Grade 7 material for all vessel internals that have crevices where process fluid may sit or
become stagnant.
By integrating these fabrication practices, the risk of crevice corrosion in pressure vessels can be significantly mitigated, ensuring long-term reliability and safety of the equipment.
Tantalum Heat Exchangers for Hydrochloric and Sulfuric Acid Pickling Applications
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.
Probe Blazes New Record For The Fastest Thing Ever Made by Humans
Space09 October 2023
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
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
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
Chuck Young continues on MTI Board of Directors
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!