Copper alloys find extensive use in refineries and power plants in the form of tubes and sheets for condensers and heat exchangers, primarily because of their excellent corrosion resistance and their freedom from the formation of voluminous corrosion products even under corrosive conditions. The properties of some of the standard metals employed in heat exchangers and condensers are shown in Table I. The values in Table I should be considered as averages, and variations in properties, due to manufacturing variables, must be expected.
Since the principal use of copper alloys in oil refineries is for tubes and sheets in heat exchangers and condensers, a large part of this discussion will be concerned with the several types of tube failure that may occur and steps to be taken to eliminate or minimize such failures. It is not entirely surprising that oil refineries should encounter all types of corrosion because cooling...
