Detaclad® Zirconium Clad for
Chemical Process Equipment
ABOUT DETCLAD ® ZIRCONIUM CLAD PLATES Large shell & tube heat exchanger with zironium clad tubesheets
NobelClad uses its explosion welding process to manufacture Zirconium clad plates used for the production of reactors,
columns, heat exchangers, cooler-condensers, reboilers, distillation columns, storage tanks, tubesheets and related
chemical process equipment. Zirconium cladding is often used when corrosion properties are required that cannot be
achieved with other lower cost alloys for pressure vessels and heat exchangers in the production of:
• Acetic Acid (AcOH) • Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)
• Adipic Acid • Methacrylic Acid (MAA)
• Ammonium Nitrate (AN) • Methyl Methacrylate (MMA)
• Ammonium Carbamate • Propylene Oxide (PO)
• Azo Dyes • Nitric Acid (HNO3)
• Cellulosic Ethanol • Urea
Zirconium is a preferred material for highly corrosive chemical processes including hot, concentrated hydrochloric acid,
sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Amongst the reactive metals, Zirconium is unique in its ability to withstand host concentrated
alkalis and has been used in applications such as hot caustic as well as environments which alternate between acids and
alkalis.
ADVANTAGES OF DETACLAD ®
Explosion welding (EXW) is a cold welding process that maintains the corrosion properties of the clad materials. Zirconium
clad is not available via roll bonding or weld overlay. Commercially pure (CP) grades of Zirconium, including the Zr700 and
Zr702 grades can be clad to carbon steels, alloy steels, stainless steels, aluminum alloys, copper alloys, titanium alloys,
nickel alloys and other backing materials. Some combinations may require an interlayer. Advantages of Zirconium clad
plates include:
• Production of identical size plates for large projects as well as custom sized plates in small quantities for special needs.
• Optimally-sized Zirconium clad plates can be produced to minimize the amount of welding needed for large vessels.
• Use of pre-welded Zr700 sheets prior to cladding allows for plate sizes, i.e., up to 2.4m x 6m or larger, which are signifi-
cantly larger than Zr-clad plates commercially available elsewhere and twice as large as those available for Zr702 clad,
i.e., up to 2.4m x 3m.
• Plates can be clad on both sides with Zirconium when there is a need for inside and outside corrosion protection.
• Single piece or segmentally formed heads of clad zirconium can be produced by NobelClad and its partner companies.
• Multi-layer clad plates can be produced for transitioning from Zirconium to other alloys.
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Specifying Zirconium Cladding for
Chemical Process Equipment
Although Zirconium cladding is often specified using the least restrictive criteria in ASTM B898, higher levels of clad quality
are often needed for many types of chemical process equipment . NobelClad’s Zirconium clad plates are commonly provid-
ed in two configurations:
• Zr700 direct clad to base metal (2-layer) : generally the most economical option allowing for the largest plate sizes and
the shortest lead time
• Zr702 clad to base metal with a Titanium Grade 1 interlayer (3-layer): for equipment that requires > 9.5mm (3/8”) thick
zirconium cladding, e.g., heat exchanger tubesheets
The following requirements should be specified to ensure the explosion bonded Zirconium plates have high bond strength
and excellent bond quality so that forming and rolling processes can be performed without the danger of disbonding:
• Bond Shear Strength: A minimum shear strength of 140 MPa (20 ksi), or higher shall be verified after all clad processing
is completed, including a simulated post weld heat treatment (SPWHT).
• Ultrasonic Testing (UT): A 100% scan of all plates shall be performed according to Class A criteria in ASTM B898
• Clad Layer Thickness: A 9-point thickness inspection shall be used to verify that minimum clad layer thickness has been
achieved on each plate. Clad thickness measurements shall be performed after all after final surface grinding/polishing
is completed.
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