Corrosion and process challenges

  • Hydrochloric acid (HCI) attack
  • Dew point corrosion during shutdowns
  • Pitting and crevice corrosion
  • Erosion corrosion
  • Carburization (tube side)
  • Intergranular corrosion (shutdowns)
  • Stress corrosion cracking (SCC)
  • Creep

High-performance corrosion resistant tubing for demanding chemicals applications

Submit your details to receive our exclusive flyer

Extend your equipment’s lifetime

Since our founding in 1862 in Sandviken, Sweden, we have served as a dedicated materials partner to the chemicals and petrochemical sector. Over the years, our advanced stainless steels and special alloy tubes have been used widely to boost productivity, safety, quality, and sustainability. Whether you need heat exchanger tubing, instrumentation tube, or furnace tube for chemical, refining, or intermediary
products, the challenges remain constant: addressing corrosion challenges in distillation, cracking, condensers, evaporators, heaters, and reheaters.

Capturing the EDC growth potential

Today, demand for plastics remains strong across many industries. Ethylene dichloride (EDC) is an indispensable intermediate chemical in the production of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). This primary raw material plays a pivotal role in the manufacturing of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), one of the most widely used plastics globally.

When downtime is simply not an option

Choosing the right tube material is crucial for efficient and reliable EDC-VCM production. Given the harsh and potentially hazardous of products nature of the distillation or cracking processes. Shutdowns are simply not an option.

Chlorination uses chlorine (direct chlorination) or hydrochloric acid (oxychlorination). The oxychlorination process balances the by-product HCl from VCM production. Both units have risk of dew point corrosion of HCl acid, pitting corrosion and erosion from the catalyst. The EDC cracking unit has the risk of carburization, oxidation, and creep. Choosing the right materials will be crucial.

Full traceability of every tube

From R&D to melting, extrusion of hollows, and final tube manufacturing, we uphold the highest quality standards and maintain full traceability throughout the production chain. Each item undergoes 100% eddy current tested to guarantee that it is free from any defects or microcracks.

Upgrade and maximize your performance (our solutions)

Tube materials
selection guide
From → Upgrade
EDC-VCM
Distillation
3R65 (316L)
2K65 (904L)
CuNi 70/30
CuNi 90/10
Alleima® 400
Sanicro® 625
Sanicro® 276
SAF™ 2205
SAF™ 2507
SAF™ 2707
Sanicro® 35
Ti Gr 2
EDC
Cracking
6R35 (321H)
6R44 (347H)
Sanicro® 31HT
(800H/800HT)
Alleima® 253MA
Sanicro® 70 (Alloy 600)

The production processes

A balanced plant requires two different routes that typically run in parallel: Chlorination and oxychlorination. The direct chlorination process uses chlorine and ethylene as the feedstock, while the oxychlorination process uses hydrochloric acid, ethylene, and oxygen for crude EDC production and is strongly exothermic. Crude EDC is then processed through a distillation unit to produce pure EDC. Lastly, VCM is produced through the high-temperature cracking of the pure EDC. The latter process produces HCl as a byproduct that is recirculated and used as part of the oxychlorination process.1, 2

1. Dillon, C. Paul; Dean, Sheldon W. Jr. Material Selection for the Chemical Process Industries, MTI, 2004.
2. Donald L. Burdick, William L. Feffler. Petrochemicals in NonTechnical Language 4th Ed. PennWell Corp., 2010.

Alleima has been supplying seamless tubes for EDC/VCM production for many years. With our expertise, experience, integrated production and testing procedures, and extensive product portfolio, Alleima can enhance the lifetime of your equipment.

Related Webinars

Webinar August 16, 2023
Corrosion Resistant Alloys for Heat Exchanger in the Chemical Process Industry

Corrosion Resistant Alloys for Heat Exchanger in the Chemical Process Industry

View the recorded webinar

Related Articles

Technical article 29 June, 2023

Material solutions for nitric acid producing plants

Selecting the correct corrosion-resistant material for a nitric acid plant can be critical. High-quality stainless steel with low impurities and optimized corrosion resistance will not only reduce downtime but also extend plant lifetime.

Technical article 3 February, 2023

Lifecycle of crude distillation unit overhead condenser tubes

Crude oil contains impurities that can cause heavy corrosion in various parts of the refinery. Refiners must deal with multiple challenges if they want to process the heavier, or so-called “opportunity” crudes.

Technical article 28 August, 2024

Sanicro® 35 - a super austenitic material solution

When making metallurgical upgrades in the petroleum refining and chemical process industries, there are many alloy options to choose from. Striking a good balance between corrosion performance and project economics is vital in material selection.