Our engineering solutions focus on key issues, which affect the stream boilers, and include scaling, corrosion and deposits in the system that can affect the reliability and performance of the steam generation systems adversely.

Our services are delivered by our experienced experts, who combine the latest high performance boiler conditioning chemicals and controls to reduce downtime, increase performance, cost efficiency and reliability. This increases the plant and equipment lifecycles and operational safety.

Boiler water treatment services

Our steam boiler management and water treatment solutions are specified below:

Treatment of the industrial boilers and steam generation systems

The industrial boilers and production systems are the critical components in many commercial, industrial and process applications, which aim at transferring energy from a part of the system to another part. Such systems use water (steam), which is a highly efficient means of energy transfer at high temperatures.

What kinds of problems affect the steam boilers?

If a boiler system is not maintained or the water used in it is not treated, it can cause a number of serious problems that will affect the integrity and performance of the boiler and steam booster. Any problems on inadequate boiler water treatment and system maintenance include scaling, corrosion and deposits.

Such problems may affect the steam quality, reduce the heat transfer efficiency, increase the energy costs, and reduce the asset reliability and life expectancy. In the worst cases, thee inadequate boiler maintenance may also cause any catastrophic system failures that may be very dangerous.

To overcome these problems, the water used in both the boiler and the larger steam booster will require appropriate treatment, which will typically include the boiler, feed tank, feed lines, and steam and condensate return systems.

Optimized boiler water treatment solutions

Successful operation of a boiler requires a holistic approach for maintenance and protection of both boiler and larger steam system against the detrimental effects of scale formation, corrosion and deposit formation.

A well-managed steam boiler water treatment program will help to optimize the costs and operational efficiency, reduce the downtime, save water and energy, maintain the steam quality, and increase the plant reliability and safety.

Water treatment for scale control in the steam boilers

Scale formation is a major problem on the inner surfaces of boilers and steam systems. If they are not processed, scale can build up on the inner surfaces of the pipes, boiler tubes and other heat transfer surfaces to serve as an insulator and to reduce the boiler efficiency significantly. Furthermore, it may cause overheat of the boiler and piping, and cause any catastrophic failures in any extreme cases.

Scaling occurs in the boiler, when high temperatures reduce the solubility of calcium and magnesium salts commonly found in feed water, allowing them to precipitate out and onto the interior surfaces.

Therefore, to control boiler scale build-up, it is important to pre-treat the feed water before it enters the boiler system, removing any hardness salts as effectively as possible. This can be achieved by using a commercial water softener and the specific chemical anti-scale agents. The reverse osmosis (RO) equipment can also be considered for pretreatment of boiler feed water.

To ensure that the steam system is always under a full control, the quality of the boiler water must also be tested regularly to ensure that the boiler water treatment program operates effectively and that the proper water conditions are maintained.

Corrosion control in the stream boilers

The atmosphere in the boilers and the steam systems are extremely aggressive to the building materials and can cause a number of serious problems.

Corrosion is one such problem and if it is not eliminated, it can increase the costs, reduce the asset reliability and life expectancy, and cause any catastrophic failures in the worst cases.

The main causes of corrosion in the boiler systems include dissolved oxygen, acidity and excessive alkalinity. The most common one of such causes is oxygen-induced corrosion caused by oxygen dissolved in the feed water entering the boiler system.

Oxygen contained in water moves aggressively to create local corrosion on the internal surfaces in the form of oxygen cavities. These corrosion pits are usually small, but can sometimes become large, and if they are left to penetrate the boiler pipes and other interior surfaces, they may result in deep holes or cavities that can affect their integrity and cause a failure.

An effective boiler water treatment must be holistic in terms of its approach and focus on removing the dissolved oxygen from the feed water, while it controls both pH and alkalinity levels. This can be achieved through good system design (especially a feed tank and condensate return arrangements) and the use of high performance boiler treatment technologies.

Boiler treatment and stream condense

It is important to manage condensate the quality in your steam generation system as it can cause a number of serious problems such as acid and oxygen corrosion, if the system is not treatment. This can cause any failures in the condensate return lines and other system components.

Any problems happen in the condensation system, when steam condenses. In doing so, it absorbs carbon dioxide and oxygen from the atmosphere to create corrosive water conditions that can damage the boiler system, but particularly the condensate return lines, threaded connections and elbow components.

Oxygen moves aggressively on internal condensate line surfaces to create corrosion, localized cavitation and potentially deeper pinholes. Cavitation and pinholes can be controlled by using the boiler treatment chemicals such as tannins, sulphites, etc. or oxygen scavengers like DEHA.

The formation of carbonic acid in the system will lead to corrosion throughout the boiler system, and the specific steam volatile boiler treatment chemicals that form films and neutralize amines, or reverse osmosis or de-alkalization techniques are used.

Boiler blowdown

Boiler blowdown is an essential component in the successful management of any steam generation system as it helps to remove sludge build-up from the boiler, control the levels of both suspended and total dissolved solids (TDS), thereby maintaining boiler efficiency and overall steam purity.

It is important that boiler blowdown is performed only when necessary, as it can be very inefficient in terms of energy.

Sludge buildup

Boiler sludge formation happens due to an increased concentration of suspended solids in the system, mainly resulting from corrosion, byproducts and the deposition of solid hardness salts. If it is left unchecked, sludge buildup can reduce heat transfer efficiencies and overall boiler performance.

Total dissolved solids (TDS)

When steam is produced in a boiler system, water naturally evaporates and disappears in the atmosphere. As this happens, concentration of Total Dissolved Solids in the remaining boiler water increases and can cause a series of problems, including contamination and foaming.

Foaming can reduce the heat transfer efficiency of the boiler pipes and cause overheating and premature failure, while contamination (see below) can cause any steam contamination problems.

It is therefore important to control the TDS levels in the boiler water to prevent transfer and unwanted foaming. This can be achieved by addition of blowdown and fresh, suitably pre-treated feed water.

Boiler water transfer

Contamination happens, when liquid boiler water is "transferred" into gaseous steam. This can cause contamination of the steam and any process products in contact with steam by solids. Furthermore, it may cause damage on the boiler, steam system and other process equipment.

Therefore, it is important to control the levels of contaminants (total dissolved solids) in the boiler water to prevent contamination and unwanted foaming. This can be achieved by adding the blowdown and pre-treated feed water.

Stream boiler water treatment services

Contact Liberta Chemical for your steam boiler requirements. We can provide expert advice and support on maintenance, management and treatment of the commercial and industrial boilers and steam generation systems to help you to optimize the costs and operational efficiencies, reduce the downtime, save water and energy, maintain the steam quality and increase plant reliability.