Development and testing of ultrathin super austenitic tubes for heat exchangers in desalination plants

A process for the production of welded, ultrathin super austenitic tubes, especially for application in thermal desalination plants (16×0.3-0.4 mm) has been developed and realized on the technical scale. Corrosion resistance of the tubes has been tested so far according to the ASTMG 48 test in FeCl3 solutions. The critical pitting temperature in these tests was determined to be at least 85¯90°C and the critical temperaturefor crevice corrosion to 65¯85°C. According to this study, welded ultrathin super austenitic tubes are very promising for desalination plants.