ALLOY ACID TOWERS
Galiakotwala Engineering has successfully supplied more than 25+ Sulphuric Acid towers worldwide, including 12 with a diameter greater than 7000 mm. Our alloy acid towers built onsite have been installed and started up in less than 7 days.
Acid towers in Sulphuric Acid Plants have historically been MS brick-lined. The acid-proof brick-lining protects the MS shell from corrosion caused by Sulphuric Acid. The advent of corrosion-resistant alloy steels over the last few decades has introduced a new and advanced solution for Acid Towers and their internals, namely complete Acid Towers in Alloy.
Alloy Towers do not require brick-lining, as the base alloy itself exhibits very low corrosion in Sulphuric Acid. These towers are lighter, fully weldable, and can be partially or fully fabricated in a workshop before being brought to the site, significantly reducing installation time. Tower internals such as Packing Support, Distributors, and other equipment can also be fabricated from corrosion-resistant alloy steel.
Many new modern Sulphuric Acid Plants across the world now successfully use Alloy Acid Towers.
Comparison of Brick-lined Acid Towers VS Alloy Acid Towers
Conventional MS Brick-lined Acid Towers
- MS requires chemical brick-lining, significantly increasing complexity and installation time.
- Towers require heavy structural support and a strong foundation.
- Brick joints are susceptible to leaks, which are extremely difficult to locate and repair.
- Brick arches are needed for tower packing support, reducing the available area for gas flow to ~30% and causing non-uniform gas distribution.
- Conventional internals used in Brick-lined Towers, such as Acid Distributors, generate acid sludge, increasing maintenance and reducing performance over time.
Alloy Acid Towers
- Can be pre-fabricated, requires no brick-lining, reducing complexity and installation time. Factory built Acid Towers have been installed and started up in less than 7 days.
- Low weight, easy to install, and requires lighter structural support and foundation.
- Long service life, typically 20+ years with minimal maintenance and downtime.
- No brick or mortar debris enters the system, preventing damage to the acid pump.
- Fully weldable design allows leaks to be quickly located and repaired, ensuring reliable operation.
- Improved gas flow by 80% pattern with Alloy Grid Support and Alloy Distributors.
- Alloy internals gives a clean and improved performance with low corrosion and low iron content.
Hybrid Acid Towers
- Alloy and Brick-lined Tower features can be integrated to create a durable, high-performance hybrid solution.
Features of Alloy Acid Towers & Alloy Internals
Alloy Packing Support
- Provides over 80% open area, ensuring optimal gas flow distribution through the packing.
- Complete pre-fabrication in workshop, which reduces installation time compared to brick arches, which must be constructed inside the Acid Tower.
- Suitable for installation in both Alloy and Brick-Lined Towers.
- Made from corrosion-resistant alloy, it offers a long service life and is easy to weld and repair.
Alloy Distributors
- 2–4 times more orifice points increase irrigation per unit area.
- Evenly spaced distribution points ensure uniform acid flow.
- Low corrosion in sulphuric acid maintains orifice diameter and performance.
- Prevents sludge buildup, improving tower cleanliness.
- Easy installation and maintenance.
- Low maintenance minimizes downtime.
Alloy Inlet Gas Nozzle
- A specialized gas nozzle can be supplied with a protection system to prevent damage to the original gas inlet. This ensures uninterrupted service from the Acid Tower.
Advanced Design
- Advanced analysis was conducted for the tower and piping, as required.
*Illustrations are for representation purposes only.
What Our Customers Say
“I am pleased to report that since installing the GEC BMW Type Candle Filter in our Interpass Absorption Tower (IPAT) at our Sulphuric Acid Plant in 2019, it has performed exceptionally well. We have not observed any acid condensate at the outlet of the IPAT, indicating the filter is effectively removing any impurities.”
Manager SAP Plant
Birla Copper
“We were facing mist carryover problems in the Drying Tower for a long time. We discussed the problem with the Galiakotwala Technical Services (GTS) Technical team.They studied the issue and gave the solution of an advanced Demister Pad of SX Wire Mesh for Drying Tower and solved this prolonged problem permanently.”
General Manager (Auxiliary),
Century Rayon
“Galiakotwala Engineering Company has provided us with the best solution in form of Alloy Piping to get rid of continued issues of leakage in conventional Sulphuric Acid Piping. After installation of the Alloy Piping, we observed zero leakage and significant cost savings due to reduced downtime. Since then we have changed most of our Acid Piping in both Sulphuric Acid Plants at Haldia with their low corrosion alloy.”
General Manager (Engineering),
Tata Chemicals Limited, Haldia
“We wanted to replace our old Brick-Lined Acid Towers with a newer technology due to difficulty in location and repair of leaks in these Acid Towers. GEC gave a solution of an complete Alloy Tower 7500 mm in diameter including all internals such as Distributor, Mist Eliminators, Packing and Support, etc. We are happy to note we have observed no corrosion in last 7 years and achieved 99.99% absorption efficiency.”
JSC Apatit,
Russia
“We were continuously facing excess mist generation and moisture carryover problems in FAT and DT with the conventional distributors. Galiakotwala Engineering Company (GEC) replaced conventional distributors with Alloy Distributors in 2004. Since then, there is no change in the thickness and deformation of hole sizes of the branch pipes of the distributor. We appreciate the quality of work and and the materials used by GEC even after 18 years of operation.”
Deputy General Manager (Mechanical),
Paradeep Phosphates Limited
“We are using your Vane Separators for the last 15 years and have never faced any issues in the performance or life of the equipment. We are thankful to the Galiakotwala team for designing the special type Vane Separators according to our requirement that continues to ensure our process operates.”
Sr. Manager (Mechanical),
TATA Steel
“In 1987, Galiakotwala Engineering Company (GEC) provided our first Shell and Tube Type Heat Etxchanger with the assurance of an advanced, efficient design and manufactured with a low-corrosion alloy that would extend its lifespan. Even after 30+ years of trouble-free operation, the Heat Exchangers are still functioning effectively. We are pleased to report that GEC adhered to their commitments.”
Vice President Technology
Dharamsi Morarji, Roha
