TPI July 2012

products & developments

Rest results confirm corrosion- free aluminium tubes

with different electrical potential – and then moisture is added to the mix.

The solution is to keep the moisture away, and there will be no corrosion. This is achieved by covering the finished connection with a heat-shrink sleeve. Hydro has responded to this issue by extensively testing the solution, exposing the materials and connections to more than 1,000 hours of sea water acetic acid testing (SWAAT) at its in-house laboratory in Norway. The tubes utilised the HyLife aluminium alloy that the company developed for HVAC applications. The results of the testing were positive, with the aluminium tubes for connecting line applications exhibiting high corrosion resistance. The test results and conclusions are available on Hydro’s precision tubing website: www.hydro.com/en/Subsites/Hydro- Aluminium-Precision-Tubing/HVACR/ In addition, Hydro and other industry segment companies have produced comprehensive material to guide the installation of aluminium tubes in line sets. These measures ensure trouble- free and maintenance-free connection of the tubes to heat exchangers and compressors. Hydro guarantees the tubes when the installation guidelines are followed. Traditional users of copper tubes are increasingly turning to aluminium because of the high relative price of copper. Copper prices are expected to remain high, with an ever-widening gap to aluminium. Air-conditioning line set manufacturers have been replacing copper with aluminium at a steady pace, similar to other heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration segments. As an example, original equipment manufacturers in the residential air- conditioning segment are using aluminium tubes in the actual heat exchangers – replacing copper. Aluminium had previously been used as fin material only. Using similar materials with the same electrical potential means the fins are no longer sacrificial, and the design no longer contains a built-in loss of performance.

Customers from different parts of the world have voiced concerns about gal- vanic corrosion in their units. Corrosion is an issue, particularly in hot and humid climates, when aluminium tubes are used together with conventional brass flare nut connections – two materials

After having concluded extensive testing of its tailored aluminium connecting tubes for line sets, Hydro guarantees that its newly developed HyLife TM HVAC line will last longer than the lifetime of the individual air-conditioning unit, with no maintenance and no corrosion.

HIGH PRESSURE FITTINGS Forged-Carbon-Alloy-Stainless Steel, Threaded and Socket Weld PRODUCTS: 90°/45° elbow, tee, union, coupling, bushing, plug, cap, insert, pipe nipple & swage nipple . . .etc. MATERIALS: -Stainless Steel: ASTM A182, F304/304L, F316/316L, F304H/F316H, F317L -Carbon Steel: ASTM A105, SF440A & A181, A350 LF2 -Alloy Steel: ASTM A182 F11, F22 PRESSURE RATINGS: 2000, 3000, 6000 & 9000 lbs APPROVAL CERTIFICATES: ISO-9001 Quality Assurance, L/R, C/R, N/K & ABS register of shipping, PED (CE)

Manufacturer & Exporter BOTH-WELL STEEL FITTINGS CO., LTD. No. 303, JEN-HSIN ROAD JEN-WU DISTRICT KAOHSIUNG CITY, TAIWAN R.O.C. (81460) Tel: +886 7 3711536, 3710497, 3720260 Fax: +886 7 3713864, 3713882 E-mail: box@ bothwell.com.tw http://www.bothwell.com.tw

Hydro Aluminium Precision Tubing Tønder as – Denmark www.hydro-aluminium-tube.com

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Tube Products International July 2012

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