Technical Diagnostics and Non-Destructive Testing, 2025, №03

2025 №03 (04)

DOI of Article 10.37434/tdnk2025.03.05

2025 №03 (06)

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"Tekhnichna Diahnostyka ta Neruinivnyi Kontrol" (Technical Diagnostics and Non-Destructive Testing) #3, 2025, pp.39-44

Investigation of the causes for damage of the water-wall tubes of boiler cooler of the converter gases

S.О. Оsadchuk, L.І. Nyrkova, L.V. Goncharenko

E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NAS of Ukraine 11 Kazymyr Malevych Str., 03150, Kyiv, Ukraine. E-mail: lnyrkova@gmail.com

The water-wall tubes of boiler cooler for converter gases, which were damaged after five years of operation, have been examined. Optical microscopy revealed that corrosion damages in the form of cracks, oriented perpendicularly to the tube axis on the inner surface, developed through intergranular corrosion along the boundaries of ferritic and pearlitic components. It was established that steam-water corrosion processes occurred on the inner surface of the tube, following the reaction of 3Fе + 4Н2О = Fе3O4 + 4Н2 with hydrogen release, leading to the formation of small ulcers that developed into cracks due to the loss of integrity of the protective layer under operational thermal loads and mechanical stresses in local areas. The main cause of damage to the water-wall tubes is steam-water corrosion. 11 Ref., 5 Fig.
Keywords: carbon steel, water-wall tubes, boiler cooler, inner corrosion, steam-water corrosion

Received in revised form: 29.05.25
Received in revised form: 18.08.25
Accepted: 22.09.25

References

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