New technology for cracking tubes
Kubota has been supplying ethylene producers with high performance alloy since 1965. As alloy technology has progressed from HK through HP (35Ni/25Cr), and 45Ni/35Cr, Kubota has led the industry. Apart from alloy development, Kubota has also developed an innovative concept for cracking tubes which achieves lower tube metal temperatures and reduced coke formation compared to conventional tubes.
MERT
Kubota has named this new technology MERT (Mixing Element Radiant Tube). MERT is a centrifugally cast tube in Kubota's high quality alloy with a spiral mixing element on the inside surface. In 1996, the first MERT has been installed in a commercial ethylene cracking furnace. Since then, Slit-MERT and X-MERT have been developed. MERT series has been applied to over 300 furnaces through the world.
Read moreANK400
ANK400 is new anti-coking cracking tube product that achieves an inner surface chemistry with a demonstrated ability to significantly reduce coking. NOVA chemicals, Canada's largest ethylene producer, developed this proprietary technology using metallurgy from Kubota, who is now marketing ANK400 to the ethylene industry. ANK400 achieves unprecedented furnace run length.
Read moreNew alloy for catalyst reformer tubes
KHR MA7
Kubota has developed the KHR MA7 as economic alloy using microalloying technology which can reduce the Ni content with the same creep rupture strength as microalloyed KHR35CT (25Cr-35Ni-Nb,Ti). It is primarily used in reformer furnaces where its high strength can be used to reduce wall thickness and tube weight while increasing catalyst capacity.
Read moreAFT
AFT is next generation cracking tube having an uniform aluminum oxide film on the inside tube surface. The stable uniformed film has excellent oxidation resistance, carburization resistance and coking resistance. As the advantage of applying AFT, it is expected that tube life, run length, feed flow rate could be improved. AFT is now under commercial verification stage and it will be commercialized soon.
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