Download or read book Deposition of Magnetite in High Temperature Boiler Environments written by Balaji Raman and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Suspended magnetite particles in boiler water may deposit in lower orifice headers in forced circulation boilers, impeding flow and causing inefficiencies, ultimately leading to overheating boiler tube failures. The surface charge and zeta potential developed by the suspended particles could be a driving factor in this process. To study the mechanism behind the deposition of suspended magnetite on stainless steel, laboratory-scale experiments were carried out under a range of standard boiler water chemistry, simulating fouling experienced in boiler units. A high-temperaturehigh-pressure electrophoretic deposition cell with provisions to test deposition on metal substrates has been developed. The trends in the deposition processes for the various chemistry were validated using visual observations, surface microscopy, and in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A three-electrode assembly design was developed to carry out the in situ electrochemical measurements in various boiler water environments. The experimental setup was successfully used to test boiler water chemistry at 300C (572F) and 10 MPa (1450 psi). The chemistry tested included all-volatile treatment (AVT; oxidizing and reducing using hydrazine), caustic treatment (CT), phosphate treatment (PT), and a filming amine (GE HRSG-02). In addition, the effect of particle size on the deposition process was studied. The experimental results have been explained using established principles of suspended oxide behavior in aqueous environments. The results indicated that the presence of suspended magnetite particles at a pH25C = 9.3, controlled by ammonium hydroxide, caused the particles to aggressively deposit on the stainless steel surface. On the other end of the AVT spectrum, when tested at pH25C = 9.8, no visually observable deposits were found on the surface of the steel. Operating close to the point of zero charge of magnetite at 300 C resulted in deposition and moving away from the point of zero charge mitigated deposition. In case of the caustic treatment and phosphate treatment, it was seen that the compression of the double layer due to the additional electrolytes in the system could influence the deposition process even when the pH of the system was away from the point of zero charge of magnetite at 300C. No significant influence of hydrazine was observed on the deposition of magnetite. Impedance spectroscopy was successfully used in these tests to identify in situ the cases where deposition occurred. The filming amine chemistry did not mitigate deposition completely, but the presence of the HRSG-02 affected the nature of deposits observed on the substrate. Macroscopically the substrate appeared to be covered with deposits and some darker regions. The results of the filming amine study point to possible interactions between the amine-substrate and amine-magnetite. Increasing the particle size distribution clearly showed a decrease in the deposition even though the boiler water chemistry was conducive for deposition. Although, controlling the particle size is not an option for utility boilers, these tests provide further insight into understanding deposition at high temperatures in boiler type environments. In addition to experimental results, the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory has been used to model the behavior of the suspended particles under the AVT boiler water chemistry regime. The DLVO interaction energy curves and the calculated agglomeration probabilities support the experimental observations regarding the deposition of magnetite under the AVT regime. Such calculations can be extended to other treatment chemistries as well providing means to predict the behavior of suspended particles in boiler water. In summary, this study has clearly established a link between the solution chemistry at 300 C (572 F) to the deposition of magnetite on 304 SS. The results show that the zeta potential, which is influenced by the pH of the solution, could be the major factor dictating the susceptibility of deposition at these conditions. EIS was used successfully to establish that magnetite deposition results in high values (> 106 ) of the magnitude of the impedance. Although qualitative, this could provide valuable information when monitoring boilers and power plants for deposition. These results also proved the success of the experimental setup developed in this project for simulating the boiler environments of interest and for studying the deposition phenomena commonly faced in boilers. This study is a one of a kind study focusing purely on the particle attachment aspect of deposition across a wide range of boiler water treatment chemistries with the results supported by surface analyses, impedance spectroscopy and theoretical calculations.