Cause of Boiler Tube Failures - Chicago Tube & Iron 9/15/19, 3(59 PM

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CAUSES OF TUBING FAILURES

The purpose of the following information is to focus attention on these facts:

1. The environmental conditions within the boiler can be highly aggressive and alter the
microstructure of tubing.
2. Stresses caused by external loads, or induced by cold forming operations, uneven cooling or
welding, may substantially lower the resistance of tubing to attack by certain corrosive media.

Immediately following are contributing factors that may cause failures.

Pitting
Pitting is a type of extremely localized attack which can be difficult to detect. Pitting is a destructive
form of corrosion that affects the water side of boiler tubes. Surface imperfections and deposits can
serve as initiation sites for pitting, and a consequent breakdown of the protective scale. The corrosive
penetration depends on factors such as temperature, oxygen concentration, and lack of flow of fresh
solution to the pitted area.

mproper chemical cleaning procedures may also lead to pitting. Pitting can be prevented by:

1. treating the water to eliminate the halide ions.

2. providing a continuous flow of water to eliminate stagnant conditions
3. minimizing the oxygen content in the water.
4. following proper chemical cleaning procedures.

Sulfidation

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Sulfidation or sulfide corrosion is a problem often encountered if there are reducing conditions in coal
and oil fired boilers. Sulfidation can become a problem when temperatures exceed 500F. Sulfides may
form scale on the tubing surface and cause damage, because the scale is friable and subject to
exfoliation; or the sulfides with their comparatively low melting point may fuse with the tubing surface
and cause rapid integranular penetration.

SA213-T22 and T5 offer some resistance to sulfidation in the absence of hydrogen.

Nucleate boiling
Departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) occurs when the bubbles of steam forming on the hot tube
surface begin to interfere with the flow of water to the inside tube surface, and eventually coalesce to
form a film of superheated steam over part or all of the heating surface. Consequently, the tube wall
may be subjected to local overheating and eventual rupture.

Ribbed tubing was developed to inhibit the onset of DNB.

CAUSES OF TUBING FAILURES

Fuel ash corrosion

Fuel ash corrosion is a high-temperature phenomenon in coal and oil-fired boilers. In oil-fired boilers,
sodium sulfate combines with vanadium pentoxide to form a very corrosive coating of molten “slag” on
the fireside tube surface of superheater and reheater tubes. The molten slag tends to dissolve any steel
it contacts, thereby weakening the structure of the tubing. No steel is immune. However, the higher the
chromium content of the alloy, generally the more resistant it is to attack.

Although the melting point of vanadium pentoxide is much higher than boiler tube metal
temperatures, the addition of sodium sulfate lowers the melt point of the ash to below the
temperature of the boiler tube.

There are a number of ways to minimize fuel ash corrosion.

1. Fuel additives such as calcium oxide and magnesium oxide can be used to raise the melting
temperature of the ash.
2. Frequent cleaning of the tubes by soot blowers.

885 Embrittlement
During exposure at elevated temperatures between 750 F and 1,000 F, high-chromium ferritic and
martensitic steels, as well as the ferrite phase in duplex austenitic-ferritic stainless steels are subject to
a form of embrittlement. This condition is known as 885 F embrittlement because maximum
embrittlement occurs at this temperature. The condition is characterized by an increase in hardness
and a loss in toughness. At chromium levels greater than 15% the embrittlement may be observed in
long-time exposures at temperatures at least as low as 500F, depending upon the chromium and alloy
content. At chromium levels of 13% or 14%, a modest increase in hardness may be seen in long-time

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exposure at 900 F.

Carbide graphitization
The carbide phase of carbon and carbon-moly steels may be converted to graphite after long-time
exposure to high temperature. If this occurs locally as sometimes associated with weldment, especially
in headers and steam piping, structural integrity may be adversely affected. If it occurs, generally slight
losses of strength and ductility can be expected. In carbon steels, such conversion to graphite may
occur on prolonged exposure to temperatures exceeding about 800 F. In carbon-moly, the conversion
may occur on prolonged service above about 875 F.

Chrome-moly steels containing 1/2% or more chromium are normally considered to be resistant to
graphitization.

Dew Point corrosion

During periodic shutdowns of the boiler unit, tube failures can occur. Quite often they are related to
dew point corrosion, an insidious condition that can penetrate up to 0.50” of steel per year. Thin walled
tubes that normally last 10 years can become badly pitted during shutdown, and replacement tubing
becomes an unanticipated expense.

During shutdown, surface temperatures of fireside boiler tubing drop below the dew point and form
condensate. The condensate reacts with sulfurous parts of the ash and acid deposits, then hydrolizes,
forming a highly acidic solution. The end result is rapid, localized attack of the metal surface.

Dew point corrosion can be prevented by the following:

1. Clean ash, soot and other products of combustion from fireside tube and tube sheet surfaces
immediately after shutdown.
2. Flush these surfaces completely with water to dissolve, dilute and remove any remaining sulfur
compounds. Dry by blowing air through the boiler.
3. All cleaned surfaces should be coated with a good grade of light oil to prevent rust.
4. A tray of unslaked lime should be placed in the ash pit during the idle period. This will lower the
relative humidity inside the boiler and lessen the chances of condensate forming. The lime must
be renewed whenever it becomes mushy.
5. Finally, the present fuel should be evaluated for sulfur content. If it is high, switch to one
containing less sulphur.

CAUSES OF TUBING FAILURES

Oxidation
Steel tubing exposed to elevated temperatures for extended periods of time will oxidize; i.e.,
accumulate a protective coating of scale. At some minimum temperature, the scale will lose adhesion,
gradually flake and cause a progressive thinning of the tube walls.

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Resistance to oxidation is one of the most important characteristics of the alloy and stainless grades.
The chromium in these grades reacts with oxygen to form a tight, adherent scale that retards oxidation
at elevated temperatures. As the chromium content increases, the degree of protection and the
maximum operating temperature increases for the tubing.

Stress corrosion cracking

Austenitic chromium-nickel steels that are highly stressed in tension may develop transcrystalline or
intercrystalline cracks when simultaneously exposed to a specific aqueous corrosive medium. The
austenitic stainless steels are very susceptible to chloride stress corrosion cracking. Dissolved oxygen
is essential to the cracking of the austenitic stainless steels in solutions containing chlorides or other
halides

The chances of stress corrosion cracking occurring can be reduced by the following:

1. Substituting an alloy which is not susceptible to cracking in the particular environment.

2. Removing the particular ion associated with the cracking.
3. Removing all dissolved oxygen.
4. Annealing the material to relax any residual stresses.

Formation of sigma phase

Sigma phase may form in certain austenitic stainless steels and may reduce its room temperature
ductility and toughness. Sigma phase is formed in certain stainless steel alloys, such as 310, 316, 321
and 347, in the temperature range between 1050 F (566C) and 1700 F (927C). However, 304 and 304H
tubing are not subject to this embrittlement mechanism in normal boiler use. Factors contributing to
the formation of sigma phase include the progressive solidification, and the presence of ferritizers —
particularly molybdenum, columbium and titanium.

Sigma phase may also form in the ferritic stainless steels.

Formation of sigma phase may be minimized or prevented by proper selection of alloy.

CAUSES OF TUBING FAILURES

Intergranular corrosion
Intergranular corrosion (IGA) is a form of localized corrosive attack of areas adjacent to the grain
boundaries. IGA is only of concern with austenitic stainless steels when the material is subject to
caustic or halide solutions as from improper chemical cleaning or water treatment.

Intergranular corrosion can be prevented by the following:

1. Avoiding contact with certain aggressive media, particularly inorganic acids, and by keeping the
oxygen contents of the aqueous solutions low. Superheaters and reheaters are rarely exposed to

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aqueous solutions, and these are the main boiler components in which austenitic seamless
tubing is used.
2. Substituting a low-carbon grade or a grade which is alloyed with strong carbide stabilizers.
These alloys have lower allowable stresses and require a heavier wall design.

Creep rupture
Creep is a time-dependent deformation which occurs when a material is stressed at high temperature.
Over a period of time with a continued load, the material will eventually rupture.

The temperature at which creep becomes important depends on the particular metal. For carbon steel,
creep rupture becomes a design consideration at 800 F, for alloy steels at about 900 F and for
austenitic stainless steels at about 1040 F.

Creep rupture can be avoided in tubing by selecting a grade of steel whose creep rupture strength is
sufficient to withstand the specific operating conditions. For boilers creep and creep rupture data have
been used as part of the criteria for establishing maximum allowable working pressures. The values
are listed in ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, “Section I, Power Boilers.” Designing to, or below,
these maximum values is required by law in most states and Canadian provinces. Operating at the
corresponding design conditions will prevent almost all failures of this type.

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