High-Efficiency Immersion Plate Heaters

Graphite Immersion Plate Heaters - more accurately called graphite immersion plate heat exchangers, are ideal for control pickling tank temperatures. Among the benefits in pickling tank application are corrosion resistance, durability, efficiency, and reparability.

Corrosion Resistance - Graphite Immersion Plate Heaters are typically sold with Impreg-Tite™ graphite to reduce porosity and improve chemical compatibility. The Impreg-Tite™ process includes the use of an industrial vacuum autoclave to ensure deep even penetration of the phenolic resin into the graphite matrix. The resulting Impreg-Tite™ material is impervious to a wide range of chemistry.

Efficiency - Graphite is an excellent conductor of heat and can be formed to maximize surface area by machining "fins" along the length of the plate. The main benefit of an efficient heater is it's compact size. Smaller heat exchangers displace less material and require less space in the pickling tank.

Durability - Unlike fluoropolymer heat exchangers that are composed of coils of tubing, the graphite immersion plate heat exchanger is unlikely to be harmed in the process tank. Due to the poor thermal conductivity of the fluoropolymer, very long lengths of tubing are required. The longer the coil, the more opportunity for the relatively weak tubing to be pierced in the pickling tank.  

Reparability - Impreg-Tite™ Immersion Plate Heater's sturdy construction also provides the basis for repair-ability. Most damage tends to be localized to the base of the unit or the steam connection and can easily be repaired at Active Chemical Systems facility in Ohio.