Is brass or copper better for heat exchangers?
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For the heat exchange copper tubes in heat exchangers, is brass better or copper?
Copper! Copper, that is, pure copper ； Brass is a copper-zinc alloy (generally); red copper has better thermal conductivity and ductility than brass! So, it’s better to use heat exchange tubes; this is just my personal opinion, for reference only!
What was said on the 2nd floor is right; red copper is good. However, there are limitations on the operating temperature; refer to GB151 – copper alloys are required when this limit is exceeded.
The material selection for heat exchange tubes varies depending on the operating environment. For seawater, HAL77-2 aluminum brass tubes should be used; BFe10-1-1 brass tubes are a slightly better choice, while duplex stainless steel tubes are even better. Titanium tubes are also available as alternatives. Mainly technical specifications, usage environment, and customer requirements.
Depending on the operating environment and flow rate limitations, brass pipes are used for applications requiring corrosion resistance (such as those exposed to seawater); the maximum flow rate in such pipes can be 3 m/s. Copper pipes have a higher heat transfer efficiency than brass pipes, and they can be used when the conditions permit, with a maximum flow rate of 1.5 m/s. Additionally, temperature factors must also be taken into consideration
The materials chosen depend on the medium and temperature. In most cases, red copper is used; however, when the heat transfer medium is highly corrosive or the temperature is high, brass, white copper, or other types of tubes must be employed. GB151 specifies that the design temperature for pure copper should not exceed 150°, while for copper alloys it should not exceed 200°
It should be determined based on the specific operating conditions; generally, copper alloys are used more often in seawater environments. Moreover, the operating temperature of pure copper is not as high as that of alloys
By the way, I’m wondering how much of an impact 50 mg/l of chloride ions have on red copper. No impact!
Copper is more widely used, while brass has a narrower range of applications. I heard that brass is cheaper and also has good corrosion resistance, so it’s worth considering for use
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, while red copper is copper of higher purity, that is, pure copper. Comparing brass and red copper: brass is harder, it has a higher electrical resistivity, and its thermal conductivity is lower. The material used for refrigeration copper pipes is red copper, as its thermal conductivity is much higher than that of brass!
It is indeed better to choose copper tubes with better heat exchange properties, but the choice also depends on the medium involved; for example, aluminum brass should be used for seawater···
We use naval copper, which should be red copper.
When choosing between red copper and brass, it is necessary to consider both the operating environment and the heat transfer coefficient.
Brass is used in most cases; 50 ppm of copper is generally sufficient
It depends on the application environment, such as seawater and similar conditions; for example, in artificial fish farming, should heat exchangers for ships be made of brass or not?:)
The selection of cooling tube material should be determined based on the pressure, temperature, and corrosivity of the medium.
Depending on the heat exchange medium, brass has better corrosion resistance；
In demineralized water with a pH of 7–9, which has better corrosion resistance, copper or naval brass? What is the situation if NO and CL are present? It’s the same red copper; the only difference is between T2 and T3. Is there a difference in their corrosion resistance? From what I’ve found, T2 has better corrosion resistance than T3
Actually, it’s not right to ask like that; you need to consider the specific situation. For example, in ordinary air-conditioning applications, copper pipes are used; whereas in environments prone to corrosion, such as seawater or saltwater, copper-nickel alloys are employed to prevent corrosion. Generally, there is a principle in the industry to consider both cost and necessity – it’s not possible to use whatever material one wants simply because they desire to.
Copper does not have any corrosion-resistant properties. As far as I know, the navy generally uses BFe30 copper-nickel alloys; I’ve never heard of brass being used in this context. Please verify this – brass shouldn’t be used for this purpose!
In the power plants located by the coast, the condensers use seawater, which is why naval brass is employed there. However, in nuclear power plants’ coolers, demineralized water is used, and red copper is required for such applications; this is where the confusion arises.