Heads for Pressure Vessels

Heads are end caps for pressure vessels, used to close the ends of the shell and prevent leakage of contents. Heads come in various shapes, including hemispherical, elliptical, dished, or flat, with the specific shape depending on the design pressure and application. Heads are manufactured using cold stamping, hot spinning, or segmented forming processes. Hot forming is often used for thick plates or high-strength materials.

The material selection for heads depends on the operating environment (e.g., temperature, pressure, corrosiveness). Common materials include:

• Carbon Steel: Such as ASTM A516 Gr.70, suitable for medium and low temperature and non-corrosive environments, with lower cost.
• Low Alloy Steel: Such as ASTM A387 Gr.5 Cl.1 (chromium-molybdenum steel), used in high temperature and high pressure environments, such as petroleum refining.
• Stainless Steel: Such as 304/316 stainless steel, corrosion-resistant, suitable for the chemical and food industries.
• Nickel-based Alloys: Such as Inconel or Hastelloy, suitable for extreme corrosive environments, such as acid gas treatment.
• Titanium Alloys: Used in highly corrosive environments, such as seawater or acidic solutions, commonly used in marine engineering.
• Composite Materials: Such as carbon fiber reinforced composite materials, used for lightweight pressure vessels, such as aerospace.