Article | NCH Chem-Aqua Boiler Water Treatment

The procedure of treating boiler water is intended to control and preserve the water’s quality in order to stop corrosion, and scale accumulation in boilers. In order to guarantee safe and effective boiler operation, a variety of chemical and mechanical treatments are used. Important elements of boiler water treatment consist of:

• Water softening : This procedure gets rid of hardness ions, mostly calcium and magnesium, which might cause the boiler to scale up.
• pH adjustment : Keeping the pH at the right level guards against metal boiler surfaces corroding. To modify pH, pH boosters are used.
• Oxygen scavenging : When oxygen dissolves in water, it can corrode the boiler’s metal surfaces. Oxygen scavengers are added to water to eliminate dissolved oxygen.
• Inhibition of scale : Chemical additives are used to stop the accumulation of scale and corrosion on the boiler’s internal surfaces. Organic dispersants, polymers, and phosphates are examples of common inhibitors.
• Blowdown : By routinely clearing the boiler of pollutants and concentrated solids, scale formation can be avoided and water quality can be maintained.

Boiler water treatment is crucial for maintaining energy efficiency, extending the life of boiler equipment, and avoiding expensive downtime brought on by malfunctioning or inefficient machinery. In order to ensure optimal performance, proper treatment programmes should be routinely monitored and altered based on the unique requirements of each boiler system.

Here to help, NCH Chem-Aqua offers the best water treatment solutions to optimize boiler performance. Regular water treatment is an essential component of any boiler system preventative maintenance schedule.

You can shield your boiler system from the damaging effects of corrosion, scale, and carryover with the boiler water treatment solutions from NCH Chem-Aqua. Safe, dependable, and economical steam production is guaranteed by our solutions. Every kind of boiler system design and application that we can treat with efficacy includes:

• Boilers powered by fossil fuels and garbage
• Electric boilers
• Generators of steam
• Programs for cleaning both offline and online

Boiler Deposit Index

The amount of deposits that build up on the inside surfaces of boilers is measured by the Boiler Deposit Index (BDI), which is employed in the production of electricity and other industrial activities. Minerals, corrosion products, and other contaminants found in the feedwater the boiler uses make up these deposits most of the time.

The internal surface cleanliness of the boiler is indicated by the BDI. Greater deposit accumulation is indicated by higher BDI readings, and this can have a detrimental effect on boiler efficiency and performance in a number of ways.

• Decreased Heat Transfer Efficiency : As a result of deposits acting as insulators on the boiler’s interior surfaces, heat cannot be transferred from the combustion process to the water. As a result, the boiler operates less efficiently and needs more fuel to produce the same amount of heat.
• Increased Fuel Consumption: When deposits reduce efficiency, more fuel is required to produce the same amount of steam or hot water, which raises operating expenses.
• Material degradation and corrosion can be accelerated by deposits that trap corrosive materials against the boiler’s metal surfaces. This can cause premature component failure. This may necessitate expensive repairs or maybe the replacement of the boiler.
• Decreased Steam Quality : Buildup of deposits can result in foaming and carryover, which contaminates steam and may cause harm to downstream machinery like heat exchangers or turbines.
• Safety Concerns : Overgrowth of deposits can cause the boiler to heat unevenly and experience thermal stresses, which raises the possibility of mechanical failure or even boiler explosions.

Maintaining boiler performance and preventing damage need routine BDI monitoring. Operators can plan chemical cleaning or mechanical descaling to remove deposits before they have a substantial impact on boiler efficiency and dependability by evaluating deposit levels. Furthermore, tracking BDI variations over time might assist in spotting patterns and possible problems with water treatment or operational procedures that can be influencing the creation of deposits.