Stainless Steel Coil Tube — Spiral Wound Heat Exchange Coil
Product Overview
The Stainless Steel Coil Tube (Spiral Wound Coil) is a precision-engineered heat exchange component manufactured by Wenzhou Jixing Metal Materials Co., Ltd. This product is specifically designed for integration into agitated vessels, reactors, and process equipment where efficient heat transfer is critical. The coil tube serves as an internal heat transfer surface, enabling precise temperature control within stirred tank reactors (STRs) and batch processing systems.
Based on advanced hydrodynamic research — particularly studies on the influence of double-layer improved Inter-Mig impellers on flow field performance within stirred tanks equipped with internal coil tubes — this product is optimized for applications requiring uniform thermal distribution, enhanced mixing efficiency, and minimal dead zones in complex multiphase flow environments.
Material & Properties
The coil tube is fabricated from high-grade austenitic stainless steel, ensuring superior corrosion resistance, mechanical strength, and thermal conductivity suitable for demanding industrial and pharmaceutical applications.
- Material Grades: AISI 304, AISI 316, AISI 316L, AISI 321, and custom duplex stainless steel options
- Corrosion Resistance: Excellent resistance to acids, alkalis, chlorides, and organic solvents
- Temperature Range: Operating temperatures from −196°C to +870°C (depending on grade)
- Mechanical Strength: Tensile strength ≥ 520 MPa (304 grade); ≥ 485 MPa (316L grade)
- Thermal Conductivity: 14.9–16.3 W/(m·K) at 20°C
- Surface Finish: Polished (Ra ≤ 0.4 μm), electropolished (Ra ≤ 0.25 μm), or sanitary-grade (Ra ≤ 0.15 μm)
- Hygienic Compliance: Suitable for pharmaceutical, food, and bioprocessing applications (FDA/3-A compliant)
Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Outer Diameter (OD) | Φ12 mm – Φ50 mm (standard); custom sizes available |
| Wall Thickness | 0.5 mm – 3.0 mm |
| Coil Diameter | Φ100 mm – Φ2000 mm |
| Coil Length | Up to 100 m per coil (continuous production) |
| Number of Layers | 1 – 6 layers (multi-layer configurations available) |
| Inter-layer Spacing | Adjustable: 2 mm – 20 mm |
| End Connections | TIG welded flanges, threaded fittings, or sanitary tri-clamp connections |
| Pressure Rating | Up to 1.6 MPa (standard); up to 4.0 MPa (reinforced) |
| Winding Pitch | Customizable: 1.0×OD to 3.0×OD |
| Tolerance on Dimensions | ±0.1 mm (diameter); ±1.0 mm (length) |
| Heat Transfer Coefficient | U = 300 – 1200 W/(m²·K) depending on configuration and fluid properties |
Manufacturing Process
- Material Selection & Inspection: Raw stainless steel strip or tube is inspected for chemical composition (spectroscopic analysis), mechanical properties, and surface quality per ASTM A270 / EN 10217 standards.
- Cold Forming & Winding: Precision CNC-controlled spiral winding machines form the tube into the desired coil geometry with controlled tension and pitch, ensuring uniform inter-layer spacing and structural integrity.
- Welding & Joining: TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding is employed for end connections and layer-to-layer joins, utilizing argon shielding gas to prevent oxidation and ensure leak-tight integrity. Orbital TIG welding is available for automated, repeatable weld quality.
- Heat Treatment (if required): Solution annealing at 1050–1150°C followed by rapid water quenching to restore full austenitic structure and maximize corrosion resistance.
- Surface Finishing: Mechanical polishing, electrolytic polishing, or passivation treatment to achieve the required surface roughness and remove residual contaminants.
- Quality Control & Testing: Hydrostatic pressure testing (1.5× working pressure), dye penetrant inspection (DPI) for weld integrity, dimensional verification, and eddy current testing for wall thickness uniformity.
Applications
The Stainless Steel Coil Tube is widely deployed across multiple industries:
- Pharmaceutical Processing: Internal heat exchange in stirred tank reactors for temperature-sensitive synthesis, crystallization, and fermentation processes.
- Chemical Engineering: Jacketed and internal-coil reactors for exothermic/endothermic reactions requiring precise thermal management.
- Food & Beverage Industry: Pasteurization, sterilization, and heating/cooling of liquid products in hygienic processing vessels.
- Biotechnology: Bioreactors and fermenters where uniform temperature distribution is essential for cell viability and product quality.
- Oil & Gas: Heat exchangers and process coils in refining and petrochemical applications.
- Research & Development: Laboratory-scale reactors with internal coil heat exchangers for process intensification studies.
Key Performance Note: Research has demonstrated that the integration of internal coil tubes with advanced impeller designs (such as double-layer Inter-Mig impellers) significantly improves flow field uniformity within stirred tanks, reducing thermal gradients and enhancing heat transfer efficiency by up to 35% compared to conventional jacket-only configurations.
Unique Selling Points
- Enhanced Heat Transfer Surface Area: Multi-layer coil configurations provide 3–8× greater heat exchange area compared to vessel jackets alone.
- Improved Flow Distribution: Optimized coil geometry promotes uniform fluid circulation, eliminating thermal dead zones in stirred tanks.
- Customizability: Full design flexibility in coil diameter, number of layers, pitch, and connection types to match specific vessel geometry and process requirements.
- Hygienic Design: Available in sanitary-grade finish suitable for pharmaceutical and food-grade applications (EHEDG compliant).
- Research-Validated Performance: Backed by hydrodynamic studies on flow field optimization in agitated vessels with internal coil configurations.
Quality Certifications & Standards Compliance
- ISO 9001:2015 — Quality Management System
- ISO 14001:2015 — Environmental Management System
- ASME BPE — Bioprocessing Equipment standards (for pharmaceutical grade)
- ASTM A270 — Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Austenitic Stainless Steel Tubing
- EN 10217-7 — Stainless Steel Tubes for Heat Exchangers and Similar Applications
- GB/T 12771 — Chinese National Standard for Stainless Steel Seamless Tubes
- CE Marking — Compliance with European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC
- NSF/ANSI 61 — Drinking Water System Components (where applicable)
- Material Certificates: EN 10204 Type 3.1 mill test certificates provided with each shipment
Product Catalogue Reference: Item No. 598 — Stainless Steel Coil Tube (盘管/Coil Tube), Wenzhou Jixing Metal Materials Co., Ltd. Technical data based on hydrodynamic performance studies of internal coil configurations in agitated vessel systems.