ASTM B111 / ASME SB111 C44300 Copper Nickel Tube for Condenser and Heat Exchanger Application

ASTM B111 C44300 Copper Nickel Tube for Condenser and Heat Exchanger Application

ASTM B111 C44300 copper tubes complies with ISO standards m-2004 and B171m-2004, as well as ASTM B111/B111M-2009 (American Standard Copper and Copper Alloy Seamless Condenser Tubes and Casings). C44300 tin brass is a high copper alloy that usually has a high copper content and contains a certain amount of tin and other alloying elements such as zinc and trace amounts of arsenic. The addition of these elements gives C44300 tin brass unique properties.

• Mechanical properties: It has good mechanical properties, including high tensile strength and elongation. This makes C44300 tube perform well when subjected to mechanical stress such as pressure and stretching.
• Corrosion resistance: It has excellent corrosion resistance, especially in environments with corrosive liquids. The addition of trace arsenic can inhibit dezincification corrosion and further improve the corrosion resistance of the alloy. Recent studies have also shown that the addition of trace elements such as boron and nickel can further enhance its corrosion resistance.
• Hot and cold processing performance: C44300 tin brass has excellent cold processing performance and is easy to process into various shapes and sizes. At the same time, it also has certain hot processing performance and can be hot pressed, hot rolled and other processes at a certain temperature.

ASTM B111 C44300 Copper Tubing Chemical Composition

ASTM B111 C44300 Copper Nickel Tube Tensile Requirements

 
ASTM B111 C44300 Copper Nickel Tube Application:

• Marine engineering field: C44300 copper nickel tubes play an important role in shipbuilding. Their excellent seawater corrosion resistance makes them an ideal material for manufacturing hulls and marine equipment. In particular, they are used to manufacture parts that come into contact with seawater, such as heat exchangers, condensers, evaporators, etc. In offshore oil and gas production, C44300 copper nickel tubes are also often used to manufacture equipment such as heat exchangers and condensers on offshore platforms, as well as other parts that need to withstand seawater corrosion.
• Power industry: C44300 copper nickel tubes are widely used in inland thermal power plants, especially for manufacturing high-strength, corrosion-resistant heat exchanger condenser tubes. These devices need to be in contact with corrosive media for a long time, and the corrosion resistance of C44300 copper  nickel tubes just meets these needs; although nuclear power plants have more stringent requirements on materials, C44300 copper nickel tubes are also used in auxiliary systems of some nuclear power plants, such as for manufacturing cooling system tubes.
• Food processing field: Because C44300 copper nickel tubes have good corrosion resistance and hygienic properties, they are also commonly used in the manufacture of food processing equipment, such as pipelines and containers for the manufacture of dairy products, beverages and other foods.
• Construction and decoration field: Due to its excellent corrosion resistance, C44300 copper nickel tubes are often used to manufacture roofs, rainwater tubes and other parts that are susceptible to rain erosion; C44300 copper nickel tubes can also be used to make various decorations and artworks, such as sculptures, lamps, etc.

What are the differences in application areas between ASTM B111 C44300 and ASTM B111 C68700?

• ASTM B111 C44300 (Navy Brass) copper nickel tube is suitable for various seawater cooled condensers, evaporators, and heat exchangers (marine, power plant, industrial refrigeration), especially for low to medium flow rate seawater, relatively clean water quality, or environments with less suspended solids. At the same time, due to its better resistance to ammonia corrosion, thermal conductivity, and ductility, C44300 copper nickel tubes perform better than C68700 in work environments containing trace amounts of ammonia, requiring good thermal conductivity efficiency, or requiring more expansion and bending tube processing.
• ASTM B111 C68700 (aluminum brass) copper nickel tube is suitable for marine main condensers, high-speed pump coolers, or estuarine power plants in high flow rate, high turbulence, high sediment content, or high suspended solids seawater working environments. At the same time, in situations where ammonia is not present, higher requirements are placed on the strength and hardness of the pipe material, and general requirements are placed on thermal conductivity efficiency, C68700 is more suitable than C44300. Under extremely harsh water quality conditions, the erosion resistance life of C68700 is usually better than that of C44300.

Summary:

ASTM B111 C44300 belongs to brass, specifically tin brass, more commonly known as admiralty brass. The core advantage of C44300 copper nickel tubes lies in its good water corrosion resistance and high cost performance. It is a classic choice between pure copper and higher-grade alloys such as aluminum brass C68700 and copper-nickel alloy C71500. However, it should be noted that ASTM B111 C44300 copper nickel tube should be avoided in seawater with high flow rate and high sand content, any environment where ammonia may exist, and polluted seawater with high sulfide content. Because C44300 is not as resistant to erosion corrosion as aluminum brass (C68700) and copper-nickel alloy (C71500/C70600) in seawater with high flow rate and high sand content, its surface protective film is more easily damaged. At the same time, it is difficult to maintain good strength in a working environment containing ammonia or amines, such as the air cooling area of a power plant, and stress corrosion cracking is very likely to occur.