What benefits do Titanium Plates offer in terms of installation and operation? Lightweight titanium plates are a practical solution to installation and operational challenges. In chemical workshops, the biggest headache when installing 30-metre-long acid delivery pipelines is the weight of the steel. Six-metre-long stainless steel pipes require four people to carry them and temporary supports need to be built, with a maximum installation of 20 metres per day. However, when these are replaced with pipelines made from lightweight titanium plates, two people can easily move them, doubling the installation efficiency. Furthermore, when used for the shell of reactor vessels installed on the second floor, lightweight titanium plates eliminate the need for additional reinforcement of load-bearing beams, saving considerable renovation effort.
The 'lightness' of these plates is a real advantage, with a density of only 4.5 g/cm³, which is less than 60% of that of stainless steel. For example, the shell of an ethyl acetate reactor in a pesticide factory, with a diameter of 3 metres and a height of 8 metres, was previously made of 10 mm-thick 316L stainless steel, weighing nearly 5 tonnes and requiring a 20-tonne crane for hoisting. However, after replacing it with 8 mm-thick GR2 lightweight titanium plates , the total weight was reduced to 3.2 tonnes, which could be handled by a 16-tonne crane. This saved more than 3,000 yuan in hoisting costs alone. Furthermore, titanium plates are strong enough; 8 mm-thick GR2 titanium plates can achieve a tensile strength of over 500 MPa. This makes them more durable than 8 mm-thick stainless steel and they can fully withstand the 1.2 MPa working pressure inside the reactor.
The advantages of lightweight titanium plates are particularly evident in pipeline welding. Lao Li, a welder in the workshop, said that when welding stainless steel pipelines, heavy pipe walls make it necessary to use fixtures, and welding deformation is easily caused. However, when welding titanium plate pipelines, a simple bracket is enough to support them. Additionally, titanium plates conduct heat slowly, resulting in a small heat-affected zone during welding and eliminating the need for frequent shape correction. For the sulphuric acid delivery pipeline in a dye factory, which is made from 6 mm-thick GR2 lightweight titanium plates, the welding time for each joint is 20 minutes shorter than for stainless steel. For a 100-metre pipeline, construction time is reduced by three days.
Lightweight titanium plates are also suitable for the internal components of reactor vessels. In the synthetic ammonia reactor of a fertiliser factory, for example, the internal distributor is made of 3 mm-thick GR2 titanium plates, which are half the weight of a stainless steel distributor. During installation, there is no need to remove the reactor top cover; it can be inserted through the manhole, saving many working hours. Furthermore, titanium plates are corrosion-resistant. The distributor has been in long-term contact with high-temperature liquid ammonia and has not experienced corrosion perforation after four years of use, which is more than twice the service life of the previous stainless steel distributor.
If you are planning to replace pipelines or renovate reactors at your chemical plant, you may wish to consider using lightweight titanium plates for your chemical pipelines and reactor vessels. They can practically solve problems by reducing installation burdens, lowering load-bearing renovation costs, and reducing later maintenance issues. Contact us now and provide details of your pipeline diameter, reactor size and medium parameters, and we will customise a suitable lightweight titanium plate solution to make your equipment installation process more straightforward and ensure stable operation.
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