Failure case study on porous block impregnated graphite heat exchanger

Phenolic impregnated graphite is a new kind of material with higher corrosion resistance and thermal conductivity. In the chemical industry, it is often used to make containers and pipes containing strong acid and alkali medium. In this paper, a failure case of graphite heat exchanger in a chemical enterprise in Shanghai was studied. The failure reason of the graphite block was tested by means of three-dimensional observation, thermogravimetry and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the particle fineness of graphite block and the operating conditions of the graphite heat exchanger are the main reasons for the failure of the graphite heat exchanger. At last, some suggestions are put forward for the safe use of this kind of graphite heat exchanger.