Page 42 - Vol 33 Issue 34 2021

Sustainability Experts for the Oil & Power industry
mining Wear Protection

Sustainability Experts

for the Oil & Power

industry

ounded in 1906, Castolin Eutectic is today a worldwide leader in sustainability solutions for maintenance and
Frepair. The company distinguishes itself by having a large territorial salesforce that sees the rapid changes in
the industry and intervenes at the customers’ site as technical consultants. By refurbishing damaged industrial
components, Castolin Eutectic helps save CO2 and conserve precious resources.

The company employs more than 1,500 people ▷ The temperature of pressurised water in cleaning, explosions, shot blasting). If the wear is
worldwide in over 100 countries working under panels, collectors, open pass tubes, etc. similar to mechanical micro-machining, then this
the credo of “industrial sustainability”. More than ▷ The temperature of steam in superheater, is referred to as abrasion.
700 Application Engineers care for power plants, But while abrasion is not likely to occur
cement plants, steel factories, mining and oil & economiser and vaporiser tubes. inside a boiler, if often does occur on the
gas customers. Their tasks consist of improving ▷ Fume temperature outside (extractors, conveyors, hoppers, screw
the productivity of machinery and equipment, ▷ Wear speed in the area being addressed. conveyors). If there is no corrosion and solid
ensuring maximum energy efficiency, and particles strike a surface, this is referred to as
expanding component lifespan. Reviewing the above points proposes solutions erosion (fan).
consistent with your requirements. Providing
Wear protection experts precise answers will help to accurately identify Can Erosive Wear Occur
wear phenomenon whereby the most suitable
Wear phenomena costs money, especially in lost solution for a specific situation is determined. Under Salts?
production down time, replacement parts, repair If an erosive phenomenon causes wear, it will
and ongoing maintenance. At Castolin Eutectic, Is The Problem Corrosion, have first removed the salt layers that cover the
the Maintenance & Repair engineers take the
time to study industry-specific wear phenomena Erosion or Abrasion- walls. But this situation does not appear to occur
because only when the nature of wear is Related? inside Energy Recovery boilers. In most cases, a
corrosion phenomenon occurs, such as a chlorine
fully understood, can the correct solution be cycle that has been over-activated locally.
proposed. They have proved for over a century In the case of Energy Recovery boilers, corrosion As corrosion is caused by temperature, a
that preventive maintenance coatings can extend wear is brought about by temperature higher-than-normal gas speed, for example in
the life of vital machine parts by as much as 500%. (walls, screens, open pass tubes, unscrubbed a constricted passage, will result in increased
Classical wear phenomena that occur in superheaters) and is usually unrelated to any local heat transfer, and therefore more
industry are: Abrasion, Erosion, Impact, Friction, kind of mechanical action. Should the wear be corrosion. Often misinterpreted as erosion, this
Corrosion and Cavitation. caused by a mechanical action such as impact
or shock waves, then this is considered erosion, phenomenon is strictly corrosion.
Based on internal research resources and its
Solutions for Energy corrosion (superheaters cleaned with steam university network, Castolin Eutectic has acquired
Recovery boilers

Although this identification often seems easy, the
existence of vortexes, turbulence, aerodynamic
ruptures, steam soot, granulated material,
explosives, etc., tends to make understanding the
phenomena more complicated. To identify actual
wear, a thorough analysis of local conditions is
required with the right questions being raised:
▷ Flux corrosion, chlorine cycling (LV or HV),
sulphation?
▷ The wear from steam soot sweeps,
granulated material?

42 | AFRICAN POWER Mining & Oil Review Vol33 Issue 34 2021