ASME SB163 Alloy 201 / UNS N02201 Nickel Alloy Seamless Tube Heat Exchanger Tube

ASTM B163 Nickel 201 is the high-reliability, low-carbon workhorse for seamless tubing in corrosive and high-temperature heat exchange. Nickel 201 (UNS N02201). This is the low-carbon (<0.02% C) version of commercially pure nickel (Nickel 200/UNS N02200. Its successful application hinges as much on understanding its subtle metallurgical requirements and fabrication vulnerabilities as on its well-documented corrosion resistance.

Chemical Coposition % of ASTM B163 UNS N02201 Nickel Alloy Heat Exchanger Tube

• Excellent Corrosion Resistance: Resists corrosion by neutral/alkaline salts, caustic alkalis, dry halogen gases (especially fluorine & hydrogen fluoride), and food processing environments.

• High Thermal Conductivity: Good for heat transfer, but its real value is maintaining this conductivity in corrosive environments where copper or steel would fail.

• Ductility & Formability: Very ductile and malleable in the annealed condition, allowing for tube expansion, bending, and forming.

Comparison & Selection Rationale vs. Common Alternatives

Selection Driver: Choose Nickel 201 seamless tube when the primary needs are:

1) Metallurgical stability above 315°C,

2) Resistance to caustic or fluorine environments, and

3) Ultra-high product purity. It is a material chosen not for its strength, but for its predictable, durable inertness under specific, demanding conditions.

Application

Heat exchanger, condenser, and evaporator tubes in:

• Caustic (NaOH/KOH) production and handling.

• Synthetic fiber production (maintaining product purity).

• Nuclear fuel processing (UF₆ handling).

• Fluorochemical plants.

• High-purity hydrogen or organic chemical processes.