Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Reactions related to Copper??

shahnaimath - 24-7-2011 at 23:52

Dear all,
We have swimming pool heaters, which have heat exchangers made up of copper which are frequently damaged due to either salt present excessively or chlorine present excessively in the pool.

I need equations related to both the issues,

Can any one here give me reactions of hot Copper with salt water and chlorinated water.

White Yeti - 25-7-2011 at 10:35

Mind giving a little more info on what kind of corrosion is taking place?
Are you getting copper carbonate formation?
Is the copper reacting with oxygen to form CuO that washes away when water is pumped through the pipes?
Are you using ethylene glycol as a heat transfer fluid?
Are you getting pitting corrosion?

excuse me for answering a question with a question.

Mr. Wizard - 25-7-2011 at 15:45

The very first thing I would suspect is electrolysis. Check to make sure the copper is not some part of a return or grounding connection with other electrical components. Make sure you use dielectric connectors when connecting this system to other piping. This is a known problem with water heaters.

Mr. Wizard - 26-7-2011 at 12:57

Further thoughts on corrosion problem:
Where is the corrosion? Is it inside the pipe or outside? Is it near one end of the heat exchanger? The location of the corrosion will point to it's cause. Perhaps a sacrificial anode like used on boats or pipelines would help. They are cheap and safe. There is also an electronic version of the anode.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrificial_anode