Aluminum vs Copper Diesel Generator Radiators Which Lasts Longer

We all know that aluminum radiators have lower costs, but their thermal conductivity is not as good as that of copper radiators. Therefore, many diesel generator sets on the market use aluminum radiator materials. Will the low melting point of aluminum diesel generator radiators affect their service life? Which one has a longer service life?

The melting point of aluminum is 660.4°C, and that of copper is 1084.4°C. However, diesel generator sets are equipped with overheat protection devices, so they will never reach such temperatures. On the contrary, high-temperature water plays a decisive role in the service life of diesel generator radiators.

The water used daily is not pure water; it contains various ions, especially high concentrations of chloride ions. When copper comes into contact with active ions in water, reaction products containing these active ions will be generated locally and react with water to form acids. Sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide in the air dissolve in water, which also reduces the local pH value. If these substances penetrate into copper, they will accelerate copper corrosion, causing pitting corrosion on copper radiators and copper hot water pipes.

Aluminum radiators cannot escape water erosion either. Chloride ions enter the protective film through the pores or defects on the aluminum surface, causing the colloidal dispersion of the protective film on the aluminum surface. The aluminum oxide protective film becomes hydrated, forming hydrated oxides, which reduces the protective effect. In addition, sulfur dioxide in the air is absorbed by the water film on the aluminum surface, dissolving to form H₂SO₃ and reacting with oxygen to form H₂SO₄, which corrodes the aluminum surface. During this cycle, aluminum corrosion is more severe. Since the corrosion potential of aluminum is much higher than that of copper, when aluminum comes into contact with other metals under the action of electrolytes such as water, aluminum acts as the anode in the galvanic couple, resulting in a faster corrosion rate of aluminum. Therefore, the service life of aluminum radiators is still not as long as that of copper radiators. Therefore, users should choose radiators carefully when using them.

Guangxi Dingbo Generator Set Manufacturing Co.,Ltd. was founded in 1974 and is one of the earliest manufacturers of generators and diesel generator sets in China. The company has a registered capital of 218.88 million yuan. The company covers an area of 86,000 square meters and a building area of 55,000 square meters. There are more than 660 employees, including 456 professional technicians and 106 senior technicians. It has 46 sales and service outlets nationwide. The main products are diesel engines, generator sets, and diesel generators, providing users with a one-stop service of design, supply, debugging and maintenance at any time. Dingbo has always insisted on using first-class talents, building first-class enterprises, manufacturing first-class products, creating first-class services, and making every effort to build a first-class domestic enterprise. If any question please feel free to visit our website https://www.dieselgeneratortech.com/ or send email to [email protected].