Condenser Tube Materials for Seawater Service

The results of a series of investigations to assess the performance of a variety of alloys in small experimental condenser configurations at seawater velocities of 10 to 20 fps are summarized. They demonstrate that the addition of 1 percent aluminum increases the maximum velocity limits of copper-nickel alloys to 12–15 fps. Stainless steels, nickel alloys, and titanium are satisfactory for use at velocities of 20 fps, but many of these would be susceptible to pitting and/or crevice corrosion under stagnant conditions.