Failure Analysis Air Preheater Refreactory

lining-Spalling-Root Cause
 Published on May 8, 2018

SRINIVASAN NATARAJAN
Independent Project Consultant / Adviser at Self-Employed
3 articles Following

                     “VIJAY CONSULTANT SERVICES”

                                     Web; weldingqa.net       

         CASE STUDY- The report is based on the papers submitted-No

Site Visit

                  SUB: Investigat ion Report on Refractory Failure in Air

Heater-     

             

                                            

PART-I-FABRICATION DETAILS OF AIR HEATER

Introduction:
Refractory is a temperature-resistant lining similar to concrete that is used to line Pressure
Vessels and Equipments that operates at very high temperatures. Actually refractory lining
protects the outer shell of the Vessels /Equipments / Piping from the hot gas and catalyst
circulating inside the process plant.

Air Heater Construction- SODA ASH

Air Heater is a Dual Shell (to reduce heat loss) designed for operating to a maximum
temperature of 1600.0 0 C. Consists of a roller mill and flash calciner circuit to convert
crushed refined soda ash to calcined soda ash product at a maximum temperature of 400.00
C. A recycle fan circulates either system exhaust gases or fresh air through the plenum. These
two are then combined in a mixing chamber just downstream of the air heater to yield a final
mix temperature of 730.00.C . Hot gas for the calciner operation is generated using an Air
Heater

REFRACTORY LINING:

Rescal 90XD ( service temperature 1760.0 0.C) –Hot face lining-

A three layer refractory lining is installed in the inner shell. Each ring of refractory in
cylindrical shell uses combination of arch and straight brick.

For Expansion joints lining high alumina bricks is used (25mm ceramic fiber is inserted in
the gap of 20mm) for every 1.6 M lining length.

INSTALLATION OF REFRACTORY LINING:

1)  3000.0 0.F Insulating Fire Brick-POROSINT1650 (mortared with porosint mortar)

2)  90% Alumina Fire Brick( Resco’s Rescal 90XD) (mortared with high alumina mortar)

3)  3000 0.F Fiber Blanket (Thermal Ceramics Saffil Alumina LD mat or equal)

4)  Skamolex Super 1100E-Cal Sil Board (2000F Cal Sil Board)

5)  1450.0 0.C Vacuum Formed Ceramic Fiber Board

6)  45% Alumina wear resistant castable ( whyheat C super)

7)  85% Alumina Phosbonded plastic Ram (Resco’s Rescoram85).

( Alumina Phosbonded- For Good bonding strength from room temperature to high
temperatures: Phosphate bonded castables are superior to cement bonded castables in strength
and refractoriness and for hot installation requirements

    ANCHORS :
    Refractories are anchored / secured with the base steel structures by means of strong 

    materials as follows:

a)  SS-310 Grade-6”(150mm long) & 10” (254mm long)-‘V’-Anchors W/ plastic tips center
to center 300mm spacing around circumference. Welding with AWS E-309 electrode

b)  85% Alumina- Phos bonded Ceramic Anchors with center to center 350mm spacing.
These anchors stabilize the lining with the supporting shell against dead loads, thermal
stresses and cycling and mechanical vibrations. Also prevents sagging or deforming through
the drying and heating process. Keeping in mind service conditions like mechanical shocks,
thermal cycling,Material density and lining thickness, the anchor space is also provided.
The ceramic anchors provide larger surface area in contact with refractories and secure higher
holding power.

EXPANSION JOINTS: Material compressed as given below;

a)  For 20mm joint-25mm blanket

b)  For 25mm joint-50mm blanket

MONOLITHIC REFRACTORY LINING:

MONOLITHIC (ISO)-JOINTLESS-term applied to linings that are

rammed or cast in situ.

HIGH ALUMINA MORTAR:

Material used either by trowelling, dipping or pouring between brick joints or joining
refractory shapes so that bricks are held together and protect from attack by molten slag and
other fluxes and to stabilize the integrity of the total structure (stability/ load bearing capacity
at high temperatures

PART-II INVESTIGATION REPORTON AIR

HEATER REFRACTORY LINING FAILURE: COMBUSTION
CHAMBER

After carefully going through the records and reports, a critical study
was made to evaluate the cause for failure of the refractory lining in
combustion chamber falling off from top portion, the following case
study report has been prepared and submitted to help eliminate
future failures.
 

 
REFRACTORY FAILURE LOCATION AND NATURE:
There were frequent power failures (11times) within a short span three weeks, after a few
start ups: Refractory lining in Combustion Chamber started SPALLING from top
portion.

(On account of frequent power failures, the refractory lining is

subjected for thermal stresses due to temperature gradient (heating
and cooling).The lining is also likely under go thermal shocks.)

DEFENITION:

THERMAL SHOCK- (ISO) - A sudden change in temperature liable to

cause “SPALLING”

“SPALLING”- (ISO)-The cracking or fracture of a refractory product caused by

differential expansion due to thermal shock, the effect of a steep temperature gradient or a
crystalline inversion.

(ASTM)- “Breaking or cracking of refractory brick in service, to such an extent that pieces
are separated or fall away, leaving new surfaces of the brick exposed

EFFECT:  “ THERMAL SPALLING”

Spalling is defined as the loss of refractory by extraneous forces not

inherent in the refractory.

REFERENCE:

1)     NATIONAL INSULATION ASSOCIATION – ARTICLE ON

UNDERSTANDING REFERACTORY FAILURE-A NEW
PERSPECTIVE-STEP2: EXAMINE THE EXISTING MATERIAL
AND TESTING.-(material fail due to thermal shock( large sections of
the top surface area sheared away)

2)  MONOLITHIC REFRACTORIES-A COMPREHENSIVE HAND

BOOK-

THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY-WORLD SCIENTIFIC-

AUTHOR-SUBRATA BANERJEE-ANSWER TECHNOLOGY Inc-
ILLINOIS-USA-

ROOT CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE:

After critically reviewing the location and nature of failure the

following inference are made to arrive a fair conclusion

“Due to frequent power failures thermal stresses / temperature

gradients should have developed on the lining of the combustion
chamber, resulting from sudden changes in the temperatures ( cooling
and heating) .

Temperature gradients causing thermal shock in the refractory lining

or from the differential expansion characteristics of the supporting
lining (steel) , cracks should have been developed. Whenever cracks
developed in the refractory lining, they will join to form separate
individual regions within the refractory body and fall off from the rest
causing such THERMAL SPALLING”.

(Reference page-301 –lining-Monolithic refractories-A comprehensive

Hand book-The American Ceramic Society-)

THERMAL STRESS:

Thermal stresses develop in the refractory lining, creating or resulting

from sudden changes in the temperature:

The modulus of elasticity, coefficient of thermal expansion and

thermal conductivity play important roles in the thermal stresses
generated in the body.

Material with smaller thermal coefficient of expansion and

higher thermal conductivity increases the  resistance to cracking and
eventual spalling off due to thermal stresses (”.(Reference page-238
/239 – Spalling /Thermal Spalling- -A comprehensive Hand book-The
American Ceramic Society-)
 

EXPLANATION : EXAMPLE -CASE STUDY

(When a metal is heated at the surface, the heat rapidly travels through the rest of the metallic
body and the thermal gradient produced between the surface and the interior of the metal is
less because of the thermal conductivity of the metal and does not create high thermal stress.
But when a refractory lining body is heated at the surface large temperature gradients are
produced between the surface and the interior creating considerable stress. The temperature
distribution in the material causes changes in the stress due to differences in the temperature
and the time-related variation in the gradient causes changes in the stresses produced within
the material.

Thus in this case a thick furnace wall (combustion chamber) or a massive block, a significant
temperature gradient should have existed within the material. If the cross section is large or
the material has a lower thermal conductivity, then the thermal gradients should be very high.
In addition, the coefficient of heat transfer changes if the temperature changes are due to the
material being in contact with a liquid of if the temperature changes are due to air cooling.

Moreover the comparison between heating and cooling stresses will definitely show that
compressive stresses develop on the surface while the material is heated causing tensile
stresses at the center.

Generally cracks develop at the surface more readily during cooling than during heating. If
the material is heated too rapidly, cracks appear due to the tensile stress behind surface,
compressive stress will exceed the compressive strength of the refractory material. This will
cause cracks to appear on the surface leading to peeling.

Thus sudden heating or cooling due to frequent power failures should have led to unexpected
damage on the refractory lining and the refractory lining should have undergone thermal
stresses exceeding the permitted limits, thereby falling off. 

CONCLUSION
Finding the root cause of a refractory material failure is a complex study involving various
factors like design, material selection, storage, mixing, installation, curing and drying etc..,.
This report is prepared after eliminating the various stages of manufacturing involved in the
process control (CAUSE AND EFFECT or FISHBONE DIAGRAM METHOD) and
TEMPERATURE GRADIENT / THERMAL STRESSES developed due to sudden fall and
rise in temperature on the refractory lining of the Combustion Chamber on account of
frequent power failures, cooling and heating should have developed thermal stresses on
the top portion or roof lining of the combustion chamber resulting “THERMAL SHOCK /
THERMAL SPALLING” .

                                                               
 This report is prepared based on the data produced by the party without site condition /
inspection  :

                                         N.SRINIVASAN

                                        VIJAY CONSULTANT SERVICES

                                         OLD NO22, NEW NO11,

                                        NEW BANGARU COLONY,

                                        K.K.NAGAR WEST, CHENNAI.

                                        INDIA—600078.

                                        TEL/FAX :91-044-23641844,

                                                       Mobile:9444981844.

                                        E’mail: nsrinivasan1940@gmail.com

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