The Steam and Condensate Quality project report
The final report from the Steam and Condensate Quality project is now available. This project was led by the Institute for Sustainable Process Technology and is part of ISPTs Industrial Fluids Program. The report offers insights into how film-forming amine conditioning chemicals behave. It evaluates what their breakdown products are, how they are distributed in the steam/condensate system, and how they can help against corrosion.
The overall aim of the Steam and Condensate Quality project, was to come to a better understanding of the behaviour of film-forming amine conditioning chemicals (FFA’s) and their breakdown products in industrial steam/condensate systems. The project was made up of three work packages. In particular it was investigated how FFA’s are distributed in these systems. So that appropriate techniques can be used to treat them and to enhance how water can be used efficiently.
The project also looked at ways of keeping organic components out of steam and condensate. For example, those that have a negative impact on the steam/water system, in connection with the requirements for boiler feedwater (BFW).
Various work packages
Boiler Feedwater
BFW was the focus of the first work package. This work package mapped out the distribution of conditioning chemicals as well as their breakdown products. A key focus was to characterize these products themselves. As well as how they are distributed in the steam/water system.
STEAM CONDENSATE
The second work package was the one that focused on treating steam condensate to enable maximum reuse. It not only looks at slightly polluted condensates, as they are called, but also at the more heavily polluted ones, the reuse of which is not a given at this point.
Total Organic Carbon components
The third package considered the impact of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) components (both in conditioning chemicals and in their breakdown products) on the protection against corrosion in steam/condensate systems. This package comprised three main activities:
- A literature study on the corrosiveness of the TOC components that were analysed and their breakdown products
An analysis of ‘first condensate. - Measuring the phase distribution of these components under well-defined conditions (temperature and pressure), made it possible to determine the risks of what is known as “first-condensate corrosion.” The results then served as input for actual corrosion tests.
- The corrosion tests themselves, which investigated the corrosive properties of organic breakdown product
Prospects for use in industry
The report briefly considers potential applications in industry of the techniques. These are explored from a number of perspectives. They are based on an evaluation of the findings from each work package.
