CPD 20002: Plant Utilities &

Safety
Boiler Feedwater Treating
Objectives
• Able to explain the main impurities of water in
the boiler system
• Able to differentiate between external and
internal treatment for boiler feedwater.
• Able to draw and discuss thoroughly about ion
exchange, oxygen scavenger, deaerator and other
related equipment pertaining to boiler
feedwater treatment.
Intro

• Poor/unsuitable water - major factor failure.

• Raw water create problems such as scale, corrosion,
carryover.
• Treatment - coagulation, sedimentation, filtration,
ion exchange & deaeration.
• Chemical treatment -feed & condensate lines & boiler
Scaling
Scaling
Scale Problem
• Mainly hardness components & silica.
• Insoluble by thermal decomposition & chemical
reaction, & deposit in internal feedwater pipe.
• Biggest problem causes by -overheating & failure of
boiler tubes.
• Acts an insulating layer & prevents efficient heat
transfer.
• Also cause plugging or partial obstruction of
circulating tubes.
• Generally boiler scale causes;
- Increasing fuel bills by decreasing
operating efficiency.
- Thermal damage
- Unscheduled down-time
- Increasing cleaning time
- Reduced work life of boiler
• Prevent scale formation;
- Remove hardness component –
softener
- Use sludge dispersants
- Control boiler water concentration,
pH, iron & demineralization
- Periodically sample evaporation
tubes
Corrosion
• Reversion of a metal to its ore form.
• Factors influence - pH, dissolved gases kinds of
dissolved matters, concentration, temperature, flow
rate
• Common factors - dissolved gases & pH.
• Iron hydroxide (ferrous) (Fe (OH)2) reacts with
dissolved oxygen produce iron hydroxide (ferric)
(Fe(OH)3).

4Fe (OH)2 + O2 +2H2O  4Fe (OH)3

4Fe (OH)2 + O2 +2H2O  4Fe (OH)3
• Prevent corrosion in the continuous - corrosion
resistant materials like stainless steel.
• Other methods:
- Removal of dissolved oxygen from
feedwater.
- Control of pH & alkalinity of boiler
water.
- Prevention of the introduction of
corrosion products and their
deposition
Carryover
• Any contaminant that leaves a boiler steam drum
with the steam.
• solid, liquid or vaporous form
• Factors caused carryover:
- Excess concentration of the boiler water,
contamination of oils and fats, dissolution of silica
to steam.
- High water level, rapid increase of loads.
- Poor conditions of the steam separator.
• Divided: priming & foaming.
• Corrected - best boiler design & water chemistry.
• Effective use of anti-foam agents has - polyalcohols and amines.
• Best method - restriction of all contaminants from the feed water.
External Feedwater Treatment
• Single or combined coagulation, sedimentation,
filtration, ion exchange & deaeration.
• Ion exchange treatment - resin which dissolved salts
(ions) in raw water are exchanged to obtain suitable
treated water.
• Softening treatment & demineralization treatment.
Ion Exchange Principles

• Made of large ions which other ions of opposite electrical

charges are attached.
• Classed: cation exchanger resins or anion exchanger resins -
depending on the charge carried.
• Cation exchange - combined with sulfo group (-SO3H) or a
carboxyl group (-COOH).
• Anion exchange - combined with ammonium group or
primary tertiary amines (-NH2, -NHR, -NR2).
Demineralization of Water

• Operation to remove the impurities in water.

• 2 common types:
- Mixed bed demineralization
- Two bed, one degassifier
• Used countercurrent regeneration.
• Some industry put carbon filter at the first stage to remove free
or untreated chlorine.
Deaeration

• Remove dissolved gases (O2, CO2) in the feedwater.

• Principle: solubility of dissolved gases in water becomes zero at
the boiling point of water.
• 2 categories: vacuum & heating.
• Types: tray-type & spray-type.
• Inlet water should be virtually free of suspended solids that
could clog spray valves & ports of the inlet distributor.
Spray-Type Deaerator
Tray-Type Deaerator
Spray & Tray Type Deaerator
Internal Feedwater Treatment
Oxygen Scavenger

• Chemical which removes dissolved oxygen in water by a

reduction reaction.
• Sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) & hydrazine (N2H4).
• Rate of reaction of hydrazine with oxygen is slower, but it is
accelerated in the presence of catalyst, high pH & high temp.
• Tannin – weak & boiler water being colored undesirable.
Corrosion Inhibitor
• Prevent the feedwater or the steam & condensate
lines from corrosion.
• Volatile amine (ammonia, cyclohexyl amine
(C6H11NH2), morpholine (C4H8NH)) & filming amines.
• Volatile amines inhibit the corrosion by controlling
the condensate pH.
• Filming amines form a water repellent film on metal
surfaces.
Ends of Chapter 6