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Foaming and priming in boilers

Boiler water carry-over is the contamination of the steam with boiler-water solids. Bubbles or froth actually build up on the surface of the boiler water and pass out with the steam. This is
called foaming and it is caused by high concentration of any solids in the boiler water. It is generally believed, however, that specific substances such as alkalis, oils, fats, greases,
certain types of organic matter and suspended solids are particularly conducive to foaming. In theory suspended solids collect in the surface film surrounding a steam bubble and make
it tougher. The steam bubble therefore resists breaking and builds up foam. It is believed that the finer the suspended particles the greater their collection in the bubble.

Priming is the carryover of varying amounts of droplets of water in the steam (foam and mist), which lowers the energy efficiency of the steam and leads to the deposit of salt crystals
on the super heaters and in the turbines. Priming may be caused by improper construction of boiler, excessive ratings, or sudden fluctuations in steam demand. Priming is sometimes
aggravated by impurities in the boiler-water.
Some mechanical entrainment of minute drops of boiler water in the steam always occurs. When this boiler water carryover is excessive, steam-carried solids produce turbine blade
deposits. The accumulations have a composition similar to that of the dissolved solids in the boiler water. Priming is common cause of high levels of boiler water carryover. These
conditions often lead to super heater tube failures as well. Priming is related to the viscosity of the water and its tendency to foam. These properties are governed by alkalinity, the
presence of certain organic substances and by total salinity or TDS. The degree of priming also depends on the design of the boiler and its steaming rate.

The most common measure to prevent foaming and priming is to maintain the concentration of solids in the boiler
water at reasonably low levels. Avoiding high water levels, excessive boiler loads, and sudden load changes also
helps. Very often contaminated condensate returned to the boiler system causes carry-over problems. In these cases
the condensate should be temporarily wasted until the source of contamination is found and eliminated. The use of
chemical anti-foaming and anti-priming agents, mixtures of surface-active agents that modify the surface tension of a
liquid, remove foam and prevent the carry-over of fine water particles in the stream, can be very effective in
preventing carry-over due to high concentrations of impurities in the boiler-water.

Find information about the other main problems occurring in boilers: scaling and corrosion.
For a description of the characteristics of the perfect boiler water click here.
Check also our web page about boiler water treatment, in particular through deaeration (deaerating heaters or membrane contractors).

References
‘Water treatment handbook’ Vol. 1-2, Degremont, 1991
‘Industrial water conditioning’, BeltsDearborn, 1991
http://www.thermidaire.on.ca/boiler-feed.html

More from 'Boiler feed water'

Boiler water consumption

Boiler make-up water

Boiler blowdown

Boiler water treatment

Characteristics of boiler feed water

Scaling

Corrosion

Oxygen attack

Carbon dioxide attack

Membrane contractors

Deaeration

Ultrapure water

Galvanic-Corrosion

Caustic corrosion in boilers

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