Alfa Laval Makes Titanium Plates With 25% Recycled Content
The heat exchanger maker raised recycled titanium content from 10% to 25% in plates produced at its Jiangyin, China, facility.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Materials Science
Alfa Laval has manufactured titanium plates containing 25% recycled content for its gasketed plate heat exchangers, up from 10%. The development took place at the company's Jiangyin, China, manufacturing facility in collaboration with a major titanium supplier.
Why it matters
Titanium is widely used in heat exchangers because of its strong corrosion resistance, and recycled content reduces emissions tied to energy-intensive primary titanium production. The initial production run is small-scale and is not expected to materially affect global titanium supply or prices.
The recycled content share rose from 10% to 25% in titanium plates, though the source does not quantify the emissions reduction or the size of the initial production batch.
The players
Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval is a Swedish engineering company that manufactures heat transfer, separation and fluid handling equipment for industrial markets worldwide.
Carina Resare
Carina Resare is Head of R&D for the Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers business unit at Alfa Laval, overseeing product development in that line.
Madeleine Gilborne
Madeleine Gilborne is President of the Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers business unit at Alfa Laval, leading its commercial and operational strategy.
The details
Alfa Laval worked with a major titanium supplier to set up a recycling process that captures manufacturing waste, remelts it and reuses it in new titanium plates. The company has so far produced only a small-scale batch, and heat exchangers using the plates will be delivered to customers in China.
Timeline
Article reporting the recycled titanium plate achievement was published on November 6, 2026.
Big Picture
Titanium plates in gasketed plate heat exchangers have long relied on primary titanium, whose production is energy-intensive, so this shift to recycled feedstock extends that established design toward lower-emission materials. Alfa Laval's move from 10% to 25% recycled content marks an incremental step rather than a change in the underlying plate technology.
Customers buying gasketed plate heat exchangers with these titanium plates will receive components with higher recycled content, starting with deliveries to China. The change does not alter the equipment's performance characteristics described in the source.
The takeaway
Increasing recycled content in industrial metals like titanium offers a practical path to lower emissions without changing the proven performance of existing equipment designs. Suppliers and buyers in heat exchanger markets should watch whether recycling loops can scale beyond small batches.
Further reading
For broader context on material innovations like this, explore our Materials Science coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Chemanalyst.
