The chlor-alkali industry, a chemical industry with a history of hundreds of years, mainly produces chlorine and caustic soda by electrolyzing salt aqueous solution. In this field, the application of titanium and titanium alloys can be described as pivotal. From early attempts to today's wide application, titanium has played an irreplaceable role in the chlor-alkali industry.
In the process of chlor-alkali production, titanium equipment has a wide range of applications, including metal anode electrolyzer, ion membrane electrolyzer, tubular wet chlorine cooler and many other key equipment. Especially in the United States, titanium accounts for more than half of the heat exchangers used for chlorine production, and all new heat exchangers are made of titanium. This is enough to prove the important position of titanium in the chlor-alkali industry.
Process of chlor-alkali production
The production process of chlor-alkali has undergone many changes, and the application of titanium equipment and titanium tubes has also been continuously developed. Titanium plays a key role in many aspects such as anodic fluid circulation system, dilute brine system and dechlorination system. At the same time, titanium pumps are also widely used in the transport of refined brine, anode circulation liquid and other media. The amount of titanium used in a 10,000-ton device reaches about 8 tons, which shows the large demand for titanium in the chlor-alkali industry.
Titanium has a number of specific application scenarios in the chlor-alkali industry, mainly including:
Electrolytic cell: such as metal anode electrolytic cell and ion membrane electrolytic cell, is the core equipment in the chlor-alkali industry, used for electrolyzing salt water to generate chlorine gas and caustic soda. Titanium is widely used in the manufacture of these devices because of its excellent corrosion resistance.
Cooling equipment: such as tubular wet chlorine coolers, used to cool the wet hot chlorine gas generated during the electrolysis process, so that it can be further processed and utilized. Titanium shows excellent corrosion resistance in high temperature wet chlorine environment and is the ideal material for manufacturing such coolers.
Preheating and heating equipment: such as refined brine preheaters, used to increase the temperature of brine entering the electrolytic cell to improve the efficiency of electrolysis. The application of titanium in these devices ensures the stable transmission of the medium at high temperatures, while extending the service life of the equipment.
Dechlorination system: Equipment such as dechlorination towers are used to treat chlorine-containing wastewater or gases to reduce environmental pollution. Titanium has been widely used in dechlorination system because of its good corrosion resistance and stability.
Transport system: Titanium pumps and titanium valves and other equipment are used to transport refined brine, anode circulation liquid and other media. The corrosion resistance of titanium ensures the safety and stability of the medium during transportation, while improving the overall performance of the system.
Other auxiliary equipment： such as chlor-alkali cooling scrubber, also plays an important role in the chlor-alkali industry. The manufacture of these devices is also inseparable from the support of titanium.
The advantages of titanium in the chlor-alkali industry are also significant. Especially in the cooling process of wet and hot chlorine gas, titanium materials show very high corrosion resistance. The experimental data show that the annual corrosion of titanium in the environment of high temperature wet chlorine gas is only 0.0025mm, which is far lower than other materials. Therefore, the use of titanium coolers can not only shorten the cooling and drying process, reduce the loss of chlorine gas, but also reduce environmental pollution, creating favorable conditions for the stable operation of compressed gas and achieving a high degree of drying.
The application of titanium materials in chlor-alkali industry in China has also achieved remarkable results. From the birth of China's first titanium cooler in 1965 to the wide application of hundreds of titanium tube coolers today, the contribution of titanium in the chlor-alkali industry continues to highlight.
To sum up, the application of titanium and titanium alloys in the chlor-alkali industry is not only extensive but also has significant advantages, covering almost every link of chlor-alkali production. Its excellent corrosion resistance, stability and processing properties make titanium an indispensable material in the chlor-alkali industry. With the continuous development of chlor-alkali industry, the application prospects of titanium materials will also be broader.
