Case study no. 6:
Phosphoric acid in semiconductor quality
Initial situation
Increasing quantities of semiconductor-grade phosphoric acid (H2PO4) are required for the production of semiconductors, displays and photovoltaics. This acid is particularly indispensable for the production of 3D V-NAND technology (flash memory).
To produce this high-purity acid, chemical plants are built whose equipment components that come into contact with the acid during the production process must be metal-free.
After the cleaning process, the phosphoric acid must be cooled. The previously used heat exchangers made of polytetrafluoroethylene pipes were not effective due to their coiled design and the manufacturing process also resulted in repeated leaks.
Task definition
Cooling of phosphoric acid – An effective, metal-free and reliable heat exchanger was sought for cooling 700,000 kg/h of high-purity phosphoric acid.
Solution
The phosphoric acid is fed through Calorplast PE-RT Immersion-Type heat exchangers, which are installed in tanks. Cooling of phosphoric acid – The cooling water flows through the tanks and flows around the heat exchangers from the outside. The heat exchanger tubes are not coiled, but are aligned in an orderly, parallel and compact manner thanks to our “overmolding” manufacturing process.
Result
Running? Check!
