CHEMICAL CLEANING OF BOILERS

Need For Chemical cleaning ?

Different types of Chemical cleaning

Alkali Boil out Acid Cleaning

TYPES OF CHEMICAL CLEANING

PRE-COMMISSIONING / PRESTART CLEANING PLANNED / SCHEDULED CLEANING

PLACE OF IMPURITIES
Welded joints in pressure parts.Accumulation of flux,silicates in the electrodes. Corrosion products. Lubricants,grease,oil,mill scales and other impurities.

PURPOSE OF CHEMICAL CLEANING

The purpose of chemical cleaning of the internal surfaces of a new boiler which come into contact with water and steam is to keep them clean for ensuring efficient heat transfer, for maintaining steam purity and to avoid failures of pressure parts.

Corrosion: Corrosion is nothing but when the pure metal goes back into the original oxide form for example Iron metal into Iron oxide, Copper into Copper oxide. Because a pure metal cannot stay as such when it is exposed to moisture, air, temperature etc. it will try to convert into oxide form. Like human being cannot stay in isolation in the society.

These may be classified into two major categories. Pitting corrosion and Galvanic corrosion. The pitting corrosion is due to the Oxygen present in the water.

The Galvanic corrosion is due to two different metals present in the material of construction. I would like to give an example for this.

The Statue of Liberty is supported by Bronze and iron rods during the erection stage. After prolonged period of time it was found that iron rods are getting corroded because of galvanic corrosion. Then the supports are replaced with Stain steel rods.

UNDER GROUNDWATER:

1. WELLWATER

2. SPRING WATER

COMMON IMPURITIES:
TURBIDITY: CAUSES DEPOSITS SOLUTION: COAGULATION COLOUR: CAUSES FOAMING SOLUTION: CHLORINATION HARDNESS: CAUSES SCALE SOLUTION: SOFTENING

ALKALINITY: CAUSES CARRY OVER SOLUTION: LIME SODA/DM PLANT

FREE MINERAL ACIDITY: CORROSION SOLUTION: NEUTRALISATION CARBON DIOXIDE: CAUSES CORROSION SOLUTION: AERATION PH: 0.0 ACIDIC 7.0 NEUTRAL 14.0 BASIC

SULFATE: CAUSES ADDS TO SOLIDS SOLUTION: DM PLANT

CHLORIDE: ADDS TO SOLIDS AND ALSO CORROSION SOLUTION: DM PLANT NITRATE: ADDS TO SOLIDS AND ALSO CORROSION SOLUTION: DM PLANT

FLOURIDE: CAUSES MOTTLED ENAMEL IN TEETH SOLUTION: DM PLANT

SILICA: CAUSES SCALE SOLUTION: DM PLANT WITH STRONG BASE ANION IRON: CAUSES DISCOLOUR SOLUTION: AERATION OR DM PLANT

MANGANESE: CAUSES DISCOLOUR SOLUTION: AERATION OR DM PLANT

OIL: CAUSES SCALE, SLUDGE, FOAMING SOLUTION: STRAINERS / COAGULATION

OXYGEN: CAUSES CORROSION SOLUTION: DEARATION / Na2SO4

HYDROGEN SULFIDE: CAUSES CORROSION SOLUTION: AERATION / CHLORINATION AMMONIA: CAUSES CORROSION SOLUTION: CHLORINATION / AERATION

CONDUCTIVITY: CAUSES CORROSION SOLUTION: DM PLANT / REVERSE OSMOSIS

DISSOLVED SOLIDS: CAUSES FOAMING SOLUTION: DM PLANT

SUSPENDED SOLIDS: CAUSES DEPOSITS SOLUTION: FILTRATION

SCOPE
Economizer, evaporator,upriser, Down comer, SH, DESH and MS lines up to boiler stop valve, interconnecting pipes and drains.

REASONS FOR CLEANING

To enable the plant to be commissioned and operated without incurring any physical or corrosive damage. To eliminate deposits which affects the heat transfer and efficient operation. To ensure quality of the feed water and steam. To remove oil, grease and protective coating. To remove construction scales so as to avoid any blockage in lines, valves etc., Mech.damages may also be caused due to

METHODS OF CHEMICAL CLEANING

SOAKING METHOD CIRCULATION METHOD

1.SOAKING METHOD
4 TO 8 HOURS TO ENSURE COMPLETE REMOVAL OF DEPOSITS ACID STRENGTH OF THE SOLVENT SHOULD BE GREATER. 5 TO 6% END RESULT IS NOT SATISFACTORY

2. CIRCULATION METHOD
4 TO 6 HOURS LOWER SOLVENT STRENGTH 3 TO 5 % RESULT IS SATISFACTORY

SOLVENTS
SELECTION: EFFICIENCY AND SPEED OF DISSOLUTION OF METAL OXIDES AVAILABILITY COST DEGREE OF SAFETY WITH RESPECT TO PLANT AND PERSONAL.

SOLVENTS USED
1. MINERAL ACIDS: HCL, H2SO4, HF a) HCL WIDELY USED EFFECTIVE IN REMOVING METAL OXIDES (Fe,Ni,Zn,Ca,Mg) b) H2SO4 STRONG ACIDLIBERATE HEAT WHEN MIX WITH WATE c) HF Effective at lower temp.

SOLVENTS USED
2) ORGANIC ACIDS 3) COPPER REMOVAL SOLUTIONS 4) ALKALINE SOLUTIONS

INHIBITORS
TO PREVENT /MINIMISE THE ATTACK OF ACID ON THE BOILER PARENT METAL IT PROVIDES BLANKET OVER PARENT METAL SURFACE.

INHIBITORS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS BARIUM SALTS QUINOLINE PYRIDINE COMMERCIAL INHIBITOR IS RHODINE

PROCESS OF CHEMICAL CLEANING

1.Cold water flushing 2.Hot water flushing 3.Alkali boil out 4.RINSING AFTER ALKALI BOIL OUT 5.ACID CLEANING 6.Citric rinsing 7.DM water rinsing 8.Neutralising Boil out 9.Passivation

1) Cold

water flushing

up to boiler stop valve Flushing with DM water to remove loose debris and silica bearing deposits.

2) Hot water flushing

Hot DM water flushing at 8085 deg and draining.

3) Alkali boil out

Actual firing of boiler with tri sodium phosphate (0.1%) & Hydrazene hydrate (0.02%). 40 ksc-16 to 20hrs.-To completely remove grease or oil.

4) RINSING AFTER ALKALI BOIL OUT

Flushing up to boiler stop valve & SH backwashing and rinsing till PO4 is nil. Fill SH with hydrazene dozed water and plug it.

5) ACID CLEANING
a) Acid cleaning by methods of soaking and auto circulation in evaporator- To remove scales and deposits. b) raise DMT=80deg. c) Chemicals: Hydro chloric acid & ammonium biflouride. d) Once acid and iron concentration equals acid cleaning is deemed to be complete.

6) Citric rinsing
To prevent iron oxide sludge formation by contact of freshly cleaned surface with DM water, 0.2% citric acid ammoniated with DM water is circulated.

7) DM water rinsing

The system is flushed with DM water till dissolved iron expelled from it.

8) Neutralising Boil out

DM water with Disodium phosphate and Trisodium phosphate filled & lighted up. Pr.10 ksc. Alkalinity will decrease and stabilise.

9) Passivation

Actual layer of magnetite coating will be formed. Drum pr.40 to 42 ksc Hydrazine 200 ppm at drum for 24 hours.

Because the boiler water circulates 7 times in the Boiler and getting concentrated, like the COC in circulating water system, therefore may cause harm to the boiler pressure parts if not treated with much care.