Condensate/Steam System

Corrosion Protection -
Selecting the Right Products
for Your Application

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Overview

• Why we need to protect the

steam/condensate system from
corrosion?
• What products are available to do
this?
• How we determine the right
products to use and if it is working
correctly/efficiently?

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Introduction

• Who we are (Garratt Callahan)

• Who I am (Matt Bofenkamp)
• This is an interactive presentation!
• Ask questions when the come to your
mind.
• If I can’t answer it on the fly I will get back
to your with an answer ASAP.
• There is a lot of material to cover and not
a lot of time, follow up discussions are
always encouraged.
Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company
 Why do we have to use
corrosion protection products?

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Steam System

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Steam/Condensate System

• Two main concerns:

– Carbon Dioxide
– Oxygen

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Low pH Attack

• Inside the boiler, carbonates dissociate

to form carbon dioxide and sodium
hydroxide:
Na2CO3 + H2O → CO2 + 2NaOH

• CO2 leaves the boiler with the steam,

then when condensate forms:
CO2 + H2O → H2CO3 (carbonic acid)

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Low pH Attack

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Oxygen Attack

• Corrosion proportional to oxygen

• Sources of oxygen contamination
– Steam leaving the boiler
– Air in-leakage
• When in combination with low pH
→ attack is severe

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Oxygen Attack/Combination

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Corrosion Issues

• Takeaways
• Improper treatment of the system can lead
to severe and irreparable damage
• Damage can occur relatively quickly
• Unplanned downtime and repair costs
associated with steam/condensate system
corrosion damage is extremely expensive

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Basic Steam System – How
does your system compare?

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 System Configuration

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 System Configuration

• More complex systems

• Steam Turbines
• Extraction Steam
• Co-Gen
• Pressurized Accumulators/Receivers
• Multiple Pressure Systems
• Multiple Boilers (at the same or different
operating pressures)

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 System Configuration

• Takeaways
• Proper product selection needs to be
based on your specific steam/condensate
system configuration
• There is no “one-product fits all” solution
• Selecting the right product requires a
thorough understanding of the system to
be treated
• Do you have any unique equipment/
processes?

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Now that we know the system
and corrosion mechanisms,
what can I use to treat my
system?

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Mechanical Treatment

• Deaerators
– Removal of Oxygen and
Carbon Dioxide

• Reverse Osmosis,
Dealkalizers, and DI or
EDI
– Removal of Natural
Alkalinity

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Chemical Treatment Options

• Neutralizing amines
– Volatile alkaline chemistry
• Ammonia
– Volatile alkaline chemistry
• Volatile Oxygen Scavengers (VOS)
– Scavenging and passivating properties
• Filming inhibitors (amines)
– Primarily long chain organic compounds

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Neutralizing Amines

• Morpholine
- Short runs and higher pressure systems
• Diethylaminoethanal (DEAE)
- Versatile amine for all around coverage
• Cyclohexylamine
- Low pressure and extensive systems

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Ammonia

• Approved for condensate line

treatment in dairy applications
- Corrosive to yellow metals

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Important Properties

• Distribution Ratio
– Amount of neutralizing amine in the steam
vs the amount in the condensate
• Base Strength
– Basicity of the amine

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 D.R. and Base Strength

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Volatile Oxygen Scavenger

• Diethylaminoethanol (DEHA)
– A volatile oxygen scavenger (amine) with
passivating properties
– Excellent synergy with neutralizing amines
– No FDA clearance

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Filming Inhibitors

• Long chain organic compounds

• Establish a non-wetable barrier
• Primarily used when high makeup
alkalinity or high dissolved oxygen

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Filming Amine Challenges

• Must be fed to the steam header

– Some exceptions
• Remove all iron oxides from system
– Plug steam traps, return iron to the boiler
• Vertical risers
– Rely on physical transport
• Foaming in boiler

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Regulatory Issues, Amines

• FDA Acceptable limits for food contact

(Non-Organic)
• Sterilizers
• Dairy

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Treatment Products

• Takeaways
• There are many different products that
may be suitable for your application
• Proper selection is based on a large
number of factors
• Selecting the right product takes a detailed
understanding of Amine chemistry and
behavior, system configuration, metallurgy,
and process application (Water Treatment
Professional)

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Treatment Products

• Takeaways (Continued)
• Just because the “majority” of your system
is “protected” does not mean the right
product is being used
• Periodic detailed audits should be
conducted to ensure the right products are
being used
• There may be lower cost, more effective
options available

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Now that I am using the
“right” product, how do I know
it is working correctly?

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Common Issues

• Hard to control pH levels

• How are your metering?
• How does your load vary?
• Where are you injecting product?
• System operation schedule?
• Repetitive Failures
• Are you getting the same components failing over
and over again? (Same trap, pipe, heat exchanger)
• Is it the same type of failure?
• “That’s just the way its always been” is not the
solution

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Treating The System

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Target pH and Testing
• pH
– Metallurgy
• steel (8.4-9.2)
• mixed metals (8.4-8.6)
– Regulatory Issues
• FDA, Humidification (7.6-8.4)
• Testing – It is Important!
– Where to test
– How to test
– Metals analysis
Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company
 Testing Guidelines
• Testing
• Main condensate return testing is adequate
for routine operation/testing
• Periodic checks should be conducted on
tertiary/remote systems and condensate
streams
• Any critical areas, however low the
condensate flow, should be periodically
tested

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Testing and Control

• Takeaways
• A robust testing program and detailed backup by
your vendor is critical
• Constant program evaluation is necessary for
efficient and reliable protection (things change over
time)
• Just because a product is working well does not
mean it is the most efficient (in terms of cost)
• Field trial of different products/blends are relatively
simple and don’t require any additional cost input
for a potential cost savings evaluation

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Final Remarks

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company

 Final Remarks

• Thank you for your time!

• Question, Comments, or Concerns?
• For follow up questions or discussion my
contact information is as follows:
• Matt Bofenkamp
• mbofenkamp@g-c.com
• (509) 288-2211

Confidential and proprietary to Garratt-Callahan Company