Effects of Carryover Liquid Content and Particle

Size on Deposit Removability in Kraft Recovery

Boilers

X. MAO, S. LEE and H. TRAN

The effective removal of fireside deposits by sootblowers in a kraft recovery boiler is critically important for maintaining the stable operation of the
boiler. Results of a laboratory study suggest that particles with a high liquid content form more tenacious deposits than particles with a low liquid
content. Deposits formed from 150-300 µm particles are relatively easy to remove if the liquid content of particles is below 40%, but become much
more difficult to remove once the liquid content exceeds 40%. At a given liquid content, deposits formed from smaller particles are more difficult to
remove than those formed from larger particles.

L'enlèvement efficace des dépôts laissés par des souffleurs de suie à l'intérieur d'une chaudière de récupération kraft est un élément d'une importance
cruciale afin de maintenir la stabilité fonctionnelle de la chaudière. Les résultats d'une étude en laboratoire suggèrent que les particules à haute teneur
en contenu liquide forment des dépôts plus tenaces que les particules à basse teneur en contenu liquide. Des dépôts formés de particules de 150 à 300
µm sont relativement faciles à enlever si le contenu liquide des particules est inférieur à 40 %, mais ils deviennent beaucoup plus difficiles à enlever
une fois que le contenu liquide est supérieur à 40 %. À un niveau donné de contenu liquide, les dépôts formés de particules plus petites sont plus
difficiles à enlever que ceux formés de particules plus grosses.

INTRODUCTION
Massive accumulation of fireside
deposits on heat transfer surfaces in the super-
heater region of recovery boilers is a persistent
problem in kraft pulp mills. Deposits are
formed mainly by inertial impaction of carry-
over particles (smelt and/or partially burned
black liquor particles entrained in the flue gas)
on heat transfer tubes. If not removed, such
deposits can drastically reduce the boiler thermal
efficiency, and in severe cases, completely
plug flue gas passages, leading to unscheduled
shutdowns of the boiler for waterwash [1,2].
Effective deposit removal is therefore
greatly important in recovery boiler operation.
Deposit removal is attained by sootblowers
which periodically blast deposits with high-
pressure steam jets. The effectiveness of a
sootblower in deposit removal depends on two
main factors: the Peak Impact Pressure (PIP)
of the jet, and the strength of the deposit. In
order to remove deposits, the PIP of the jet
must be large enough to overcome the deposit
mechanical strength, or the adhesion strength
at the deposit-tube interface [3].
Carryover particles entrained in the flue
gas may be completely molten, partially
molten or solid depending on their composition
or not the particles will stick and form
deposits. An example of these studies is shown
in Fig. 1, which plots the amount of deposits
collected on an air-cooled probe placed at the
exit of an Entrained Flow Reactor (EFR)
against the particle liquid content, calculated
based on the particle composition and
temperature [6]. It shows clearly that the rate
of deposit accumulation increases markedly as
the liquid content of the particles exceeds 15 to
20%. Beyond 30%, however, the liquid content
has no additional effect on deposition.
The requirement of 15-20% liquid
content for particles to be sticky was obtained
from experiments using particles in a 150-300

X. Mao, S. Lee and H. Tran

and temperature. When molten or partially µm size range. For particles with different

Univ. Toronto
molten carryover particles hit a tube surface, sizes, however, different liquid contents may

Pulp Paper Centre

they may stick and form hard deposits on the
Dept. Chem. Engin. Appl. Chem.
tube. Solid particles, on the other hand, tend to
200 College St.
bounce off the tube. It has been shown in
Toronto, ON, M5S 3E5
previous studies [4-6] that the liquid content of
Canada the particles at the time of impact is the most
(honghi.tran@utoronto.ca) important parameter that determines whether
be needed. Figure 2 shows the minimum liquid
content requirement as a function of particle
size. The results, which were obtained by
several researchers in our laboratory, show
clearly that the minimum liquid content needed
to make particles sticky increases with an

JOURNAL OF PULP AND PAPER SCIENCE: VOL. 35 NO. 2 APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2009 41

 Fig. 1. Deposition versus liquid content in synthetic carryover
size range = 150 to 300 µm [6].
particles obtained from two different sets of experiments. Particle
increase in particle size. This finding is
plausible, since larger particles, due to their
greater mass and momentum, tend to bounce
off the tube upon impact; they need more
liquid to attach themselves to the tube.
The liquid content of carryover particles
is important, not only in terms of deposit
formation but also in terms of deposit removal.
As conceptually shown in Fig. 3, particles with
a larger liquid content (C) are more fluid; they
tend to deform and spread out more readily
upon impact, forming deposits on the tube that
are more tenacious than particles with a lower
liquid content (B and A). In other words,
deposits formed from carryover particles with
a larger liquid content are expected to be more
difficult to remove by sootblowers.
This paper discusses results of a
laboratory study performed to quantitatively
determine the effect of particle size and liquid
content on the removability of deposits, and
the practical implications of the results.
Fig. 3. Deposition of carryover particles
with different liquid contents on a cooled
tube surface. (A) Solid particle, (B) particle
with some liquid, and (C) completely
molten particle or particle containing a
large amount of liquid (conceptual).
42
Fig. 2. Effect of particle size on the minimum liquid content required
for particle deposition. Particles were made of Na2SO4 and NaCl
mixtures.
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
Figure 4 shows the experimental setup
used in this study. It consists of a large scale
laboratory Entrained Flow Reactor (EFR) and
a jet blow-off apparatus. Details of the EFR
and the setup have been described in previous
publications [5-7].
Fig. 4. Experimental apparatus.
Synthetic carryover particles of known
composition were prepared from mixtures of
laboratory grade chemicals, sodium sulphate
(Na2SO4), potassium sulphate (K2SO4),
sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and sodium
chloride (NaCl). The mixtures were melted,
cooled, ground and then sieved into five size
ranges: 90-150 µm, 150-300 µm, 300-420 µm,
420-600 µm and 600-850 µm.
The particles were introduced continu-
ously for 20 minutes at a feed rate of 2.5 g/min
into the top of the EFR. They were heated as
they fell to the bottom of the reactor. The
EFR temperature was varied between 700 and
1000°C, while the gas velocity at the exit was
maintained at about 1.8 m/s. An air-cooled
probe, made from stainless steel 304 tubing
JOURNAL OF PULP AND PAPER SCIENCE: VOL. 35 NO. 2 APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2009
with an outer diameter of 2.5 cm, was placed
horizontally at the EFR exit to collect the
particles. The probe surface temperature was
controlled at 400°C by regulating the amount
of air flowing through the probe. The thickness
of the deposit accumulated on the probe was
typically 1 to 1.2 mm.
The particle temper-
ature at the moment before
impacting the probe was
calculated using the Heat
Transfer Model developed
specifically for EFR
operating conditions [5].
The calculated particle
temperature was then used
to calculate the liquid
content of the particles at a
given composition, using
the advanced multi-com-
ponent phase equilibrium
model developed at
Åbo Akademi University,
Turku, Finland [6].
This calculated liquid
content is referred to
simply as the liquid
content in this paper.
After each test, the probe was rotated
so that the deposit collected on the probe was
perpendicular to the blow off jet nozzle axis.
The probe was then anchored rigidly so that it
would not move when struck by the jet. A blow
was initiated by turning the air valve on for
1 second. After each blow, the appearance of
the deposit was photographed and carefully
inspected for signs of deposit removal. If there
was no indication of removal, the nozzle was
moved closer to the deposit to increase the
Peak Impact Pressure (PIP) of the air jet, and
the blowing process was repeated until a small
piece of deposit was removed from the probe
surface. From the previously determined rela-
tionship between the PIP value and distance
for this nozzle, the minimum PIP required to the particles reached a threshold temperature.
remove the deposit was determined, and used The PIP increase was much greater for
to indicate the removability or the tenacity of deposits formed from particles with high
the deposit. chloride contents than from particles with low
chloride contents. For particles containing
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 5 mole% Cl/(Na+K), for example, little PIP
was needed to remove deposits from the probe
Effect of Particle Temperature at a particle temperature below 740°C. For
The experiments were performed on particles with 10 mole% Cl/(Na+K), the mini-
150-300 µm particles prepared from mixtures mum PIP requirement increased markedly as
of NaCl and Na2SO4 with various chloride the particle temperature exceeded 680°C. At
contents: 5, 10 and 20 mole% Cl/(Na+K). 20 mole% Cl/(Na+K), the minimum PIP
Note that although these mixtures do not requirement was already high even at 625°C,
contain potassium (K) compounds, their Cl the eutectic temperature of the NaCl-Na2SO4
contents were intentionally expressed as mixture.
mole% Cl/(Na+K) to make it possible to
compare the results with those obtained from Effect of Particle Liquid Content
other studies using mixtures containing Since the liquid content in a carryover
potassium compounds. particle is a strong function of the particle
Figure 5 shows the effect of particle temperature and composition (particularly
temperature on deposit removability. For all chloride content [2,4]), the correlation shown in
three chloride levels, the minimum PIP Fig. 5 between the minimum PIP requirement,
required to remove deposits increased with an the particle temperature and the chloride
increase in particle temperature. At a given content confirms the important role of liquid
chloride content, the PIP increase occurred content in deposit removability. A higher liquid
slowly at low temperatures, and then rapidly as content would make particles adhere better
to the tube surface
upon impact, as
illustrated in Fig. 3,
thereby forming
deposits that are
more tenacious and
difficult to remove.
In order to
examine further the
effect of liquid
content on deposit
removal, numerous
experiments were
carried out using
150-300 µm parti-
cles with different
compositions, and
Fig. 5. Effect of particle temperature on minimum PIP required to at different EFR
(TProbe = 400 C, 150-300 µm particles, Na2SO4 and NaCl mixtures).
remove deposits temperatures, to pro-
o
Fig. 6. Relationship between the liquid content in particles and the Fig. 7. Effect of particle size on the critical liquid content required to
(TProbe = 400oC, 150-300 µm particles).
minimum PIP required to remove deposits make deposits tenacious. TProbe = 400oC.
JOURNAL OF PULP AND PAPER SCIENCE: VOL. 35 NO. 2 APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2009
duce particles which have different liquid
contents at the moment of impact. Figure 6
shows the results obtained from two sets of
experiments: one with mixtures of Na2SO4 and
NaCl and the other with mixtures of Na2SO4,
Na2CO3, NaCl and potassium salts. While the
data are scattered, particularly toward higher
liquid contents, they clearly show that the min-
imum PIP required for deposit removal
increases as the liquid content increases.
Deposits start to become tenacious at about
30% liquid content, but become much more
difficult to remove once the liquid content
exceeds 40%.
However, at a liquid content of 70% or
higher, the minimum PIP requirement appears
to either decrease or to level off at about
1.2 MPa, suggesting that the tenacity of the
deposits has reached a maximum value. This
was probably due to the thermal shock effect
induced by the rapid cooling of the hot
deposits by the cold air jet, causing the
deposits to debond from the probe surface.
Deposits formed by particles with a liquid
content higher than 70% are expected to be
denser and more susceptible to thermal shock
than those with a liquid content below 70%.
Effect of Particle Size
In recovery boilers, the size of carryover
particles typically varies between 100 µm and
3 mm, depending on many factors: black
liquor properties, nozzle types and spray
conditions, and air flow rates and distribution
in the lower furnace. The above finding of 40%
liquid content required to make deposits
tenacious (Fig. 6) was applicable to particles
between 150 and 300 µm. For particles with
different sizes, different liquid contents may be
needed.
Further experiments were therefore car-
ried out to determine the critical liquid content
needed for particles with different size ranges
to form tenacious deposits. The critical liquid
content is defined as the liquid content above
43
which the PIP required for deposit removal
abruptly increases. In the case of 150-300 µm
particles (Fig. 6), for example, the critical
liquid content is ~40%.
The results are summarized in Fig. 7.
The critical liquid content for particles to form
tenacious deposits increases with an increase
in particle size. This implies that larger
particles need more liquid to form tenacious
deposits, or that deposits formed from larger
particles are easier to remove than those
formed from smaller particles. Note that the
results are similar to those in Fig. 2, except that
for all particle size ranges, the absolute value
of the critical liquid content required for
tenacious deposits to form (Fig. 7) is consis-
tently about 20% higher than that required for
particles to be sticky (Fig. 2).
The effect of particle size on the liquid
content requirement for the formation of sticky
particles and tenacious deposits can be
explained with the aid of Fig. 8. In a control or
fixed volume of deposits, small particles have
a better contact with the tube surface and with
one another than large particles. Consequently,
they require less liquid to attach to the tube
(Fig. 2) and to make strong and tenacious
deposits (Fig. 7).
In order to ensure the validity of the
results shown in Fig. 7, the effect of particle
size on deposit removability was further exam-
ined using particles with a fixed composition.
In this case, the liquid content of various sized
particles was set at 20, 50 and 95% by control-
ling the particle temperature. The results are
shown in Fig. 9. At a given liquid content, the
minimum PIP required to remove deposits
decreases with an increase in particle size. For
particles of the same size, the minimum PIP
increases with an increase in liquid content.
These findings are consistent with those
shown in Figs. 6 and 7, suggesting that deposits
formed from smaller particles, and deposits
formed from particles that contain a higher
liquid content are more difficult to remove.
Fig. 9. PIP required to remove deposits formed by various sized
particles containing 20, 50 and 95% liquid. TProbe = 400oC.
44
Fig. 8. Deposition of carryover particles
with different particle sizes.
Effect of Particle Impact Velocity
In this study, the particle impact velocity
was altered by installing at the EFR exit a
cylindrical section with an opening smaller
than that of the EFR. The setup allowed the
particles to have the same retention time in the
reactor (and hence, the same temperature and
liquid content) while increasing their velocity
as they passed through the smaller opening
before striking the probe. The impact velocity
was calculated based on the size of the opening
used. In selected experiments, the impact
velocity was also measured using a high
shutter-speed Charge Coupled Device (CCD)
camera, and used to calibrate the calculated
values.
Figure 10 shows the minimum PIP
required to remove deposits formed from
150-300 µm particles with different Cl and K
contents, as a function of particle impact
velocity. In all three cases, the particle impact
velocity had an insignificant effect on deposit
removability.
deposits formed by 150-300 µm particles with different Cl and K
Fig. 10. Effect of particle impact velocity on PIP required to remove
contents. TProbe = 400oC.
JOURNAL OF PULP AND PAPER SCIENCE: VOL. 35 NO. 2 APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2009
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
Results of this study suggest that both
the size and liquid content of carryover particles
can have a great effect on deposit removability,
while particle impact velocity has an
insignificant effect. Particles with a high liquid
content would form more tenacious deposits
than particles with a low liquid content. For
particles that contain the same amount of
liquid, smaller particles would form a stronger
deposit than larger particles.
Carryover particles in recovery boilers
are a combustion product of black liquor
droplets entrained in the flue gas. They may be
at a different stage of combustion at different
locations in the boiler. In the region near
the bullnose and the entrance of the lower
superheater, carryover particles are usually
completely molten (100% liquid), forming
very hard deposits, typically observed on
screen tubes and/or on the leading edge of
superheater tubes. As the particles pass
through the boiler, they cool down, reducing
their liquid content and forming less tenacious
deposits.
Due to their greater thermal mass and
lower specific surface area, larger particles
cool more slowly than smaller particles. At the
same location in the boiler (Fig. 11A), large
particles are at a higher temperature and
contain more liquid than small particles; they
consequently form deposits that are more
tenacious and difficult to remove than smaller
particles.
Results in Fig. 9 suggest that smaller
particles would form a stronger deposit than
larger particles, if they have the same liquid
content. However, it is unlikely that such a
condition prevails at the same location in the
recovery boiler, since small particles are
always at a lower temperature, and hence,
contain less liquid than large particles having
the same chemical composition. In order for
small particles to have the same liquid content
as large particles, they must be at a location

Fig. 11. Particles at different locations in a
recovery boiler.
upstream of the large particles, as shown in
Fig. 11B, for example.
This means that large particles, due to
their large mass and momentum, and their
requirement of a high liquid content to be
sticky, could form hard deposits only in the
superheater region where the gas temperature
is high. As the particles move toward the
generating bank, their temperature (and hence
liquid content) decreases, deposition by small
particles becomes more dominant, since they
require less liquid to become sticky and form
stronger deposits than larger particles.
Results of this study provide a better
understanding of how carryover deposits form
and are removed by sootblowers in recovery
boilers. This helps predict more accurately
CONCLUSIONS
A systematic study was performed to
examine the effect of liquid content and
particle size on carryover deposit removability.
The results show that:
– the minimum PIP required to remove
deposits is strongly affected by both the
liquid content and the size of the particles;
– deposits formed from 150-300 µm particles
are relatively easy to remove if the
liquid content of particles is below 40%,
but become much more difficult to remove
once the liquid content exceeds 40%;
– particles with a high liquid content would
form more tenacious deposits than particles
with a low liquid content;
– at the same liquid content, small particles
would form a stronger deposit than large
particles. This condition, however, cannot
prevail at the same location in the recovery
boiler.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was conducted as part of the
research program on “Increasing Energy and
Chemical Recovery Efficiency in the Kraft
Process”, jointly supported by the Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of
Canada (NSERC) and a consortium of the
following companies: AbitibiBowater, Alstom
Power, Andritz, Aracruz Celulose, Babcock &
Wilcox, Boise Inc., Carter Holt Harvey,
Celulose Nipo-Brasileira, Clyde-Bergemann,
Diamond Power International, Domtar,
DMI Peace River Pulp, Georgia Pacific,
International Paper, Irving Pulp & Paper,
Metso Power, MeadWestvaco, Stora Enso
Research, Tembec, and Votorantim Celulose
e Papel.
REFERENCES
1. TRAN, H.N., “Upper Furnace Deposition
and Plugging” in Kraft Recovery Boilers,
T.N. Adams, Ed., TAPPI PRESS, Ch. 9
(1997).
2. BACKMAN, R., HUPA, M. and
UPPSTU, E., “Fouling and Corrosion
Mechanisms in the Recovery Superheater
Area”, Tappi J. 70(6):123-127 (1987).
3. KALIAZINE, A., CORMACK, D.E.,
EBRAHIMI-SABET, A. and TRAN,
H.N., “The Mechanics of Deposit
Removal in Kraft Recovery Boilers”, J.
Pulp Paper Sci. 25(12):418-424 (1999).
4. ISAAK, P., TRAN, H.N., BARHAM, D.
and REEVE D.W., “Stickiness of Kraft
Recovery Unit Fireside Deposits”, J. Pulp
Paper Sci. 12(3):84-88 (1980).
5. SHENASSA, R., KUHN, D.C.S. and
TRAN, H.N., “The Role of Liquid
Content in Carryover Deposition in Kraft
Recovery Boilers - A Fundamental
Study”, J. Pulp Paper Sci. 29(4):132-136
(2003).
6. TRAN, H.N., MAO, X., KUHN, D.C.S.,
BACKMAN, R. and HUPA, M., “The
Sticky Temperature of Recovery Boiler
Fireside Deposits”, Pulp Paper Can.
103(9):29-33 (2002).
7. MAO, X., TRAN, H.N. and CORMACK,
D.E., “Effects of Composition on
Removability of Recovery Boiler Fireside
Deposits”, Tappi J. 84(6):68 (2001).

MAO, X., LEE, S. and TRAN, H., Effects of Carryover Liquid Content and
where massive carryover deposition may occur

Particle Size on Deposit Removability in Kraft Recovery Boilers, Journal of Pulp and Paper
and to devise strategies for minimizing it by REFERENCE:

Science, 35(2):41-45 April/May/June 2009. Paper offered as a contribution to the Journal of Pulp
focusing on factors that lead to high liquid

and Paper Science. Not to be reproduced without permission from the Pulp and Paper Technical
content (high Cl, high flue gas temperature,

Association of Canada. Manuscript received December 11, 2007; revised manuscript approved
etc.) and small particle size (fine sprays, high

for publication by the Review Panel May 20, 2009.

liquor temperature and pressure, low liquor
viscosity, etc.).

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