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This post was last edited by Mingming, a zirconium and hafnium producer, on 2019-10-16 at 11:43. Zirconium exhibits good resistance to embrittlement caused by thermal neutron radiation, as well as excellent thermal conductivity； It also readily combines with oxygen in air, forming a dense oxide layer on the zirconium metal, granting it wide resistance to acidic and alkaline environments. These two properties determine that zirconium materials have the potential to replace stainless steel, titanium, and nickel-based alloy equipment in production processes involving acetic acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, urea, etc. With the advancement of domestic materials science and technology as well as equipment manufacturing technology, the price of zirconium materials in China has been gradually decreasing, while welding techniques have become increasingly sophisticated. Thanks to its excellent performance, gradually decreasing prices, maintenance-free operation, and reduced need for downtime, there will be an increasing demand from users for equipment made of zirconium. Compared to tubular heat exchangers, the structure and heat transfer efficiency of plate heat exchangers result in a lower amount of zirconium required, thereby reducing the cost of the equipment ； It has a compact structure and occupies little space, being only one-fifth the size of a tubular type. Zirconium heat exchangers do not develop corrosion products during use, and basically require no cleaning. It can still be used when the wall thickness is very thin. However, when the tube sheet thickness exceeds 25 mm and the vessel shell thickness exceeds 12 mm, the cost of the equipment is very high. It is recommended to use zirconium steel composite materials at this time. The use of zirconium-steel composite material in zirconium plate heat exchangers does not reduce their corrosion resistance. Then, zirconium plate heat exchangers cannot unconditionally replace tube heat exchangers under all operating conditions. The detachable plate heat exchanger can operate at a maximum pressure of 2.5 MPa and a maximum temperature of 160°C℃ ； The maximum operating pressure of the fully welded plate heat exchanger is 4.0 MPa, and the maximum temperature is 350°C. The appropriate heat exchanger should be selected based on the actual operating conditions; safety is more important than cost.