Publisher NACE International Document ID 11391 Content Type Conference Paper

Language English

Title Research Evaluation of Polyamine Chemistry For Boiler Treatment: Corrosion Protection

Authors Rosa Crovetto, GE Power & Water Water & Process Technologies; Eunice Murtagh, GE Power & Water Water & Process Technologies; Anthony M.Rossi, GE Power & Water Water & Process Technologies Source CORROSION 2011, March 13 - 17, 2011 , Houston, Texas Copyright 2011. NACE International Keywords Boiler treatment, polyamine, coupon weight loss, low carbon steel, yellow metals, corrosion, corrosion inhibition, field trial

ABSTRACT: This paper summarizes the results of a recent research project comparing laboratory performance of a polyamine-based to a traditional oxygen scavenger-based boiler water treatment. The corrosion of low carbon steel, copper and a copper alloy (admiralty) was measured for both programs under different simulated boiler feedwater and condensate return conditions. In addition, we will present the field test results of the application of a polyamine-based boiler water treatment in a 180 psig (13.43 bar, 1.343 MPa) watertube boiler.

INTRODUCTION For more than a decade, multiple component boiler water treatment programs based on "polyamine" chemistry have been applied commercially in the global boiler water treatment marketplace. These programs have been used in both high and low-pressure systems. 1-11 Although there is a considerable body of literature that reports on the results obtained from the application of polyamine programs in operating boilers, there is a lack of detailed research comparisons between a traditional boiler water treatment program and a polyamine program. A traditional boiler treatment program for the purpose of this discussion would include a dissolved oxygen scavenger appropriate to the operating pressure of the boiler to protect the system against dissolved oxygen corrosion. Examples of oxygen scavengers employed for boiler corrosion protection would include sodium sulfite, hydrazine and various hydroxylamines, such as diethylhydroxylamine (DEHA), hydroquinone, ascorbic/erythorbic acid and carbohydrazide, among others. A traditional treatment would also include a neutralizing amine component or a blend of such amines for pH elevation of the boiler feedwater and condensate. Common examples used in traditional boiler water treatment would include amines such as cyclohexylamine, morpholine, diethylaminoethanol (DEAE), methoxypropylamine (MOPA) and monoethanolamine (MEA), among others. The polyamine program, in contrast, does not employ a traditional dissolved oxygen scavenger, but rather a longchain fatty diamine corrosion inhibitor that is combined with a traditional blend of neutralizing amines for pH elevation in a similar manner to the traditional approach described above. Polymeric dispersant may be added to either the traditional or polyamine program for internal boiler deposit control. The pH control ranges targeted in the boiler feedwater and condensate would be identical for the traditional and polyamine programs, thus the difference in the polyamine program is the presence of the polyamine corrosion inhibitor and the absence of traditional dissolved oxygen scavenger. We will present laboratory corrosion measurements for low carbon steel, admiralty and copper in traditional and in polyamine-based boiler water treatment programs. For the low-pressure system, comparisons of both deaerated and non-deaerated feedwater conditions were simulated in softened quality feedwater. For the high-pressure simulations the comparison of the programs was to a benchmark organic

scavenger under simulated deaerated conditions in demineralized quality feedwater. We will present results from a field trial of a polyamine-based treatment in a watertube boiler system.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE To measure the corrosion in simulated feedwater and steam condensate conditions for traditional boiler water treatments and for a polyamine treatment an experimental flow-through, corrosion test system apparatus was constructed. The preferred method of measuring corrosion is by coupon weight loss.