Heat Exchanger Tube Material Selection Guide

By Shanghai Hangbo Alloy Group Co., Ltd. - China Supplier | ISO 9001:2015 | Est. 2012

Contact: sales@hangboalloy.com | hangbo@nickel-alloy.com | WhatsApp (Lisa): +86 13611656360

Quick Answer: Which Tube Material Should I Choose?

Heat exchanger tube material selection starts with the cooling-water chemistry and the tube-wall temperature, not the price. Once chloride, oxygen, sulphide and ammonia content and the metal temperature are known, the choice narrows to a family — 316L, duplex, 6Mo, titanium, copper-nickel or a nickel alloy.

Key Takeaways

• Chemistry first, then temperature, then velocity. Tube material is chosen from the coolant side, not from the process side alone, because the coolant is usually what limits the tube life.
• Tube is not the same problem as shell or tubesheet. Tube is thin, highly stressed and subject to both sides, so it is upgraded first and most often.
• Velocity decides as much as alloy. Each family has a practical erosion-corrosion limit, and exceeding it destroys even a corrosion-resistant tube.
• Thermal conductivity has a cost. Low-conductivity alloys such as Inconel 625 need more surface area than copper-nickel for the same duty.
• Joining must be compatible. Titanium, duplex and high-nickel tubes behave differently in expansion and welding than copper-nickel or 316L.

Why Is Tube a Different Choice Problem From Shell or Tubesheet?

The tube is the thinnest, most highly stressed and most highly loaded part of an exchanger, and it sees both fluids. That combination means tube material is normally selected more conservatively than shell or channel material, and it is usually the first component to be upgraded when a unit is changed. A shell or channel can be built from carbon steel with a corrosion allowance, because thickness can be added cheaply. A tube cannot: adding wall thickness raises weight, reduces heat-transfer area per unit volume and increases cost disproportionately, so the tube is designed close to its corrosion and erosion limits and must be right from the start.

The tubesheet sits between the two. It is thick, it can carry a corrosion allowance for many duties, and it is often a compromise material chosen for weldability with the shell and for resistance against the more aggressive of the two fluids. The most common error in tube selection is to treat the tube as a small version of the shell, using the same carbon steel or the same standard stainless for both. In practice a 316L tube bundle inside a carbon steel shell is a perfectly ordinary design, and so is a titanium bundle inside a 316L shell, because the two components are answering different questions.

There is also an inspection asymmetry. A shell can be examined from outside and measured for wall thickness with an ultrasonic gauge; a tube can only be examined from inside or at the ends, which is why tube inspection methods — eddy current, remote-field, penetrant at the tube ends, and pulling sample tubes — are such a large part of exchanger maintenance. Choosing the tube material is therefore also choosing the inspection regime that must be used for the life of the unit.

How Is Tube Material Chosen? The Five-Question Order

Tube material is chosen in a fixed order, and deviating from it is the source of most selection errors. Answer the first question fully before moving to the second, because a wrong answer to the chemistry question cannot be repaired by a higher-cost alloy later.

First, the coolant chemistry. Identify seawater, brackish water, river water, cooling-tower water, closed-loop treated water, chlorinated water, or a process coolant. Record the chloride level, the dissolved oxygen, the pH, the sulphide content, the ammonia content, the suspended solids and sand, and whether chlorination or biocides are dosed. The coolant decides the corrosion family more often than the process fluid does.

Second, the tube-wall temperature. Use the metal temperature, not the bulk fluid temperature, and use the higher of the tube-side and shell-side values where the two differ. Temperature fixes the chloride SCC threshold, the oxygen-accelerated corrosion rate and the scaling regime. A tube that runs at 45 °C is a different material problem from the same tube at 85 °C.

Third, velocity. Each material family has a practical maximum flow velocity above which erosion-corrosion removes the protective film faster than it can reform. Velocity is set by the number of tube passes, the tube diameter, the flow rate and the cleanliness of the water. Dirty or sand-laden water requires a lower velocity than clean water for the same alloy.

Fourth, fouling and the cleaning method. A material that cannot tolerate the required cleaning will not survive regardless of its corrosion resistance. Copper-nickel is readily cleaned by brushing and by acid; titanium and high-nickel alloys resist most cleaning chemicals but can be damaged by certain acid washes; stainless and duplex must be protected from chlorides during any acid cleaning and from hydrotest water left standing.

Fifth, cost and availability. Only after the first four questions is the price decision meaningful, because a cheaper tube that fails early is never the cheaper tube. Compare lead time and mill availability as well as price per kilogram, since a long lead time on an exotic tube can dominate the project.

The Candidate Family and Where Each Material Really Sits

The tube materials in real use fall into a small number of families, and each has a well-defined position. Understanding that position prevents both under-specifying and over-specifying.

316L is the baseline stainless tube for clean, low-chloride, low-temperature cooling water and for many process duties. It is cheap, weldable and available, but its chloride tolerance is modest and its erosion-corrosion limit in seawater is low. It is not a seawater tube.

904L is the high-molybdenum austenitic stainless used where chloride is present but the duty is not hot enough for duplex or where welding and fabrication favour an austenitic grade. It offers a substantial step up in pitting and crevice resistance over 316L at a moderate cost increase.

2205 and 2507 duplex are the workhorse high-chloride water tubes. They offer high strength, good resistance to chloride pitting and SCC, and better erosion-corrosion tolerance than the austenitic grades. 2507 raises the limit further for hotter or more aggressive water and for high-velocity seawater.

254SMO and AL-6XN (6Mo super-austenitic) sit above duplex for the most aggressive chloride waters, particularly where higher temperature or a more acidic chemistry rules out duplex. They are austenitic, so they are fully weldable and relatively easy to fabricate, at a higher cost.

Titanium Grade 2 is the classic seawater condenser tube. It is effectively immune to chloride pitting and has a high erosion-corrosion limit, so it tolerates high seawater velocity and is often the lowest-life-cycle-cost choice for coastal condensers. Its weakness is not seawater but certain dry or oxygen-free conditions and some acid cleaning chemicals, and it requires care in tube-to-tubesheet joining.

Monel 400 is the nickel-copper alloy used where both seawater and hydrofluoric or reducing conditions are present, and where copper contamination of the process must be avoided. It has good seawater resistance but a moderate velocity limit and a higher cost.

Cu-Ni 90/10 and 70/30 are the traditional condenser tubes. They have excellent thermal conductivity and good seawater resistance with a velocity limit that is well defined and well documented, and they are inexpensive relative to titanium. Their limitations are sulphide-polluted water, ammonia-bearing water, sand erosion and the risk of copper pickup by the process; 70/30 is the more tolerant of the two and is used for higher velocity and for brackish water.

Inconel 625 is the high-nickel tube for the most aggressive duties — hot seawater with high oxygen, chloride plus sour conditions, and where reliability outweighs cost. It is very resistant but has the lowest thermal conductivity of the group, so it costs surface area as well as material.

Material (UNS)	Cr	Ni	Mo	Other	PREN (typical)	Per standard
316L (S31603)	16.0-18.0	10.0-14.0	2.00-3.00	N 0.10 max	24-26	ASTM A213 / A240
904L (N08904)	19.0-23.0	23.0-28.0	4.00-5.00	Cu 1.00-2.00	34-36	ASTM B625 / B677
2205 (S32205)	22.0-23.0	4.5-6.5	3.00-3.50	N 0.14-0.20	34-36	ASTM A789 / A240
2507 (S32750)	24.0-26.0	6.0-8.0	3.00-5.00	N 0.24-0.32	40-43	ASTM A789 / A240
254SMO (S31254)	19.5-20.5	17.5-18.5	6.00-6.50	N 0.18-0.22, Cu 0.50-1.00	42-44	ASTM A240 / A269
Titanium Grade 2 (R50400)	—	—	—	Ti balance, Fe 0.30 max	Not applicable	ASTM B338 / B265
Monel 400 (N04400)	—	63.0 min	—	Cu 28.0-34.0	Not applicable	ASTM B163 / B165
Cu-Ni 90/10 (C70600)	—	9.0-11.0	—	Cu balance, Fe 1.0-1.8	Not applicable	ASTM B111 / B466
Cu-Ni 70/30 (C71500)	—	29.0-33.0	—	Cu balance, Fe 0.40-1.00	Not applicable	ASTM B111 / B466
Inconel 625 (N06625)	20.0-23.0	58.0 min	8.0-10.0	Nb+Ta 3.15-4.15	50-52	ASTM B444 / B163

Table note: Composition limits are from the listed ASTM specifications. PREN is a calculated index, not a standard requirement, and does not apply to titanium or to the copper-based alloys.

Supply condition is as important as the alloy name, and it is the item most often missing from a tube enquiry. A seamless exchanger tube is normally supplied solution-annealed and either pickled or bright-annealed, while a welded tube may be supplied as-welded, welded-and-drawn or welded-and-annealed depending on the specification and the duty. The condition decides whether the tube arrives with a clean, fully passive surface, whether the duplex phase balance has been restored after forming, and whether drawing strain remains locked in the wall. A tube ordered with the right grade but the wrong temper — heavy residual cold work in a stainless tube, or a duplex tube whose anneal did not restore the ferrite-austenite balance — can fail in a service the grade itself would have survived, and the surface finish cannot be inferred later from the certificate, so it must be stated on the order.

Tube material	Supply condition / temper	Heat treatment or finishing (annealed, cold drawn, pickled, bright annealed)	Why it matters for the exchanger	Per standard
316L (S31603)	Annealed, pickled or bright-annealed	Seamless: cold-finished annealed then pickled (A213); welded: as-welded, or welded-and-annealed / drawn (A249)	The annealed condition restores the passive film and removes drawing strain; retained cold work carries residual stress that raises chloride SCC risk in a thin wall	ASTM A213 / A249
904L (N08904)	Annealed, pickled or bright-annealed	Cold-finished annealed, then pickled or bright-annealed	The annealed austenitic structure is what delivers the pitting and crevice resistance of the grade; surface finish controls where attack starts	ASTM B677
2205 / 2507 duplex (S32205 / S32750)	Annealed and quenched, pickled; no slow-cooled or partially annealed stock to be accepted	Cold-finished annealed in the duplex range, then rapid quench	A wrong anneal leaves sigma phase or an unbalanced ferrite-austenite ratio, raising selective attack and hydrogen-embrittlement risk in the tube wall	ASTM A789
254SMO / AL-6XN (S31254 / N08367)	Annealed, pickled or bright-annealed	Cold-worked then annealed; bright anneal common for thin condenser walls	These grades lose corrosion resistance if the annealed condition is not restored after drawing, and cold work raises SCC susceptibility	ASTM A269 / A240 (254SMO); ASTM B690 / B676 (AL-6XN tube), B688 (plate)
Titanium Grade 2 (R50400)	Annealed, pickled or descaled, free of embedded iron	Seamless and welded, annealed; surface contamination controlled	Titanium tolerates neither embedded iron nor a contaminated surface, and the annealed condition gives the ductility that roller expansion depends on	ASTM B338
Monel 400 (N04400)	Annealed, pickled	Cold-drawn annealed	The annealed temper provides both the ductility needed for a reliable expanded joint and the resistance required in seawater and HF service	ASTM B163 / B165
Cu-Ni 90/10 (C70600)	Annealed, pickled; iron-modified (Fe 1.0-1.8 %)	Cold-drawn annealed; light-drawn tempers available where ordered	The annealed temper is what allows reliable roller expansion, and the controlled iron addition is what builds the protective film that limits seawater attack	ASTM B111
Cu-Ni 70/30 (C71500)	Annealed, pickled; iron-modified	Cold-drawn annealed	Higher strength in the same annealed temper, which is why 70/30 is used where velocity and brackish-water duty exceed the 90/10 limit	ASTM B111
Inconel 625 (N06625)	Annealed, with no cold-worked temper for chloride duty	Cold-drawn annealed, then pickled or bright-annealed	The annealed structure is the design condition; retained cold work raises SCC and hydrogen susceptibility in the most aggressive duties	ASTM B444 / B704 (welded), B163 (condenser tube)

Table note: Supply conditions and finishing routes are stated as typical mill practice for the cited product specifications (ASTM A213, A249, A269, A240, A789, B111, B163, B165, B338, B444, B676, B677, B688, B690, B704). The specification itself governs what is mandatory — for example the annealed condition and the mechanical properties tested in it — and the finishing route must be written on the purchase order, because pickled, bright-annealed and as-welded surfaces are not interchangeable for a condenser duty.

Comparative Behaviour by Water Chemistry

Behaviour must be read by coolant chemistry and temperature together, because the same material can be excellent in one cooling water and unsuitable in another. The table below summarizes the practical position of each family.

Coolant / service	316L	2205 / 2507	6Mo / AL-6XN	Titanium Gr 2	Cu-Ni 90/10	Cu-Ni 70/30	Monel 400	Inconel 625
Clean seawater, low velocity	Marginal	Good	Very good	Excellent	Good	Very good	Good	Excellent
Seawater, high velocity	Unsuitable	Good	Very good	Excellent	Fair	Good	Fair	Excellent
Brackish water	Fair	Good	Very good	Excellent	Good	Very good	Good	Excellent
Cooling-tower water, treated	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Excellent
Chlorinated water	Fair	Good	Very good	Good	Fair	Fair	Good	Very good
Sulphide-polluted water	Fair	Fair	Good	Excellent	Poor	Fair	Poor	Very good
Ammonia-bearing water	Good	Good	Good	Good	Poor	Poor	Fair	Excellent
H2S / sour process side	Limited	Limited	Fair	Fair	Unsuitable	Unsuitable	Fair	Good

Table note: Ratings are qualitative engineering guidance from published material-selection data and our fabrication experience; they are not test results for a specific heat or water analysis. Confirmed sulphide, ammonia or chlorinated service requires a specific review.

Two entries deserve emphasis. Sulphide-polluted seawater is the classic killer of copper-nickel tubes: the sulphide disrupts the protective film and accelerates attack, and the corrective action is usually to move to titanium or a 6Mo tube rather than to add corrosion allowance to the copper alloy. Ammonia-bearing water is the classic killer of copper alloys generally, because copper is susceptible to ammonia cracking and stress-corrosion, so an exchanger in a refrigeration or fertilizer plant should not use copper-based tubing. In both cases the coolant chemistry, not the process duty, dictates the family change.

Thermal Conductivity and What It Means for Surface Area and Cost

Thermal conductivity separates the families as clearly as corrosion resistance does, and it is the reason copper-nickel survives in seawater condensers despite its mediocre corrosion performance at high velocity. Copper alloys conduct heat several times better than the nickel alloys, so a copper-nickel exchanger needs less surface area for the same duty and is often smaller and cheaper despite a higher material price per kilogram than stainless.

Titanium and Monel 400 sit in the middle, with about half the conductivity of copper-nickel and roughly 1.3 times the surface area requirement. Austenitic stainless and duplex are lower again, and Inconel 625 is the lowest of the common tube materials, at roughly 10 W/m·K, so it needs about twice the surface area of copper-nickel for the same heat load. That extra area is real hardware — longer tubes, a larger shell, more tubesheet drilling and more weight — so the material price of a low-conductivity tube understates its true cost.

The practical consequence is that thermal conductivity should be part of the selection, not an afterthought. Where the duty is heat-transfer-limited and the coolant permits a copper alloy, copper-nickel is often the correct engineering answer even when a stainless or nickel tube would corrode less. Where the coolant forbids copper — sulphide, ammonia, high velocity with sand — the penalty of the lower-conductivity alloy must be accepted and paid for in area.

Material	Thermal conductivity, W/m·K (typical)	0.2% yield (typical or standard min)	Relative surface area need (illustrative)	Standard / source
Cu-Ni 90/10 (C70600)	~45	~140 MPa (typical)	1.0 baseline	ASTM B111
Cu-Ni 70/30 (C71500)	~29	~180 MPa (typical)	~1.1	ASTM B111
Titanium Grade 2	~22	~275 MPa (typical)	~1.3	ASTM B338
Monel 400	~22	~195 MPa (typical)	~1.3	ASTM B163
316L	~16	170 MPa min	~1.6	ASTM A213 / A240
2205	~19	450 MPa min	~1.4	ASTM A789
254SMO	~14	300 MPa min	~1.7	ASTM A269
AL-6XN	~13	310 MPa min	~1.8	ASTM B688
Inconel 625	~10	414 MPa min	~2.1	ASTM B444
Carbon steel (reference)	~50	~250 MPa (typical)	~0.9	reference only

Table note: Thermal conductivity values are typical published handbook values, not standard minima, and vary with temperature. Yield values are labelled as standard minima or typical values as indicated. The relative surface area column is an illustrative engineering approximation proportional to the inverse of conductivity and will differ with the actual design.

What Is the Maximum Allowable Velocity for Each Tube Material?

Every tube material has a practical velocity limit above which erosion-corrosion removes the protective surface film faster than it can re-form, and that limit is often the real constraint on a seawater or cooling-water design. The limit is not a single number: it depends on the water's cleanliness, its sand and suspended-solids content, its sulphide level, the tube diameter and the number of passes, so the values below are typical design guidance rather than acceptance limits.

Copper-nickel alloys have the best-documented velocity limits because they have been used in condensers for a century. Iron-modified 90/10 cupronickel is typically limited to about 3.0-3.6 m/s in clean seawater, and 70/30 cupronickel to about 4.5 m/s, with both limits reduced when the water carries sand or sulphide. Titanium Grade 2 tolerates higher velocity, commonly quoted up to about 6 m/s in clean seawater, which is one reason it is preferred for high-velocity once-through cooling. Austenitic 316L has a low seawater velocity limit, in the region of 1.5-2 m/s, because its protective film is easily disrupted in chloride water; exceeding it quickly produces erosion-corrosion even where pitting would not otherwise be a problem. Duplex and super-austenitic grades sit between the stainless and titanium values, and Inconel 625 tolerates high velocity but is rarely chosen for that reason alone.

The practical rule is to set the design velocity below the limit for the selected alloy with a margin, and to check the velocity at the tube inlet, at the tube-pass turnaround and at any location where flow is uneven. Baffle windows, tube inlets and the first rows of tubes behind the inlet nozzle see higher local velocity than the bundle average and are where erosion-corrosion failures begin.

Material	Typical maximum seawater velocity, m/s (typical)	Basis
Cu-Ni 90/10 (C70600)	~3.0-3.6	Published industry guidance
Cu-Ni 70/30 (C71500)	~4.5	Published industry guidance
Titanium Grade 2	~6	Published industry guidance
Monel 400	~3.0-4.5	Published industry guidance
316L	~1.5-2.0	Published industry guidance
2205 duplex	~3.0-4.0	Published industry guidance
2507 super duplex	~4.0-5.0	Published industry guidance
6Mo (254SMO / AL-6XN)	~5.0-6.0	Published industry guidance
Inconel 625	above ~6	Published industry guidance

Table note: Velocity limits are typical design values drawn from published material-selection and producer guidance; they are not standard acceptance limits. Sulphide-polluted, sand-laden or aerated water requires lower limits, and the local velocity at inlets and baffles must be checked separately.

Tube Standards, Wall Thickness and the ASME Basis

Tube material is specified by an ASTM product specification for the material family, and the tube dimensions — outside diameter and wall thickness — are specified separately by gauge and by the governing design code. Getting the specification family right matters, because the seamless and welded tube specifications carry different composition and mechanical requirements and different permitted manufacturing routes.

Stainless and duplex tubes are ordered to ASTM A213 (seamless alloy-steel heat-exchanger tube), ASTM A249 (welded austenitic heat-exchanger and condenser tube) or ASTM A269 (general-service seamless and welded austenitic tube), with duplex tubes covered by ASTM A789. Nickel-alloy tubes are ordered to ASTM B163 (seamless nickel and nickel-alloy condenser and heat-exchanger tubes) or ASTM B165 for Monel 400, ASTM B622 for Hastelloy C-276 seamless tube and ASTM B626 for welded nickel-alloy tube, and Inconel 625 to ASTM B444 or ASTM B163. Titanium tubes are ordered to ASTM B338. Copper-nickel condenser tubes are ordered to ASTM B111, with seamless copper-nickel pipe to ASTM B466.

Wall thickness is normally expressed in BWG (Birmingham Wire Gauge), and the common range for exchangers is roughly 10 to 22 BWG, with 16-18 BWG typical for condensers and heavier walls used for high-pressure or highly corrosive duties. The standard outside diameters are 12.7 mm (1/2 in), 15.875 mm (5/8 in), 19.05 mm (3/4 in) and 25.4 mm (1 in), with 3/4 in and 1 in OD the most common for condensers. Tube lengths are commonly 6-12 m, matched to the shell and the available space.

The design code basis for shell-and-tube exchangers is ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section VIII Division 1, with the tube material specifications taken from Section II Part A (ferrous) or Part B (nonferrous) and welding qualified to Section IX. The code does not select the alloy; it sets the allowable stress, the minimum wall and the fabrication and testing requirements, so the material choice must still be made on the corrosion and heat-transfer grounds described in this guide.

Parameter	Common practice (typical)	Standard / note
Stainless HX tube	ASTM A213 / A249, or A269	Product specification
Duplex tube	ASTM A789	Product specification
Nickel-alloy tube	ASTM B163 / B622 / B626	Product specification
Monel 400 tube	ASTM B163 / B165	Product specification
Titanium tube	ASTM B338	Product specification
Copper-nickel condenser tube	ASTM B111 (pipe: B466)	Product specification
Outside diameter	12.7, 15.875, 19.05, 25.4 mm	typical design practice
Wall gauge	10-22 BWG; 16-18 BWG typical	typical design practice
BWG 16 / 18 / 20	1.65 / 1.24 / 0.89 mm	typical dimension table
Design code	ASME BPVC Section VIII Div. 1; Section II; Section IX	Code basis

Table note: Product specifications are cited from ASTM; diameter, gauge and length practice is typical industry practice and is not a standard requirement. Confirm the wall against the governing ASME allowable stress and corrosion allowance.

The same tube carries different numbers in different systems, and the cross-reference below exists so that an enquiry, a mill certificate and a design code can be lined up without guessing. The ASTM product specification defines the material; the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code reproduces those specifications in Section II, renumbered with an SA- prefix for ferrous materials and an SB- prefix for nonferrous materials. An SB number is therefore the ASME edition of the ASTM specification and denotes the same material, not a different one. The GB column belongs to a separate national standard system with its own composition ranges, tolerances and test requirements; it is shown for identification only and must never be substituted directly for the ASTM or ASME specification.

Material (UNS)	ASTM tube specification	ASME equivalent (Section II, SA- / SB-)	GB equivalent (separate system)	Notes
316L (S31603)	ASTM A213 (seamless) / A249 (welded)	ASME SA-213 / SA-249	GB/T 13296 (GB system, not an equivalent)	Baseline austenitic condenser and exchanger tube
904L (N08904)	ASTM B677 (seamless and welded tube)	ASME SB-677	GB/T 13296 (GB system)	B677 is the tube specification for this UNS; A240 covers plate only
2205 (S32205)	ASTM A789 (seamless and welded duplex tubing)	ASME SA-789	GB/T 21833 (GB system)	A790 covers duplex pipe, A789 the tube; confirm the ordered form
2507 (S32750)	ASTM A789	ASME SA-789	GB/T 21833 (GB system)	Same specification as 2205, different UNS and property requirements
254SMO (S31254)	ASTM A269 / A213 — confirm which of the two lists the ordered UNS in the current edition	ASME SA-269 / SA-213	GB/T 13296 (GB system)	6Mo grades appear across several ASTM product specifications; fix the one that matches the ordered form
AL-6XN (N08367)	ASTM B690 (seamless pipe and tube) / B676 (welded product)	ASME SB-690 / SB-676	GB/T 13296 (GB system)	B688 covers plate, sheet and strip only; confirm the welded-product scope in the current edition
Titanium Grade 2 (R50400)	ASTM B338	ASME SB-338	GB/T 3625 (GB system)	B338 covers condenser and exchanger tube; B265 covers plate and sheet
Monel 400 (N04400)	ASTM B163 (condenser and HX tube) / B165 (seamless pipe and tube)	ASME SB-163 / SB-165	GB system: no one-to-one product equivalent — verify against the current GB catalogue	Nickel-copper tube for seawater and HF duty
Cu-Ni 90/10 (C70600)	ASTM B111 (seamless condenser tube and ferrule stock)	ASME SB-111	GB/T 8890 (GB system)	B466 covers seamless copper-nickel pipe
Cu-Ni 70/30 (C71500)	ASTM B111	ASME SB-111	GB/T 8890 (GB system)	Same specification as 90/10; the alloy is defined by the UNS in the order
Inconel 625 (N06625)	ASTM B444 (seamless pipe and tube) / B704 (welded tube) / B163	ASME SB-444 / SB-704 / SB-163	GB system: no one-to-one product equivalent — verify against the current GB catalogue	B705 covers welded pipe of the same alloy
Hastelloy C-276 (N10276)	ASTM B622 (seamless pipe and tube) / B626 (welded)	ASME SB-622 / SB-626	GB system: separate — verify against the current GB catalogue	B575 covers plate, sheet and strip

Table note: ASTM and ASME numbers are cited from the current ASTM product specifications and from ASME BPVC Section II Part A (ferrous, SA- series) and Part B (nonferrous, SB- series); the ASME number is the code edition of the same material specification. The GB column is a separate standard system shown for identification only — GB chemical ranges, tolerances and test requirements are not identical to the ASTM or ASME values and must not be treated as equivalents. Confirm every number, including the applicable edition, before it is written into a purchase order or a design calculation.

Tube-to-Tubesheet Joining and Material Compatibility

The tube joint is a common source of leaks that are wrongly blamed on the tube material, and the joining method must be compatible with the alloy. Roller expansion remains the standard method for condensers and low-pressure exchangers because it is fast, repairable and proven across copper-nickel, stainless, duplex and Monel tubes. It relies on the tube being ductile enough to expand into the tubesheet hole and to hold by elastic recovery, which is why high-strength and low-ductility tubes are harder to expand reliably and why expansion of titanium requires more care than copper-nickel.

Hydraulic expansion gives tighter control over the expansion pressure and produces a more uniform joint, and it is used where the reliability requirement is high or where a rolled joint has been unreliable. Explosive expansion is used for joints that cannot be rolled mechanically, particularly for titanium and some duplex tubes in hard-to-reach or non-standard geometries. Seal welding of the tube end is applied where the joint must be guaranteed leak-tight, and a strength weld plus expansion is used for high-pressure duties where the joint carries load as well as sealing.

Material compatibility in joining matters in three ways. First, filler metal and weld procedures must match the tube alloy, so a titanium tube is not welded with a stainless filler and a duplex tube requires a duplex or nickel-based filler to preserve the phase balance. Second, galvanic effects must be considered when the tube and tubesheet are different materials, and a sacrificial or intermediate material may be needed. Third, some tube materials are sensitive to the heat of welding: titanium must be shielded from atmospheric contamination, and the precipitation-hardening grades must be joined and then heat-treated as a whole. The joining method should be recorded on the drawing along with the tube specification, because an under-expanded or a badly welded joint will fail before the tube does.

Joining method	Typical materials	Practical note
Roller expansion	Cu-Ni, stainless, duplex, Monel	Standard for condensers; needs ductility
Hydraulic expansion	All ductile tubes	Tighter control, higher reliability
Explosive expansion	Titanium, duplex	For joints that cannot be rolled
Seal welding	Titanium, superalloys	Where leak-tightness must be guaranteed
Strength weld + expansion	High-pressure duty	Joint carries load as well as sealing

Table note: Joining practice is typical fabrication guidance; the specific procedure must be qualified to ASME BPVC Section IX and matched to the tube and tubesheet materials.

Fouling, Scaling and Cleaning Restrictions

Fouling is a material-selection variable because it decides the cleaning method, and the cleaning method constrains the alloy. Cooling-tower water, river water and seawater all foul, and the fouling layer both reduces heat transfer and creates a crevice that concentrates chlorides and oxygen-depleted chemistry against the tube surface. If the fouling cannot be removed, the corrosion rate rises and the exchanger loses duty, so the cleaning method is not an afterthought but part of the material choice.

Copper-nickel tubes are readily cleaned by mechanical brushing, by water jetting and by acid washes, and they are the most tolerant of aggressive cleaning. Titanium is harder and tolerates most cleaning but can be damaged by dry chlorine and by certain acid cleaning chemicals, and it must not be left in contact with some leak-detection and hydrotest fluids. Stainless and duplex must be protected from chlorides during acid cleaning and from chlorinated water left standing in the tubes; an acid clean followed by an undrained chlorinated rinse has caused more than one bundle failure. High-nickel alloys tolerate a wider range of cleaning chemicals but cost more, so the cleaning regime should be defined before the material is fixed, not after the first cleaning outage.

The design implication is direct: specify the water treatment, the cleaning frequency and the cleaning method, and then choose a tube that tolerates all three. Where a tube cannot be cleaned effectively, no alloy choice will keep the exchanger in service, and the correct answer is often a change of water treatment or a change of tube size to allow cleaning rather than a more expensive alloy.

Selection Decision Matrix by Water Chemistry and Temperature

The matrix below condenses the guidance in this article into a single decision aid. Use it to identify candidate materials, then confirm the choice against the specific chemistry, the metal temperature and the velocity for the actual unit.

Cooling water / service	Metal temperature	Recommended tube	Acceptable alternative	Avoid
Clean seawater, low velocity	below 60 °C	2205 duplex	904L, 6Mo	304, 316L
Clean seawater, high velocity	below 60 °C	Titanium Gr 2	2507, 6Mo	Cu-Ni 90/10, 316L
Seawater with sand or solids	any realistic	Titanium Gr 2	2507	Cu-Ni (either)
Sulphide-polluted seawater	below 60 °C	Titanium Gr 2	AL-6XN	Cu-Ni (either)
Brackish or estuarine water	below 80 °C	2205 duplex	Cu-Ni 70/30, 904L	304
Cooling-tower water, treated	below 80 °C	316L or 2205	904L	Carbon steel
Cooling-tower water with ammonia	below 80 °C	316L, 2205 or Inconel 625	904L	Cu-Ni (either), Monel 400
Chlorinated water	below 60 °C	6Mo / AL-6XN	Titanium Gr 2	316L
Hot seawater above 100 °C	above 100 °C	Inconel 625	AL-6XN	Cu-Ni, 316L, 2205
H2S / sour process side	per NACE limits	Inconel 625	AL-6XN	Cu-Ni, high-strength martensitic
Deaerated or oxygen-free water	any realistic	316L or Cu-Ni	Titanium risk of hydriding	Titanium (review)

Table note: Selection guidance is qualitative engineering judgment supported by published material-selection data and the standard specifications listed in this article. It identifies candidates only; each choice must be confirmed against the actual water analysis, metal temperature, velocity and cleaning method.

Worked Examples

Example 1 — Seawater-cooled condenser in a coastal power or process plant. A coastal plant uses once-through, clean, filtered seawater at a design tube-wall temperature of 50 °C, with a design velocity of 2.2 m/s and no significant sulphide or sand. The candidate materials are 2205 duplex, titanium Grade 2 and copper-nickel 90/10. Copper-nickel is attractive on thermal conductivity and price, but its velocity limit of about 3.0-3.6 m/s in clean seawater is not the constraint here and its main risk is fouling with sand or later sulphide intrusion. Titanium Grade 2 is the recommendation for a once-through seawater condenser: it is effectively immune to chloride pitting, tolerates the velocity with margin, and gives the longest life with the lowest maintenance, at the cost of a lower conductivity that is offset by the smaller wall thickness titanium permits. 2205 duplex is a defensible lower-cost alternative where water quality is stable and the plant can guarantee no sulphide and no free chlorine spikes; the risk it carries is that a change of water treatment will exceed its tolerance. Where the plant is water-quality-conscious and has competent inspection, titanium is the safer long-life choice; where first cost dominates and the water is demonstrably clean, 2205 is the value choice.

Example 2 — Cooling-tower-water exchanger with ammonia present. A closed cooling-tower loop serves a refrigeration or fertilizer plant, so the water is treated, slightly alkaline, and carries a low level of ammonia with occasional biocide dosing. The tube-wall temperature is 65 °C and the velocity is 1.8 m/s. Copper-nickel must be excluded: copper alloys are susceptible to ammonia cracking, and their corrosion products also contaminate the process. The recommendation is 316L for a moderate duty, or 2205 duplex where the chloride level in the circulating water is high from evaporation and make-up, or Inconel 625 where reliability dominates and the exchanger is difficult to replace. Inconel 625 is the recommendation for the ammonia-bearing duty if the unit cannot be easily taken out of service: it is fully resistant to the ammonia and to the chloride in the loop, and the cost is justified by the avoided outage rather than by the tube price. The design must also confirm that the cleaning chemicals are compatible with the chosen tube and that the ammonia is not concentrated by the fouling layer on the tube surface.

Price Comparison (2026, EXW Shanghai)

Tube material	Tube price, USD/kg (reference)	Relative surface area need	Notes
Carbon steel	1-3	~0.9	Not for seawater
316L	9-14	~1.6	Baseline stainless
904L	20-30	~1.7	High-Mo austenitic
2205 duplex	14-20	~1.4	Chloride water workhorse
2507 super duplex	22-32	~1.4	Higher-limit duplex
254SMO / AL-6XN	28-40	~1.7-1.8	6Mo super-austenitic
Titanium Grade 2	30-45	~1.3	Seawater condenser standard
Monel 400	30-45	~1.3	HF and seawater
Cu-Ni 90/10	12-18	~1.0	Best conductivity
Cu-Ni 70/30	14-20	~1.1	Higher velocity than 90/10
Inconel 625	45-65	~2.1	Most aggressive duties

Table note: Reference range only — 2026, EXW Shanghai, USD/kg — floats with nickel price. Titanium and copper prices move with their own markets, not with nickel. The relative surface area column is illustrative and depends on the design.

Rules of Thumb for Tube Material Selection

• Choose from the coolant side first. The cooling water, not the process fluid, decides the family in most exchangers.
• Exclude 316L from seawater above roughly 2 m/s. Its velocity limit is low and erosion-corrosion follows quickly.
• Exclude copper alloys wherever sulphide or ammonia is present. Sulphide destroys the film; ammonia cracks the copper.
• Treat 60 °C as the austenitic warning line. Above it, in chloride water, move up the alloy ladder.
• Above 100 °C with chloride, use a 6Mo or a nickel alloy. Titanium and duplex have their own limits at high temperature.
• Keep the design velocity below the family limit with margin. Check the tube inlets and baffle windows, not just the average.
• Match the joining method to the alloy. Titanium, duplex and high-nickel tubes do not join like copper-nickel.
• Fix the cleaning method before the material. A tube that cannot be cleaned will not survive regardless of its alloy.
• Price per kilogram is not the cost. Include surface area, life, inspection and the cost of an outage.

Standard Index

Standard	Title / scope	Covers	Form
ASTM A213/A213M	Seamless ferritic and austenitic alloy-steel boiler, superheater and heat-exchanger tubes	Composition, mechanical, dimensions	seamless tube
ASTM A249/A249M	Welded austenitic steel boiler, superheater, heat-exchanger and condenser tubes	Composition, mechanical	welded tube
ASTM A269/A269M	Seamless and welded austenitic stainless steel tubing for general service	Composition, mechanical	tube
ASTM A789/A789M	Seamless and welded ferritic/austenitic stainless steel tubing for general service	Composition, mechanical	duplex tube
ASTM A240/A240M	Chromium and chromium-nickel stainless plate, sheet and strip	Composition, mechanical	plate, sheet, strip
ASTM B111	Copper and copper-alloy seamless condenser tubes and ferrule stock	Composition, mechanical	tube
ASTM B466	Seamless copper-nickel pipe and tube	Composition, mechanical	pipe, tube
ASTM B163	Seamless nickel and nickel-alloy condenser and heat-exchanger tubes	Composition, mechanical	tube
ASTM B165	Nickel-copper alloy (Monel 400) seamless pipe and tube	Composition, mechanical	pipe, tube
ASTM B338	Seamless and welded titanium and titanium-alloy tubes for condensers and heat exchangers	Composition, mechanical	tube
ASTM B265	Titanium and titanium-alloy strip, sheet and plate	Composition, mechanical	plate, sheet, strip
ASTM B444	Ni-Cr-Mo-Nb alloys (Inconel 625) pipe and tube	Composition, mechanical	pipe, tube
ASTM B622	Ni-Cr-Mo and Ni-Mo-Cr alloys (Hastelloy C-276) seamless pipe and tube	Composition, mechanical	pipe, tube
ASTM B626	Welded nickel and nickel-alloy tubing	Composition, mechanical	tube
ASTM B688	UNS N08367 (AL-6XN) plate, sheet and strip	Composition, mechanical	plate, sheet, strip
ASTM B677	UNS N08904 (904L) seamless and welded pipe and tube	Composition, mechanical	pipe, tube
ASTM B690	UNS N08367 (AL-6XN) seamless pipe and tube	Composition, mechanical	pipe, tube
ASTM B676	UNS N08367 (AL-6XN) welded tube product specification (confirm the exact scope in the current edition)	Composition, mechanical	welded product
ASTM B704 / B705	Ni-Cr-Mo-Nb (Inconel 625) welded tube / welded pipe	Composition, mechanical	welded tube, welded pipe
ASME BPVC Section II	Materials, Part A ferrous and Part B nonferrous	Material specifications, allowable stress	all forms
ASME BPVC Section VIII Div. 1	Rules for construction of pressure vessels	Shell-and-tube exchanger design	vessel
ASME BPVC Section IX	Welding, brazing and fusing qualifications	Weld procedure qualification	welds
GB/T 13296	Chinese national standard, seamless stainless steel tubes for boilers and heat exchangers (GB system)	Composition, mechanical, dimensions	tube
GB/T 21833	Chinese national standard, seamless duplex stainless steel tubes for heat exchangers (GB system)	Composition, mechanical	duplex tube
GB/T 3625	Chinese national standard, titanium and titanium alloy tube for heat exchangers (GB system)	Composition, mechanical	titanium tube
GB/T 8890	Chinese national standard, seamless copper alloy tubes for heat exchangers (GB system)	Composition, mechanical	copper-alloy tube
ASTM E8/E8M	Tension testing of metallic materials	Mechanical properties	test method
ASTM G48	Pitting and crevice corrosion resistance in ferric chloride	Localized corrosion	test method
NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156	Materials for use in H2S-containing environments	Sour service limits	all forms

Table note: Standards are listed with their stated scope. Where a welded or seamless variant exists, the applicable product specification must be confirmed against the ordered form and the governing design code.

FAQ

Q1: How do I choose a heat exchanger tube material?

Choose in a fixed order: coolant chemistry first, then tube-wall temperature, then velocity, then fouling and cleaning method, and only then cost and availability. Identify whether the cooling water is seawater, brackish, river, cooling-tower or a closed treated loop, and record the chloride, oxygen, sulphide, ammonia and suspended-solids levels. Establish the metal temperature at the tube wall on the hotter side. Check the design velocity against the family limit for the candidate materials. Confirm that the required cleaning method is compatible with the candidate tube. Only after those four questions are answered does the price comparison become meaningful, because a cheaper tube that fails early is never the cheaper tube. Following this order prevents the common error of choosing a material by price and then discovering, after commissioning, that the coolant chemistry rules it out.

Q2: Why should I not use 316L tube in seawater?

316L is a good stainless steel but it is not a seawater tube. Its protective passive film is disrupted by chloride, so it is prone to pitting and crevice corrosion in seawater, and its practical erosion-corrosion velocity limit in seawater is low, in the region of 1.5-2 m/s, so erosion-corrosion begins at velocities that other materials tolerate comfortably. The failures typically start under deposits and in crevices at the tubesheet, and they progress quickly once started. Where the duty is genuinely low-chloride and low-temperature, 316L remains an excellent value choice, and it is widely used in cooling-tower and treated-water service. But in true seawater, the correct first step up is 2205 duplex, and above about 2 m/s the choice moves to titanium, 2507 or a 6Mo super-austenitic, with the final decision set by water quality and cleaning method.

Q3: Is titanium always the best seawater tube?

Titanium Grade 2 is the standard seawater condenser tube and it is the best answer for most once-through seawater duties: it is effectively immune to chloride pitting, it tolerates high velocity up to about 6 m/s in clean seawater, and it gives very long life with low maintenance. It is not, however, automatically the right answer everywhere. Titanium has a lower thermal conductivity than copper-nickel, so it needs more surface area for the same heat load. It can absorb hydrogen and become embrittled in certain oxygen-free or cathodically protected conditions, so it needs review in deaerated service. It is sensitive to certain acid cleaning chemicals and to dry chlorine, and it must be joined with care because it cannot be roller-expanded as easily as copper-nickel. And it is more expensive per kilogram. Titanium is the default for aggressive seawater, but a clean, stable, low-sulphide water can often be served by 2205 or copper-nickel at lower cost.

Q4: When should I use copper-nickel instead of titanium?

Use copper-nickel when the seawater is clean and stable, the velocity is within its limit, and first cost or heat-transfer area matters. Copper-nickel 90/10 and 70/30 have the best thermal conductivity of the common tube materials, so they need the least surface area, and their velocity limits are well documented — about 3.0-3.6 m/s for 90/10 and about 4.5 m/s for 70/30 in clean seawater. They are also cheaper per kilogram than titanium and easy to clean. The conditions that rule them out are sulphide-polluted water, ammonia-bearing water, sand or high suspended solids, and any duty where copper pickup would contaminate the process. In those conditions titanium or a 6Mo tube is the correct answer even though it costs more. Copper-nickel is therefore a value choice for good-quality seawater, not a universal seawater tube.

Q5: What is the maximum water velocity for a copper-nickel tube?

In clean seawater, iron-modified 90/10 copper-nickel is typically limited to about 3.0-3.6 m/s and 70/30 copper-nickel to about 4.5 m/s. These are typical design values from published industry guidance, not standard acceptance limits, and they fall sharply when the water carries sand, suspended solids or sulphide. The local velocity at the tube inlet, at the first tube rows behind the inlet nozzle and in the baffle windows is usually higher than the bundle-average velocity, so the design must be checked at those points and not only on the average. A common cause of premature copper-nickel failure is a design that is correct on average but high at the inlet, where the protective film is removed first. Setting the design velocity below the limit with a margin, and confirming the water quality, is the reliable way to prevent erosion-corrosion.

Q6: Which tube standard applies to each material?

Each family has its own ASTM product specification. Stainless heat-exchanger tubes are ordered to ASTM A213 for seamless or ASTM A249 for welded, with general-service tube to ASTM A269, and duplex tubes to ASTM A789. Nickel-alloy tubes are ordered to ASTM B163 for seamless condenser and heat-exchanger tube, with Monel 400 also covered by ASTM B165, Hastelloy C-276 by ASTM B622 for seamless and ASTM B626 for welded, and Inconel 625 by ASTM B444. Titanium tubes are ordered to ASTM B338. Copper-nickel condenser tubes are ordered to ASTM B111. The material specification sets composition and mechanical requirements, while the wall thickness and diameter are set by the design code and by the ordering practice; the two must be ordered together, and the specification must be confirmed against the ordered form.

Q7: What wall thickness should I specify for a heat exchanger tube?

Wall thickness is normally specified in BWG, and the common range for exchangers is roughly 10 to 22 BWG. Condensers typically use 16-18 BWG, with heavier walls for high-pressure or highly corrosive duties. BWG 16 is about 1.65 mm, BWG 18 about 1.24 mm and BWG 20 about 0.89 mm as typical dimension values. The correct wall is not a free choice: it must satisfy the allowable stress and the corrosion allowance required by the governing design code, normally ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section VIII Division 1, with the material specification taken from Section II. A thinner wall improves heat transfer and lowers cost but reduces the corrosion allowance and the mechanical margin. For a seawater duty, the wall must also be thick enough to survive any expected erosion-corrosion and to be inspectable for the life of the unit.

Q8: Can I use the same material for the tube and the tubesheet?

They need not be the same, and often they should not be. The tubesheet is thick and can carry a corrosion allowance, while the tube is thin and cannot, so the tube is frequently upgraded relative to the tubesheet — a titanium bundle in a 316L tubesheet is a normal design. What matters is the joint: the tube and tubesheet must be metallurgically and mechanically compatible for the chosen joining method, and the galvanic relationship between them must be considered where the two differ. Roller expansion works across copper-nickel, stainless, duplex and Monel combinations, but titanium and high-nickel tubes may require hydraulic or explosive expansion or a seal weld. The joining procedure must be qualified, and the material combination and the joining method should both be shown on the drawing so that the fabricator cannot substitute a simpler but incompatible combination.

Q9: Which tube material should I use for ammonia-bearing cooling water?

Do not use copper-based tubing. Copper alloys are susceptible to ammonia cracking and stress-corrosion, and their corrosion products also contaminate the process, so copper-nickel and Monel tubes should be excluded from any ammonia-bearing stream. For a treated, slightly alkaline cooling-tower loop that carries a low level of ammonia, 316L is a reasonable tube for a moderate duty, 2205 duplex is the better choice where evaporation and make-up have raised the chloride level in the circulating water, and Inconel 625 is the recommendation where the exchanger cannot easily be taken out of service and reliability dominates. The design must also confirm that the cleaning chemicals are compatible with the chosen tube and that the ammonia is not concentrated by the fouling layer on the tube surface, because a concentrated pocket of ammonia against the tube wall is worse than the bulk concentration suggests.

Q10: Which tube material should I use for sulphide-polluted seawater?

Move away from copper. Sulphide in seawater disrupts the protective film on copper-nickel tubes and accelerates attack, and adding wall thickness does not solve the problem because the corrosion rate itself has risen. The two practical answers are titanium Grade 2, which tolerates sulphide-polluted seawater well and is the usual upgrade for a coastal plant whose intake has become polluted, and a 6Mo super-austenitic tube such as AL-6XN where the duty or the cleaning regime makes titanium less convenient. Titanium is the more common field answer because it combines sulphide tolerance with a high velocity limit and long life, at the cost of lower thermal conductivity. The design should also confirm whether the sulphide is continuous or episodic, because episodic contamination can sometimes be managed by operating changes, whereas continuous sulphide normally requires the material change.

Q11: Does thermal conductivity matter in tube material selection?

Yes, and it can outweigh the price difference. Copper-nickel has the highest thermal conductivity of the common tube materials, around 45 W/m·K for 90/10, so it needs the least surface area for a given duty. Titanium and Monel 400 are around 22 W/m·K and need roughly 1.3 times the area; austenitic stainless and duplex are lower; and Inconel 625 is about 10 W/m·K, needing roughly twice the area of copper-nickel. Extra area is real hardware — longer tubes, a larger shell, more tubesheet drilling and more weight — so the true cost of a low-conductivity tube is higher than its price per kilogram suggests. This is why copper-nickel remains competitive in seawater despite modest corrosion performance, and why a low-conductivity alloy should be justified by the corrosion duty rather than chosen by habit.

Q12: How do I prevent tube-to-tubesheet joint failure?

Match the joining method to the alloy, qualify the procedure, and record both on the drawing. Roller expansion is the standard method for condensers and works well with copper-nickel, stainless, duplex and Monel, but it depends on the tube being ductile enough to expand and hold, which is why titanium and high-strength superalloys require greater care or a different method. Hydraulic expansion gives tighter control, explosive expansion is used where rolling is impractical, and seal welding guarantees leak-tightness where the joint must not leak. The joint must also be compatible with the two materials: the filler for a duplex tube must preserve the phase balance, a titanium tube must not be welded with a stainless filler, and galvanic effects must be considered where tube and tubesheet differ. Finally, confirm the expansion or weld quality by inspection, because an under-expanded joint leaks before the tube fails.

Q13: What should I consider for chlorinated cooling water?

Free chlorine raises the corrosion potential of the water and shifts the failure mode toward crevice corrosion and, for some alloys, toward stress-corrosion cracking. Stainless 316L is the least tolerant and should be avoided for chlorinated seawater or for a loop with chlorine spikes; 2205 duplex is better but is still sensitive to high free-chlorine excursions; and a 6Mo super-austenitic or titanium tolerates chlorination comfortably and is the safer choice for a chlorinated seawater duty. Titanium also resists the chlorinated water itself, although it must be protected from dry chlorine gas and from certain acid cleaning chemicals. The design should therefore establish the chlorination regime — continuous, shock-dosed or intermittent — as part of the coolant chemistry, because a chlorine spike that lasts an hour can exceed the tolerance of a tube that is otherwise well chosen.

Conclusion and Next Step

Heat exchanger tube material selection is a sequence, not a single decision: coolant chemistry, then tube-wall temperature, then velocity, then fouling and cleaning, and only then cost. Following that sequence identifies the candidate family quickly and prevents the two most expensive errors — choosing a tube that the coolant attacks, and paying for an exotic alloy that the duty never needed. Where the water is clean seawater, titanium or 2205 is usually the answer; where it is sulphide-polluted or ammonia-bearing, copper alloys are excluded and titanium or a 6Mo or nickel alloy is the correct move; and where the coolant is a treated loop, 316L or 2205 is often sufficient.

Shanghai Hangbo Alloy Group Co., Ltd. - China Supplier supplies condenser and heat-exchanger tube across the full range discussed here, from 316L and duplex through 904L, 6Mo, titanium Grade 2, Monel 400, copper-nickel and Inconel 625, in seamless and welded forms to the applicable ASTM specifications. To select a tube for a specific unit, send us the water analysis, the metal temperature, the design velocity and the cleaning method, and we will confirm the candidate material and quote the tube.

Contact us at sales@hangboalloy.com, on WhatsApp (Lisa) at +86 13611656360, or through our contact page for a tube recommendation and quotation. Our titanium product line and Monel alloy round bar & tube pages cover the seawater families, the duplex & PH stainless and Inconel alloy supplier pages cover the high-chloride families, and the alloy technical knowledge center and our exchanger and condenser tube notes hold the selection detail behind this guide. You can also compare with our related technical guides at any time.

Contact & Complete Product Range

Shanghai Hangbo Alloy Group Co., Ltd. - China Supplier

Email: sales@hangboalloy.com | WhatsApp (Lisa): +86 13611656360 | www.nickel-alloy.com

All Grades

Ni: NI200-N6 | Monel: 400-502, K-500, R-405 | Inconel: 600-740H, X-750, 725 | Incoloy: 800-27-7MO | Hastelloy: C-276-HYBRID-BC1, N | Super Austenitic: 904L-AL-6XN | Chromium-Rich: Alloy 33 | High-Strength Stainless: Nitronic 50/60, PH13-8Mo | Chlorination: Alloy 45 | Nimonic: 75-263 | Haynes: 25-HR-160 | RA: 330/333 | Precision: 1J22-4J45 | High-Strength: 18Ni250-AerMet100 | Heating: Cr20Ni80/60 | Specialty: Alloy 20-602CA

Product Forms: Bars(6-500mm) | Tubes(OD 6-610mm) | Plates(0.1-100mm) | Forgings | Welded Pipes | Fittings | Wire(0.05-10mm) | Strip(0.02-4.0mm)

SGS/BV/TUV. www.nickel-alloy.com