Treatment of steam boiler and heating water

Once water is heated to higher temperatures, its components can cause problems:

• The hardness-causing minerals in the water lead to deposits in the boiler and throughout the entire heating system – these not only cause corresponding losses in performance and thus increased energy costs, but also lead to thermal stresses, which can result in costly material damage (e.g., so-called pipe bursts in steam boiler systems).

• On the other hand, the gases bound in the water (oxygen and carbonic acid) are driven off when the water is heated and subsequently lead to corrosion, especially in the steam and condensate area, but also in closed heating systems.

Optimal steam boiler and heating water treatment

Optimal water treatment extends the service life of your heating and steam boiler system and saves energy costs – and such optimal water treatment basically consists of softening (or desalination) of the fill or raw water as well as subsequent corrosion protection dosing.

Water softening (using a suitable EH system) has the task of rendering the hardness-causing minerals in the raw water harmless; desalination of the water using special ion exchange resins or RO systems completely removes the corresponding salt ions.

Corrosion protection for steam boilers and heating systems

The addition of a corrosion inhibitor after water softening or demineralization is absolutely essential for trouble-free heating and boiler operation, as softening, and also (partial) demineralization, makes the feedwater aggressive. Corrosion inhibitors counteract this in various ways:

• Filmbildner bauen auf der Metalloberfläche einen fettartigen Schutzfilm auf, der den Korrosionsvorgang verhindert bzw. verzögert.

• On the other hand, certain ingredients in corrosion inhibitors bind the aggressive components of the feedwater, e.g., dissolved oxygen; in addition, they increase the alkalinity of the boiler water, i.e., the adjustment of an optimal pH range, while simultaneously neutralizing the existing aggressive carbonic acid.

• Phosphates build up an ionic conversion coating on the metal surface and simultaneously bind any residual hardness that may still be present.

In steam boiler systems, the oxygen present in the raw water, which can lead to severe oxygen corrosion in the boiler, is first largely removed by thermal degassing; the remaining residual oxygen must then be chemically bound – this is done by oxygen binders such as sulfite, DEHA or hydrazine.

We offer two product lines to meet the different requirements and applications:

• FLUTREN for heating systems
• AKORRIT for steam generators

We are happy to advise you on selecting the right products for water treatment and corrosion protection in heating and steam boiler systems for your specific needs!