The effect of deposits on waterwall corrosion in fossil fueled boilers

Abstract

Corrosion of water walls in fossil fueled boilers and gasifiers has traditionally been considered the result of gaseous corrodants, such as H2S and HC1, reacting with the heat exchanger tube surfaces. Under reducing conditions these corrodants prevent the formation of a protective oxide scale, leading to increased metal loss. Recent field experience in boilers, using staged combustion systems, has shown much greater corrosion rates than predicted by simple gas/solid corrosion processes. The presence of large quantities of unoxidized iron sulfide in deposits in areas where high corrosion rates were found, suggests that deposits play a role as well. Subsequent laboratory corrosion studies found that the presence of FeS can indeed lead to very high corrosion rates, but only under oxidizing conditions. Since FeS usually deposits only where reducing conditions are present, the accelerated corrosion observed requires alternating reducing and oxidizing conditions. These are usually found in load following boilers. It is also shown that chlorine corrosion may be caused or at least accelerated by chloride containing deposits in fossil fueled boilers, similar to waste incinerators, where the role of chloride rich deposits has been well established. Due to the relatively high sulfur content of fossil fuels, chloride deposits most likely form under reducing conditions only. However, once formed they can be highly corrosive under oxidizing conditions.