(44o) A Comparative Study of Anti-Fouling Characteristics Using Ni-P and Ni-P-Cu Coated Mild Steel

Heat exchangers are considered to be one the most commonly available industrial devices. Among its various types Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger are the widely popular ones. The reason can be contributed to its easy and very effective mode of application. The structural material for manufacturing heat exchangers are mild steel as its quite easily available and is capable of vast range of usage. However, industrial fouling and microbial attacks can degrade the material drastically. Electroless coating technique is a great way to minimize these problems. It increases the material product value in long run along with the aesthetic refinement. The present study focuses on the comparative analysis of anti-fouling nature using electroless Ni-P and Ni-P-Cu coated mild steel. The surface morphology and phase structure analysis has been carried forward from SEM, EDX and XRD results. The micro-hardness study along with the coating thickness has been analysed and reported. The anti-fouling study has been carried forward using Test rig experiment in lab scale. The results using both Ni-P and Ni-P-Cu has been recorded and compared in the given study. It forecast and optimize the sample that gives the most suitable result. The potential future scope for the current analysis can be attributed to the scaling up of the process into industrial scale heat exchangers. The process aims to benefit the researchers and industrialist of the current field.