Kobe Steel Limited has created two commercially pure titanium sheets for use in plate heat exchangers. The company intends to begin marketing pre coated titanium sheet and high heat transfer titanium sheet from October 2011. This marks the first time that high performance commercially pure titanium sheet has been successfully commercialized for use in plate heat exchangers. Not only do Kobe Steel’s high performance titanium sheets increase the performance of plate heat exchangers, they also contribute to the environment and to resource savings. Kobe Steel plans to market the new sheet products to manufacturers of plate heat exchangers for use in ships and factories. In Japan, total shipments of titanium mill products amounted to 15,610tns in fiscal 2010, ending March 2011. Around 20% of this amount, or 3140tns, was used in plate heat exchangers. Approximately 75% of the sheet for plate heat exchangers is exported to overseas manufacturers. Kobe Steel’s organic pre coated titanium sheet improves press formability of the sheet for use in plate heat exchangers, allowing heat exchanger makers to increase productivity. Kobe Steel’s titanium sheet, with an acrylic resin pre coat, provides the same high formability during pressing operations as traditional lubricant-film coated sheet. But because no lubricant film is used, the new material eliminates the cost of removing the film and the disposal of the used film.
