Niobium-based alloy that is resistant to aqueous corrosion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10400314-B2
Application number	US-201715801707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2017
Priority date	Jul 7, 2009
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

In various embodiments, a metal alloy resistant to aqueous corrosion consists essentially of or consists of niobium with additions of tungsten, molybdenum, and one or both of ruthenium and palladium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger for use with acidic process fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:
a shell defining therewithin an interior volume for containing a heat-exchange fluid;
disposed within the interior volume, a plurality of tubes for containing the process fluid during heat exchange between the process fluid and the heat-exchange fluid;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process inlet for supplying the process fluid to the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process outlet for receiving the process fluid from the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange inlet for supplying the heat-exchange fluid to the interior volume; and
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange outlet for receiving the heat-exchange fluid from the interior volume,
wherein an interior of each of the tubes is composed of a metallic alloy consisting essentially of (i) 2 weight percent-10 weight percent tungsten, (ii) 0.5 weight percent-10 weight percent molybdenum, (iii) at least one of ruthenium or palladium collectively present at 0.2 weight percent-5 weight percent, and (iv) the balance niobium.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein a grain size of the metallic alloy is greater than 6 microns.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the tubes comprises steel and a layer of the metallic alloy disposed on an interior surface thereof.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the shell of the heat exchanger comprises steel.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein an entirety of each of the tubes is composed of the metallic alloy.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises both ruthenium and palladium.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein a ratio of ruthenium content to palladium content in the alloy ranges from 1000:1 to 1:1000.

8. The heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein a ratio of ruthenium content to palladium content in the alloy ranges from 500:1 to 1:500.

9. The heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein a ratio of ruthenium content to palladium content in the alloy ranges from 100:1 to 1:100.

10. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the alloy contains 2 weight percent-10 weight percent molybdenum.

11. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the alloy contains at least one of ruthenium or palladium collectively present at 2 weight percent-5 weight percent.

12. A heat exchanger for use with acidic process fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:
a shell defining therewithin an interior volume for containing a heat-exchange fluid;
disposed within the interior volume, a plurality of tubes for containing the process fluid during heat exchange between the process fluid and the heat-exchange fluid;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process inlet for supplying the process fluid to the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process outlet for receiving the process fluid from the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange inlet for supplying the heat-exchange fluid to the interior volume; and
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange outlet for receiving the heat-exchange fluid from the interior volume,
wherein an interior of each of the tubes is composed of a metallic alloy consisting essentially of (i) 1 weight percent-10 weight percent tungsten, (ii) 2 weight percent-10 weight percent molybdenum, (iii) at least one of ruthenium or palladium collectively present at 0.2 weight percent-5 weight percent, and (iv) the balance niobium.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein each of the tubes comprises steel and a layer of the metallic alloy disposed on an interior surface thereof.

14. The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein the shell of the heat exchanger comprises steel.

15. The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein an entirety of each of the tubes is composed of the metallic alloy.

16. The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein the alloy comprises both ruthenium and palladium.

17. The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein the alloy contains at least one of ruthenium or palladium collectively present at 2 weight percent-5 weight percent.

18. A heat exchanger for use with acidic process fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:
a shell defining therewithin an interior volume for containing a heat-exchange fluid;
disposed within the interior volume, a plurality of tubes for containing the process fluid during heat exchange between the process fluid and the heat-exchange fluid;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process inlet for supplying the process fluid to the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the plurality of tubes, a process outlet for receiving the process fluid from the plurality of tubes;
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange inlet for supplying the heat-exchange fluid to the interior volume; and
fluidly connected to the interior volume, an exchange outlet for receiving the heat-exchange fluid from the interior volume,
wherein an interior of each of the tubes is composed of a metallic alloy consisting essentially of (i) 1 weight percent-10 weight percent tungsten, (ii) 0.5 weight percent-10 weight percent molybdenum, (iii) at least one of ruthenium or palladium collectively present at 2 weight percent-5 weight percent, and (iv) the balance niobium.

19. The heat exchanger of claim 18 , wherein each of the tubes comprises steel and a layer of the metallic alloy disposed on an interior surface thereof.

20. The heat exchanger of claim 18 , wherein the shell of the heat exchanger comprises steel.

21. The heat exchanger of claim 18 , wherein an entirety of each of the tubes is composed of the metallic alloy.

22. The heat exchanger of claim 18 , wherein the alloy comprises both ruthenium and palladium.

Assignees

• Aimone Paul
• Yang Mei
• Starck H C Inc

Inventors

• Aimone Paul
• Yang Mei

Classifications

• C22B9/228

  by particle radiation, e.g. electron beams · CPC title

• C22B9/226

  by electric discharge, e.g. plasma (C22B9/20 takes precedence; apparatus therefor H01J, H05B, H05H; chemical reactions with metals in a plasma C22B4/005) · CPC title

• C22B34/24

  Obtaining niobium or tantalum · CPC title

• C22C1/02

  by melting {(C22C1/1036 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title