Professional Documents
Culture Documents
L1,2-1
In treatment of water complete
elimination of all the impurities is
not possible. The impurity that
gives rise to certain troubles will
be removed to certain extent. In
modern pressure boilers and
laboratories, water purer than
the distilled water is required.
Some of the boiler troubles
caused by the use of unsuitable
L1,2-2
water are..
Boiler troubles mainly 4
types
they are..
1. Carryover
2. Scale formation
3. Boiler corrosion
and
4. Caustic
embrittlement
L1,2-3
Carryover is mainly 2 types
1. Priming
2. Foaming
L1,2-4
Priming
Priming may defined as the violent or
rapid boiling of water occurring in the
boiler which results in carrying out of
water with steam in in the form of a spray.
When a boiler is producing steam rapidly,
some particles of liquid water are carried
along with the steam.
This process of wet steam formation is
called priming.
L1,2-5
Priming mainly caused due to
very high water level. The
presence of large amount of
dissolved solids, high steam
velocities, sudden increase in
steam production rate. Sudden
steam demand which leads to
sudden boiling, presence of
excessive foam filling the foam
spare, and due to faulty boiler
design.
L1,2-6
priming can be controlled by
proper boiler design, fitting
mechanical steam purifier,
avoiding rapid change in steam-
rate, proper evaporation and
adequate heating surfaces,
uniform distribution of fuel and
providing anti priming pipes,
keeping the water level low and
avoid sudden steam demands.
Efficient softening and filtration
of the boiler feed water.
L1,2-7
Foaming
Foaming is the formation of small
but stable bubbles above the
surface. The main reason for
foaming is being presence of fatty
acids and other impurities.
Foaming can be controlled by
using anti-foaming chemicals,
removal of concentrated boiler
water and replacing it by fresh
feed water.
Removing oil from boiler water by
adding compounds like sodium
L1,2-8
Scale formation:
Some hard, sticky, adherent deposits
formed on the inner surface of the
boilers are known as Scales.
Scales are hard, adhering
precipitates formed on the inner
walls of the boilers. They stick very
firmly on to the wall surface and are
difficult to remove with chisel and
hammer.
Generally scales are formed due to
decomposition of calcium
bicarbonates, decomposition of
calcium sulphates, presence of silica
and hydrolysis of magnesium salts.
L1,2-9 Scales formation can be prevented by
Boiler Corrosion:
The chemical or electro chemical
eating away of metal by its
environment in a boiler is known as
boiler corrosion.
The main reason for this problem is
the presence of excess of oxygen in
water.
It can be prevented by mechanical
deaerator, pre-heating and chemical
treatment.
L1,2-
Caustic Embrittlement
The formation of brittle and incrystalline
cracks in the boiler shell is called caustic
embrittlement.
It is a type of boiler corrosion and the main
reason for this, is the presence of alkali-
metal carbonates and bicarbonates in feed
water and also the presence of sodium
sulphate.
In lime-soda process, it is likely that, some
residual Na2CO3 is still present in the
softened water.
This Na2CO3 decomposes to give NaOH
and CO2, due to which the boiler water
becomes “Caustic”.
L1,2-
This caustic water flows inside the
boiler and causes some minutes hair-
cracks, by capillary action.
On evaporation of water, the
dissolved caustic soda increases its
concentration which attacks the
surrounding area, thereby dissolving
Iron of boiler as Sodium ferroate.
This causes embrittlement of boiler
parts such as bends, joints, reverts
etc, due to which the boiler gets fail.
L1,2-
Caustic cracking can be
explained by considering the
following concentration cell
structure..
|
Iron at bends,+ Concentrate | Dilute NaOH solution |-
Iron at joints, reverts NaOH solution
plane surfaces
L1,2-
caustic embrittlement can
be prevented by
By maintaining the pH value of
water and neutralization of
alkali.
By using Sodium Phosphate as
softening reagents, in the
external treatment of boilers.
Caustic embrittlement can also
be prevented by adding Tannin
or Lignin or Sodium sulphate
which prevents the infiltration of
caustic-soda solution blocking
L1,2-
FORMATION
OF
SLUDGE IN BOILERS
Inboilers, because of
continuous evaporation of
water, the concentration
of salts increase
progressively and after
the saturation point is
reached, precipitate form
on the inner walls of
boiler.
SLUDGE
Sludge is a soft, loose and slimy
precipitate formed within the boiler. It
is formed at comparatively colder
portions of the boiler and collects in
the area where flow rate is slow.
These are formed by substances
which have greater solubilities in hot
water than in cold-water.
Eg. MgCO3, MgCl2, CaCl2, MgSO4.
DIS-ADVANTAGES
Ca3(PO4)2 + 6NaCl
CARBONATE CONDITIONING
In low-pressure boilers, scale-formation can
be avoided by adding sodium carbonate to
boiler water, when CaSO4 is converted into
calcium carbonate in equilibrium.
CaSO4 + Na2SO4 CaCO3 + Na2SO4
Consequently, deposition of CaSO4 as
scale doesn’t take place and calcium is
precipitated as loose sludge of CaCO3
which can be removed by blow-down
operation.
CALGON CONDITIONING
Involvesin adding calgon to
boiler water. it prevents the
scale and sludge formation by
forming soluble complex
compound with CaSO4.
calgon
= Sodium hexa meta
phosphate
Calgon formulae is
Calgon= (NaPO3)6
Na2[Na4(PO3)6]
or
2Na+ +[Na4P6O18] -2
equation
2CaSO4 [ Na4P6O18] -2
[Ca2P6O18] -2
+ 2Na2SO4
SODIUM ALUMINATE CONDITIONING
Sodium aluminate gets hydrolyzed
yielding NaOH and a gelatinous
precipitate of aluminum hydroxide.
Thus
NaAlO2 + 2H2O NaOH + Al(OH)3
The sodium hydroxide, so-formed,
precipitates some of the magnesium as
Mg(OH)2, i.e.,
MgCl2 + 2NaOH Mg(OH)2 +
2NaCl
The flocculent precipitate of
Mg(OH)2 plus aluminum
hydroxide, produced inside
the boiler, entraps finely
suspended and colloidal
impurities, including oil
drops and silica.
The loose precipitate can be
removed by pre-
determined blow-down
operation
EXTERNAL TREATMENT
OF WATER
EXTERNAL TREATMENT OF WATER
Water used for industrial purposes such as
for steam generation, should be sufficiently
pure.
It should, therefore be freed from hardness-
producing salts before put to use.
The process of removing hardness-producing
salts from water is known as softening of
water.
In industry main three external
methods employed for softening of
water, they are.
1. Lime-Soda process
2. Zeolite process
3. Ion-Exchange process
LIME-SODA PROCESS
In this method,
The soluble calcium and magnesium salts in
water are chemically converted in to insoluble
compounds, by adding calculated amount of
Lime and Soda.
CaCO3 and Mg(OH)2 so precipitated, these
precipitates are filtered off.
Lime soda process mainly two
types, they are
Natural zeolites
Synthetic
Zeolites
Natural zeolites
eg. Natrolite-
Na2O.Al2O3.4SiO2.2H2O.
Synthetic Zeolites
Synthetic Zeolites are porous and
possess gel structure. Sodium zeolites
are generally used for softening of
water and are simply represented as
Na2Ze, where ‘Ze’ stands for insoluble
zeolite.
In the process, when hard water is
passed through a bed of zeolite placed
in an closed cylinder, the hardness
causing ions like Ca+2 and Mg+2 ions
are taken up by the zeolite.
Sodium salts are released during the
Process:
Forsoftening of water by
zeolite process, hard
water is percolated at a
specified rate through a
bed retained by the
zeolite as CaZe and MgZe;
while the outgoing water
contains sodium salts.
The various reactions
taking place may be..
3. Mg(HCO3)2 73 100/146 50
106 200
= ---- x ---- = 212 mg/l
100 1
For 50000 lit of water: 50000 x 212 = 10.6
kg of soda required.
Water technology-2
Problems
Calculate the quantities of lime and
soda required in kgs for softening
10,000 lit of water using 82 ppm of
NaAlO2 as coagulant. Analysis of
water was as follows:
Cacl2 = 111 ppm; Mg(HCO3)2 =
146ppm; NaCl = 58.5ppm; KCl =
74.5ppm; Dissolved CO2 = 44ppm.
(At. Wt of Na = 23, Mg = 24, K = 39,
Ca = 40 and Al = 27)
Water technology-2
Problems
S.No. Constituent Amount(ppm) MF * CaCO3 equivalent
4. KCl 74.5
6. NaAlO2 82 100/164 50
Water technology-2
Problems
74
Lime required = ---- [Mg2+ + CO2 + NaAlO2]
100
74
= ---- [100 + 100 + 50] = 185
mg/lit.
100
So for 10000 lit = 10000 X 185 = 1850000 mg =
1.85 kg
Water technology-2
Problems
106
Soda required = ---- [Ca2+ + Mg2+]
100
106
= ---- [100 + 100] = 212 mg/lit
100