Bare stainless in seawater or cooling water grows biofilm, and the plant fights it with chlorine or biocide. A smooth, non-stick cladding prevents the biofilm, so the plant needs less chemical. The result is both less fouling and a lower chemical bill.
The glass-fiber composite is smooth and non-absorbent. The pre-treated film does not hold nutrients. Material-selection service specifies the smooth-clad heater. At each outage, the surface is rinsed. Procurement notes the reduced dose.
The result is a cleaner heater and a lower chemical cost. The smooth surface also resists the local chemistry the bacteria produce.
Plants that measured the biocide dose before and after cladding report a reduction. The result is a heater that does not need constant dosing, because the non-stick surface gives the bacteria no place to grip.
Bare stainless in cooling water or seawater grows biofilm, and the plant spends a surprising amount fighting it: chlorine feed, biocide dosing, and periodic cleaning. A smooth, non-stick cladding attacks this from the other direction. Because the PTFE surface gives bacteria no place to grip, the slime washes off in normal flow, and the plant does not need to dose as hard. The glass-fiber composite is smooth and non-absorbent, so it does not hold nutrients that feed the biofilm, and the pre-treated film seals the 316 away from the sulfides the bacteria produce. Material-selection service specifies the smooth-clad heater for water services known to foul. At each outage, the surface is simply rinsed rather than scrubbed. Procurement notes the reduced chemical dose, because the lower biocide bill is part of the business case. The smooth surface also resists the local chemistry the bacteria excrete. Plants that measured the biocide dose before and after cladding report a clear reduction, alongside a cleaner tube and better heat transfer. The result is a heater that does not need constant dosing, because the non-stick surface gives the bacteria no place to establish, and the plant saves both chemicals and cleaning labor.
Procurement notes the reduced biocide bill as part of the business case. At each outage, the surface is rinsed rather than scrubbed. The non-absorbent film does not hold nutrients. Plants that measured the dose before and after cladding found a clear reduction. The result is a heater that needs less dosing, because the smooth surface gives the bacteria nothing to grip, and the plant saves chemicals and cleaning labor.
The smooth surface also resists the sulfides the bacteria excrete. At each outage, the surface is inspected. The result is a heater that stays clean, because the non-stick film prevents the biofilm and the plant spends less on chemicals.
The economic comparison is straightforward. Building purification to remove trace heavy metals costs far more than a liner and still leaves some residue. A smooth filled-PTFE liner physically prevents the ions from reaching the titanium. The glass-fiber filler is non-conductive, so no galvanic path forms. Procurement specifies the liner for contaminated or recycled brine rather than building treatment. Material-selection service identifies the plating risk. The liner also resists biofouling. The result is a heater that tolerates contaminated chemistry without a dosing plant.
