SS410 Plug alternative 1

[LanceM]

Hello!

Our company have a tube exchanger due for plugging. The tube material is SS410 hence an SS410 plug is recommended. However, we currently do not have a SS410 material to make the plugs. Also, since tube side pressure is higher than the shell side, the plug must be welded into the tube.

What alternative materials can we use? Someone recommended SS316 however I'm not familiar with the possible corrosion effects on using dissimilar material for tube and plug.

 

[metengr]

If you can't obtain 410 stainless steel plug material, you can look at 403 or even 405 stainless steel plug material. I have seen either used as mechanical/seal welded plugs in tube heat exchangers. Given the limited information, I would not recommend an austenitic stainless steel plug material because of corrosion concerns and linear coefficient of expansion differences.