Case Study #6: Metal-Free Cooling of Semiconductor-Grade Phosphoric Acid
Initial situation
The demand for high-purity phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) is rapidly growing in the production of semiconductors, display technologies, and photovoltaic cells. This acid is particularly essential for manufacturing 3D V-NAND flash memory.
To meet purity requirements, all equipment in contact with the acid during production must be completely metal-free. After purification, the acid must be cooled efficiently yet previously used coiled PTFE heat exchangers proved unreliable. Their geometry limited heat transfer performance, and the fabrication method led to frequent leaks.
Challenge
The goal was to cool 700,000 kg/h of high-purity phosphoric acid using a metal-free, leak-proof, and efficient heat exchanger system, suitable for corrosive and ultra-clean chemical environments.
Solution
Calorplast delivered a PE-RT immersion-type heat exchanger, specially designed for installation inside tanks. Unlike traditional coiled designs, Calorplast uses an overmolding manufacturing process to align tubes in a precise, parallel, and compact configuration, dramatically improving heat transfer efficiency and structural reliability.
Cooling water circulates outside the heat exchanger, surrounding the aligned tubes to efficiently remove heat from the acid without contamination or performance loss.
Result
The system now runs reliably and efficiently, providing metal-free, maintenance-friendly cooling of high-purity phosphoric acid. With no leaks, improved thermal performance, and full chemical resistance, Calorplast’s design meets the strict standards required in advanced electronics manufacturing.
