How to protect your boiler during shutdowns
Part 1 — Waterside
Fireside surfaces should be free of
deposits during boiler lay-up.
The best corrosion-control program for
operating boilers can be completely
offset by neglect during outages, as boiler
metal surfaces are often attacked and
damaged by oxygen from the air during
shutdowns. Protection can be achieved
by (l) excluding all air from the boiler
(wet lay-up) or (2) keeping the surfaces
completely dry (dry lay-up). Because of
wide variations in boiler design, there is
no universal boiler lay-up procedure.
System shutdown and the mechanical
aspects of lay-up are important, so the
boiler manufacturer’s recommendations
should always be consulted before
proceeding. Arrangements must be
made to protect the boiler, superheaters,
reheaters and economizers during
storage. Deaerators and feedwater
heaters also require protection. In the
dry procedure, nitrogen blanketing and/
or chemical desiccants are recom-
mended. Nitrogen blanketing will expel
air and prevent oxygen ingress, while
trays of moisture-absorbing chemicals
will prevent air/moisture contact.
The choice between wet and dry
depends on the length of time a boiler
will be out of service. Wet lay-up is
recommended for short outages (30
days or less); dry lay-up is recommended
for longer periods. The wet method has
the advantage of permitting the boiler to
be returned to service on short notice.
Dry lay-up is practical only if the unit can
be drained hot.
A boiler should be drained and inspected
prior to any lay-up. When time does not
allow for inspection, the boiler may be
stored wet without draining if the
chemical treatment is injected into the
boiler before it comes off line.
WET LAY-UP
Boilers without superheaters
or reheaters
Boilers without superheaters or
reheaters can use a variety of chemicals
to achieve a proper wet lay-up. Either a
sulfite or ELIMIN-OX® approach can be
used.
Sulfite
Sulfite:
5.7 lb NALCO® 19-P/1000 gal water or
15.2 lb NALCO® 1720/ 1000 gal water
(400 ppm as SO3 )
TRANSPORT-PLUS®:
1 lb/l000 gal water (120 ppm)
Caustic:
1/3 lb NALCO® 7292 (50%
caustic/l000 gal water (37.5 ppm)
ELIMIN-OX
ELIMIN-OX:
12.5 lb/l000 gal water (1500 ppm)
TRANSPORT-PLUS:
1 lb/l000 gal water (120 ppm)
NALCO® 350:
8-9 lb/l000 gal water (1000 ppm)
Technifax TF-23
The highest quality water available should
be used for lay-up. Steam condensate is
preferred due to its lower oxygen
content, but de-mineralized water and
softened water are generally acceptable
for boilers that don’t have superheaters.
The concentration of NALCO 7292 or
NALCO 350 should be sufficient to
maintain a pH of 10. If the pH level falls
below 10, add more product.
The TRANSPORT-PLUS product used
should be the same as that used for the
internal treatment program.
1. After the boiler has been drained and
inspected, add the chemicals as the
boiler is refilled with water. (When
time does not allow for inspection,
add the chemicals at least 30 minutes
before the boiler comes off line.)
2. Fill the boiler to the water level in the
drum. The chemicals must be well
mixed in the water. It is desirable to
start a light fire and operate the
boiler at low load for approximately
30 minutes to circulate the chemicals.
Nitrogen at 25 psig should be
introduced at this point. Water level
can then be increased to the top of
the drum. After filling, the boiler must
be tightly blanked or closed.
Test the boiler water weekly during
the outage to make sure proper
control levels are being maintained.
Control of pH is the most critical
factor in overall corrosion protection.
A minimum pH of 10 should be
maintained for minimum pro-tection.
Tests should include pH, sulfite or
ELIMIN-OX, iron and hardness levels.
Add more chemical as needed and
recirculate.
Boilers with superheaters
and reheaters
1. Boilers with superheaters and
reheaters require high purity water
for flooding (chemically treated
condensate or demineralized water).
All chemicals used for lay-up must be
volatile. Inject the following chemicals
into the water while back-filling the
superheaters from the outlet header
in order to ensure adequate mixing.
NALCO 350:
8-9 lb/l 000 gal water (1000 ppm)
ELIMIN-OX:
12.5 lb/l000 gal water (1500 ppm)
The NALCO 350 concentration
should be sufficient to raise the pH
to 10.0.
2. All manholes should be closed and all
connections tightly blanked or closed.
Nitrogen blanketing
Nitrogen blanketing may be used to
exclude air from a boiler. Its effectiveness
is dependent on how well a boiler can
be sealed against air in-leakage. It will not
protect non-drainable superheaters
unless they have been completely dried.
After the boiler is filled with treated
water and brought up to 50 psig,
nitrogen is injected and maintained
under a positive pressure of 5 psi to
prevent air in-leakage. All manholes
should be closed and all connections
tightly blanked to prevent air in-leakage.
DRY LAY-UP
The objective of dry lay-up is to keep
metal surfaces free of moisture which
could contain dissolved oxygen. The two
recommended procedures are nitrogen
blanketing and the use of desiccants.
Nitrogen blanketing
Drain the boiler before the pressure falls
to zero and pressurize with
5 psig nitrogen while draining. Maintain
this nitrogen pressure throughout
draining and storage. Pressurize all
circuits to exclude air in-leakage.
Use of desiccants
1. The boiler should be free of moisture-
retaining deposits and thoroughly
dried out.
2. Drying can be aided by blowing hot
dry air through boiler circuits.
Note: Special attention must be given to
the superheaters. It is important to dry
them thoroughly since they are particu-
larly susceptible to corrosion.
3. Place commercial grade silica gel in
trays and distribute in boiler drums.
The trays should be placed so that air
may circulate underneath. Use 5 lb of
silica gel/30 ft3 of boiler volume.
4. Seal the boiler carefully, blanking off all
openings to prevent air
in-leakage.
5. Inspect every two months for
evidence of active corrosion. Check
the desiccant and replace when
necessary. Reseal and restore to
proper conditions.
RETURNING IDLE
BOILERS
TO SERVICE
Wet lay-up — Vent the nitrogen, if used.
Reduce the chemical concentrations in
the lay-up water to normal operating
levels. This can be accomplished by
partially draining the boiler and filling to
operating level with feedwater. If super-
heaters are stored wet, they should be
drained. Careful firing is then required to
completely dry out the superheaters
before normal operation.
Dry lay-up — The normal start-up pro-
cedure for the boiler can be followed.
Thoroughly purge the equipment of
nitrogen with dry air. Remove all
desiccant, including any spillage from
trays.
Warning: Do not enter a boiler that
has been nitrogen capped until oxygen
levels are checked. Entering a nitrogen-
filled boiler can be fatal.
Part 2 — Fireside
Fireside lay-up procedures are designed
to keep metal surfaces dry. Moisture and
oxygen produce corrosion by forming
acids that attack steel. Precautions taken
during lay-up inhibit metal degradation
and prolong boiler life.
Corrosion is a threat to a cold boiler
regardless of fuel type. The common
factor in all fuels is the level of impurities.
While the boiler is still firing, the
impurities may be thermally decomposed
as they pass through the flame zone. The
elements of the impurities combine into
an assortment of different compounds.
As the compounds stabilize, they may
form either solid deposits on the tube
surfaces, or acidic liquids that corrode
metal.
Lay-up is a critical period for boiler
maintenance and repair. It is important to
clean fireside surfaces to maximize heat
transfer. Consider that a 0.1" scale
deposit on the waterside may increase
fuel consumption as much as 16%.
Fireside deposits may be several inches
thick and significantly alter the efficiency
of heat transfer.
The deposits themselves may initiate
three types of problems. First, as deposits
form, they may produce corrosion at the
interface of the metal and deposit
surface. Second, the deposit may trap fly
ash, which adds to the bulk of the deposit
surface. Third, fly ash constituents such as
iron, vanadium, and sodium may react
with sulfur compounds to form highly
corrosive, low pH deposits.
Clean fireside boiler tubes will help
reduce fuel costs and maintain a low stack
temperature while providing maximum
superheat temperatures. Fireside clean-
up is usually done by water washing the
tube surfaces with lances or high-
pressure hoses. Tenacious deposits may
have to be sand-blasted from the tube
surface.
The problem associated with clean metal
during lay-up is the vulnerability of tube
surfaces to rust and corrosion. The water
used to clean the fireside reacts with
sulfur compounds in the ash deposits to
form sulfuric and sulfurous acids. Iron or
vanadium will catalyze this reaction and
intensify the corrosion.
Higher SO3 and H2O concentrations favor
The typical corrosion reactions are: formation of corrosive liquid acid at higher
metal temperatures.
Sulfuric Acid Corrosion
2Fe + 4H2O + SO3 → H2SO4 + Fe2O3 +
3H2↑ With either method of lay-up, if signifi-
cant deposits are present, the fireside
Carbonic Acid Corrosion
should be cleaned. If water washing is
Fe + 2H2CO3 →Fe+2 + H2↑ + 2HCO3– unnecessary, an oil dispersible magne-
Oxygen Corrosion sium-based additive such as NALCO®
8253 should be used continuously for
4Fe + 6H2O + 3O2 → 4Fe(OH)3
two weeks prior to shutdown at a
Magnesium-based products can be used dosage range of 7-8 pints per 1000
to reduce the effects of corrosion during gallons of oil. Sootblowers would remove
lay-up periods. The products use two the additive, so they should not be
anti-corrosion mechanisms: activated when the boiler is taken out of
service. The boiler should be inspected
1. Formation of a physical barrier that monthly during lay-up to check for
inhibits exposure of clean metal trouble spots and active corrosion sites.
surfaces to oxygen and water vapor.
2. The magnesium-based product absorbs
acids such as H2SO4 and chemically HOT LAY-UP/BOILER IDLE
neutralizes them.
For hot lay-up, metal surfaces should be
There are two common methods of kept at 170°F (77°C) or higher to reduce
fireside lay-up: “hot” and “cold.” Cold lay- moisture in the system. The temperature
up is better for extended outages or can be controlled by using an auxiliary
many types of boiler repairs because it heat source.
does not use energy. For minor repairs, a
short outage or when keeping the boiler If natural gas or electric air heaters are
used to maintain boiler temperatures, a
on idle, a hot lay-up may be preferred.
dry magnesium product such as
NALCO® 156C can be introduced at the
forced draft (FD) fan inlet.

COLD LAY-UP
The potential for corrosion is much
greater with cold lay-up because of
the lower temperatures. The impor-
tance of metal skin temperature can-
not be over-emphasized in corrosion
problems. A metal surface below
300°F (149°C) with 10 ppm SO3
present will be cool enough to cause
condensation of sulfuric acid, open-ing
the door to corrosion. During cold lay-
up, the metal temperatures are usually
far below 300°F (149°C), and the
formation of SO3 will be the preferred
chemical reaction.
When the unit is off line and the
water temperature has dropped below
140°F, wash down the boiler, econo-
mizer, air heater and ID fan. Washing
removes the ash and impurities that
can contribute to corrosion. Drain all
wash water from the boiler.
To protectively coat the fireside, add
NALCO 156C at the FD fan inlet. The
fan must be on while the product is
being added. The dosage will range from
25 to 500 lb of 156C per boiler. Use
1 pound of 156C per 1000 lb/hr of
boiler capacity.
Example:
Average Steam Capacity = 75,000 lb/hr
75,000 lb/hr = 75 pounds of 156C
1000 lb/hr
Important: Do not activate soot-
blower after the product has been fed
to the system.
An alternate procedure is to apply
NALCO® 8263 PLUS to the fire-side
surface with a paint spray gun, or in
severe problem areas, a paint brush.
The spray gun must have a nozzle orifice
of at least 0.028" to accommodate the
suspension. Assuming a dry thickness
of 1 mil (0.001"), one gallon of
NALCO 8263 PLUS should cover
about 500 square feet.
Brush application generally provides a
heavier layer, so coverage would be
reduced. The product should be applied
full strength.
Abrasion of the paint spray equipment
should not be a problem as long as the
application pressures are less than 15
psi. Stainless steel equipment is
preferred, but most plastics, brass, and
copper are also suitable. The material
cannot be sprayed using aluminum,
natural rubber, neoprene or carbon
steel materials. Metal surfaces should
be kept dry by using heat lamps,
desiccants, or dry, warm air circulation.
Seal the furnace to prevent moist air
or rain from entering.
Hard hats, safety glasses, and safety
shoes should be worn when entering a
furnace. Falling slag, tools, etc., are
hazards that must be recognized.
Preventive maintenance procedures
used with the boiler and safety rules
observed around the boiler are
the key elements of a successful
boiler lay-up.
Patents
The purchaser of this product is granted a license
under U.S. Patent 4,457,847 to use the product in
boilers. The selling price includes a prepaid royalty. If
the product is being used so as to not infringe the
above listed patent, please advise Nalco. Licenses are
available from Nalco at the same royalty rate under
this patent irrespective of the source of the product.
Other patents have been granted to Nalco on related
inventions whlch are available for license.

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