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    10 Boilers Troble 2

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    shushils476

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    10 Boilers Troble 2

    Uploaded by

    shushils476
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    0 views15 pages

    10 Boilers Troble 2

    Uploaded by

    shushils476

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 15

    Boiler’s Trouble-2

    (Foaming & Priming/Corrosion/Caustic Embrittlement)


    For 1st Year B Tech Students Of Engineering Chemistry
    Prof. Vivek Pandey
    Rajasthan Technical University Kota
    Rawatbhata Road, Akelgargh, Kota-324010
    Carry Over
    Steam formed in the boiler may be associated with small droplets of
    water. Such steam in called wet steam and small droplets of water
    naturally carries some suspended and dissolved impurities present in
    boiler water this phenomenon of carrying water by steam along with
    the impurities is called Carry Over. Problem of carry over in boiler is
    because of

    1) Foaming
    2) Priming
    Foam means the formation of stable bubbles, lather or froth at the water surface in boilers.
    Foam consists of a bubble of gas surrounded by a thin liquid film. In boilers foam consists of
    a steam bubble surrounded by a liquid film dispersed in boiler water.

    In case of pure boiler water, film formation is not possible so there is no foaming in such
    case. Generally boiler water is impure containing dissolved solids or suspended matter. The
    surface tension of water is changed which is increased by the presence of dissolved salts and
    gets decrease by presence of organic matters (oil and grease etc.). This change in surface
    tension result in the accumulation or depletion of solids in the interfacial layer as a result
    concentration of solid in the interfacial thin liquid film gets increased or decreased as
    compared with the concentration in the bulk of water and a problem of Foaming is observed
    in boilers. Bubbles or froth actually build up on the surface of the boiler water and pass out
    with the steam.
    Reason of Foam Formation in Boiler
    Foaming in a boiler may be because of the following:-
    1) Presence of too high concentrations of TDS.
    2) Presence of organic substances (oil, grease etc.)
    Foaming in boiler in not very detrimental if foam bubbles collapse or burst before reaching
    the surface of the boiler water. If foam bubbles are said to be stable and carried away
    along with the steam in the steam line, super heater, steam turbine or steam engine. It
    results some bad effects in these parts.

    Prevention of Foaming
    Chances of foaming can be overcome by:-
    1) Removing total dissolved salts and suspended matter that is
    responsible for the formation of foam or bubbles in boilers.
    2) Removing sludge forming salts which decrease the viscosity of
    the film when TDS is not high and boiler pressure is not high.
    3) Use of antifoaming agents like Castor oil.
    4) Occasional blow down of boiler water.
    5) Placing baffle plates in boiler water portion so that foam gets
    Baffle Plate
    collapsed and unable to reach in steam space.
    Priming
    Priming is carrying over of liquid water from the boiler by generated steam. It is because of
    the entrapment of water droplets along with steam. Priming is the main cause of production
    of wet steam, although foaming also produces wet steam. But degree of wetness is more in
    case of priming.

    Reasons for Priming


    (1) The presence of a larger amount of stable foam on the surface of the boiler water. Foam
    on subsequent bursting result in water droplets.
    (2) Carrying too high water level resulting is an insufficient steam space. This minimises the
    chance of dropping lock of water droplets into the boiler water.
    (3) Steam velocity sufficiently high to carry water droplets into the steam pipe. At high steam
    velocity water droplets do not get enough time to settle out of the steam and thereby
    never fall back into the boiler water
    (4) Sudden and more vigorous boiling brought about by a sudden pressure drop in the
    steam line due to rapid increase in steam demand. This results bumping or splashing of
    boiler water in the boilers.
    Prevention of Priming
    1) Avoid formation of stable foam.
    2) Keeping sufficient steam space in boiler so that steam velocity never gets beyond
    optimum value. As a result water droplets settle out of the steam.
    3) Avoid rapid changes in the steaming rate having smooth control over steam valve by not
    opening steam exit value suddenly.
    4) Avoid vigorous boiling of boiler water so that bumping /splashing of boiler water can be
    controlled.

    Impacts of Priming of Foaming


    1) Production of wet steam is because of foaming & priming which causes corrosion in all
    such parts which are in contact with wet steam.
    2) Wet steam gives less heat and reduces the efficiency of steam turbine or steam engine.
    3) The super heaters are used in steam pipe line to remove the wetness to increase the
    heat content of steam.
    4) Deposition of solids of wet steam in the steam line takes place due to evaporation of
    water content in super heater. These solids being poor conductor of heat, absorbs heat
    of the super heater there by reducing the efficiency of super heater in getting dry steam
    over a period of time.
    5) The deposition of solids of wet steam causes chocking of the steam line and super heater. These
    solids may be carried along with steam to reach turbine and gets deposited which are formed on
    evaporation and may gets deposited on the shaft of turbine. As result of solids deposition the
    turbine efficiency will decrease and the turbine may also damaged due to dynamic unbalancing
    of turbine shafts.

    6) Liquid water in the form of small droplets can cause erosion in the machine specially turbine.
    Boiler Corrosion
    Corrosion is the destructive conversion of boiler metal into its oxides or salts. Corrosion is
    among the serious problem caused due to following reasons.
    1) Presence of free acids in boiler water.
    2) Dissolved Oxygen in boiler water corrodes boiler metal due to following oxidation reaction
    Fe + 3O2 + H2O → Fe(OH)3 (s)

    3) Hydrolysis reaction of soluble salts of Ca & Mg in water


    CaCl2 + 2H2O → Ca(OH) 2 + 2HCl
    MgSO4 + 2H2O → Mg(OH) 2 + H2SO4

    These formed acid helps in corrosion by reacting with metal

    Fe + 2HCl → FeCl2 + H2
    FeCl2 + 2H2O → Fe (OH) 2 + 2HCl

    4) Presence of CO2 & SO2 are responsible to make boiler water acidic by the formation of
    carbonic and sulphuric acids H2CO3 & H2SO4 which makes metal more susceptive
    towards corrosion.
    Remedial Measures
    (1) Removal of Dissolved oxygen
    (a) Sodium sulphite is used low pressure boilers to remove dissolved oxygen by forming
    sodium sulphate
    2Na2SO3 + O2 → 2Na2SO4

    (b) Hydrazine is used to converts dissolved oxygen in to chemically inert nitrogen to


    avoid corrosion.
    N2H4 + O2 → N2+ 2H2O
    Hydrazine is used in high pressure boilers and its 40% solution in water is quite safe. It
    is used in calculated amount as it excess use forms ammonia which bring about
    corrosion of some metal alloys.

    (2) Removal of dissolved CO2, dissolved oxygen & other gases by mechanical deaeration.

    (3) Making boiler water alkaline with addition of requisite amount of NaOH.

    (4) Removal of corrosive substance like chlorides & sulphates of Ca & Mg.
    Disadvantages of Boiler Corrosion

    1) Boiler corrosion leads to shortening of boiler life because of the decay


    or disintegration of boiler metal either due to chemical or
    electrochemical reaction with its environment.

    2) Corrosion can damage the internal workings of boiler which leads to


    pitting and creates localized erosion of boiler tubes.

    3) Corrosion that eats boiler metal, affects the working of boilers. Holes
    in the boiler metal cause leaks that can cause severe operational
    problems which leads to unexpected shut down of boiler to repair the
    damage or unexpectedly cause the failure of the system.
    Caustic Embrittlement

    Caustic embrittlement is a form of stress corrosion taking place in mild steel in the presence
    of alkaline solution at high temperature and at a portion of stress in the boilers. Boiler water,
    usually contains a certain proportion of Na2CO3, used in softening process. The formation of
    brittle and in crystalline cracks in the boiler shell is due to caustic embrittlement. At high
    temperature of boiler water Na2CO3 decomposes to gives NaOH due to which due to which
    the boiler water becomes “Caustic Soda”.

    Na2CO3 + H2O → 2NaOH + CO2


    The H2O evaporates and the concentration of NaOH increases progressively dissolving the
    iron of the boiler as sodium ferrate (Na2FeO2).
    2NaOH + Fe → Na2FeO2 + H2
    NaOH which makes boiler water alkaline and this caustic water flows into the minute hair
    line cracks at the portion of stress in boiler by Capillary action. At high temperature of
    boilers caustic water in fine cracks evaporates and the concentration of NaOH increases in
    the cracks from that of remaining boiler water. This concentrated alkali dissolves iron as
    sodium ferroate in cracks at the site of stress. The Na2FeO2 decomposes to give Fe3O4 and
    NaOH which again continues the stress corrosion.

    3Na2FeO2 + 4H2O → 6NaOH + Fe3O4 + H2


    6Na2FeO2 + 6H2O + O2 → 12NaOH + 2Fe3O4
    This caustic embrittlement can also explained as a result of electrochemical cell with
    different concentration of NaOH and can be expressed as

    (-)Anode: ‘Fe’ at bents│Conc.NaOH ║ Dil.NaOH│ ‘Fe’ at plane Surface: Cathode (+)


    This causes embrittlement of boiler parts such as bends, joints, reverts etc., due to
    which normal working of boiler gets will affected.

    Prevention of Caustic Embrittlement


    1) By maintaining the pH value of water and neutralization of alkali.
    2) By using Sodium Phosphate as softening reagents, in the external treatment of
    boilers water.
    3) Riveted joints are replaced by welded joints in metallic structures.
    4) Caustic embrittlement can also be prevented by adding Tannin or Lignin or
    Sodium sulphate which prevents the infiltration of caustic-soda solution
    blocking the hair-cracks.

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