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Engineered to withstand high pressure and extreme salinity in multi-stage flash, multiple-effect distillation, and reverse osmosis plants.
As global freshwater scarcity intensifies, industrial desalination plants have transitioned from localized, niche solutions to vital components of municipal and industrial water infrastructure worldwide. Modern desalination facilities—primarily categorized into Thermal Desalination (such as Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) and Multiple Effect Distillation (MED)) and Membrane Desalination (Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO))—require immense capital investments and are engineered for operational spans exceeding 30 years. In these aggressive marine environments, the durability of heat exchangers, condenser tubes, and high-pressure piping networks directly dictates a plant's profitability, energy efficiency, and operational uptime.
Historically, copper-nickel alloys (such as 90/10 and 70/30 Cu-Ni) and high-alloy stainless steels were the industry standards. However, these materials frequently suffered from localized pitting, crevice corrosion, and erosion-corrosion under the high flow velocities and elevated temperatures typical of modern facilities. Today, the industrial status has shifted decisively toward titanium. Known for its virtually indestructible passive oxide layer, titanium offers near-zero corrosion rates in seawater, enabling engineers to eliminate corrosion allowances from design calculations. This shift has dramatically lowered the total lifecycle cost (LCC) of desalination plants, offsetting the higher initial capital expenditure (CAPEX) with substantial operational savings (OPEX) and zero unplanned maintenance shutdowns.
Titanium's self-healing oxide film provides absolute immunity to localized pitting and crevice corrosion in hot brine solutions.
Thin-walled titanium tubes (down to 0.4mm) maximize thermal conductivity while maintaining high structural resistance.
Eliminates the need for frequent retubing, significantly reducing long-term OPEX and plant downtime.
Choosing the correct titanium tube grade is a critical engineering decision that balances mechanical requirements, environmental severity, and cost. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) defines several grades of titanium, each tailored to specific industrial stress profiles:
Our manufacturing facility, spanning over 2,000 square meters, is strategically located in Suzhou, China, near Shanghai. Since its establishment in 2013, Rewell Titanium has quickly made a name for itself in the industry. This success is deeply rooted in the extensive experience and insightful leadership of our chairman, who has spent nearly 30 years in the non-ferrous metals sector.
With a keen understanding of market demands and an unwavering commitment to product quality, we continuously optimize our production processes and invest in state-of-the-art equipment to ensure every product meets industry-leading standards. In addition to offering standardized products, we provide customized solutions tailored to meet our clients' specific operational needs, even in the most challenging environments.
The operational environment of a desalination facility varies wildly from the intake screens to the discharge channels. Titanium tubes are deployed across multiple critical stages, each demanding distinct performance profiles:
In thermal desalination, seawater is heated to boiling point and evaporated sequentially. The vapor is then condensed on the outer surfaces of horizontally or vertically arranged tubes cooled by incoming seawater. These condenser tubes must endure high thermal stress, constant exposure to turbulent, oxygenated seawater, and potential erosion from non-condensable gases. Titanium Grade 2 tubes, with their high resistance to erosion-corrosion, allow for cooling water velocities up to 4 m/s (compared to only 2 m/s for copper-nickel), dramatically increasing heat transfer efficiency and reducing the required heat exchange surface area.
Brine heaters represent the hottest and most corrosive zone in a thermal desalination plant, where seawater temperatures can reach up to 120°C. In this range, localized crevice corrosion under scaling deposits is a major threat. Under these extreme conditions, Grade 7 or Grade 12 titanium tubes are specified. The addition of palladium (Grade 7) or molybdenum-nickel (Grade 12) shifts the corrosion potential of the alloy, ensuring the passive film remains stable even under acidic deposit conditions, preventing catastrophic tube wall perforation.
In SWRO plants, high-pressure pumps force seawater through semi-permeable membranes at pressures ranging from 55 to 80 bar. The piping networks connecting these pumps to the membrane vessels must withstand high mechanical stresses alongside the corrosive seawater feed. Grade 9 seamless titanium tubes provide the high yield strength required to handle these pressures safely, preventing pipeline ruptures while offering complete resistance to the high-velocity flow that would erode standard duplex stainless steels over time.
At Rewell Titanium, our core belief is: “Helping every customer achieve success.” We firmly understand that our customers’ success is the driving force behind our own growth. Therefore, we go beyond providing exceptional products by offering comprehensive technical support and after-sales service. Our dedicated team works closely with clients to address challenges, optimize applications, and maximize performance.
Through collaboration and innovation, we take pride in witnessing our clients’ growth and achievements. We believe that delivering superior products enhances our clients’ competitiveness, and in turn, their success leads to further cooperation. This mutually beneficial relationship forms the foundation of our business and is the reason why so many customers continue to choose Rewell Titanium.
Rewell Titanium is ISO 9001:2015 certified, and every product batch is accompanied by inspection reports issued by certified testing agencies, ensuring the highest standards of quality and performance. Our rigorous quality control system covers every stage of production, from raw material procurement to final delivery, guaranteeing that our products consistently meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.
The global desalination market is experiencing rapid technological evolution, driven by the need for decarbonization and increased energy efficiency. Several key trends are shaping the future demand for titanium tubing:
Due to lower energy consumption compared to thermal methods, SWRO is rapidly becoming the dominant technology for new installations. These mega-scale facilities require larger pipe diameters and higher operating pressures to achieve economies of scale. This trend is driving the demand for high-strength titanium grades, such as Grade 9, which allow for structural weight savings and reduce the mechanical load on pipe support structures.
Next-generation desalination plants are increasingly powered by variable renewable energy sources. This operational variability results in frequent start-stops and pressure fluctuations within the piping systems. Titanium’s excellent fatigue strength and resistance to cyclic stress corrosion cracking make it the ideal material to withstand these dynamic operational profiles without risk of premature structural failure.
To reduce initial CAPEX while maintaining the benefits of titanium, the industry is shifting from seamless tubing to high-quality welded titanium tubes for low-pressure heat exchangers. Advanced welding techniques, combined with 100% inline eddy current testing, ensure that welded titanium tubes offer the same reliability as seamless options at a significantly lower cost point, making titanium more accessible for budget-constrained public water projects.
Explore our full range of high-performance seamless tubes, nickel alloy pipes, and titanium bars manufactured to ASTM/ASME standards.
