Precipitation fouling

Precipitation or scaling fouling precipitation on hot surfaces or due to inverse solubility. 

Certain alkyl-substituted phenol-formaldehyde resins can act as dispersants for asphalts and asphaltenes in crude oils [1681]. The dispersants help keep asphalt and asphaltenes in dispersion and inhibit fouling, precipitation, and buildup in the equipment. 

Crystallization Fouling Precipitation and deposition of dissolved salts, which are supersaturated at the heat transfer surface. Supersaturation may be caused by... 

Modification of the membranes affects the properties. Cross-linking improves mechanical properties and chemical resistivity. Fixed-charge membranes are formed by incorporating polyelectrolytes into polymer solution and cross-linking after the membrane is precipitated (6), or by substituting ionic species onto the polymer chain (eg, sulfonation). Polymer grafting alters surface properties (7). Enzymes are added to react with permeable species (8—11) and reduce fouling (12,13). 

Pretreatment of aqueous streams may be required prior to using ion exchange. Suspended soHds that can plug an ion-exchange unit should be reduced to the 10 p.m level. Organics that can foul resins can be removed by carbon adsorption. Iron [7439-89-6] and manganese [7439-96-5], commonly present in ground waters, should be removed because they precipitate on the resin. 

Foulants enter a cooling system with makeup water, airborne contamination, process leaks, and corrosion. Most potential foulants enter with makeup water as particulate matter, such as clay, sdt, and iron oxides. Insoluble aluminum and iron hydroxides enter a system from makeup water pretreatment operations. Some well waters contain high levels of soluble ferrous iron that is later oxidized to ferric iron by dissolved oxygen in the recirculating cooling water. Because it is insoluble, the ferric iron precipitates. The steel corrosion process is also a source of ferrous iron and, consequendy, contributes to fouling. 

High Water Velocities. The abiUty of high water velocities to minimize fouling depends on the nature of the foulant. Clay and silt deposits are more effectively removed by high water velocities than aluminum and iron deposits, which are more tacky and form interlocking networks with other precipitates. Operation at high water velocities is not always a viable solution to clay and silt deposition because of design limitations, economic considerations, and the potential for erosion corrosion. 

Precipitation fouling (ex.—Scahng). A fluid containing some dissolved material becomes supersaturated with respect to this mate-... 

Pretreatment For most membrane applications, particularly for RO and NF, pretreatment of the feed is essential. If pretreatment is inadequate, success will be transient. For most applications, pretreatment is location specific. Well water is easier to treat than surface water and that is particularly true for sea wells. A reducing (anaerobic) environment is preferred. If heavy metals are present in the feed even in small amounts, they may catalyze membrane degradation. If surface sources are treated, chlorination followed by thorough dechlorination is required for high-performance membranes [Riley in Baker et al., op. cit., p. 5-29]. It is normal to adjust pH and add antisealants to prevent deposition of carbonates and siillates on the membrane. Iron can be a major problem, and equipment selection to avoid iron contamination is required. Freshly precipitated iron oxide fouls membranes and reqiiires an expensive cleaning procedure to remove. Humic acid is another foulant, and if it is present, conventional flocculation and filtration are normally used to remove it. The same treatment is appropriate for other colloidal materials. Ultrafiltration or microfiltration are excellent pretreatments, but in general they are... 

The heat exchanger had a history of fouling with silt and precipitates. Water pH was decreased to reduce fouling, with some success. 

Fouling can be characterized by mechanism and location. Membranes can foul in three places on, above or within the membranes (refer to the sidebar on the next page). The term agglomeration in the general sense, describes colloidal precipitates... 

Chemical scaling is another form of fouling that occurs in NF and RO plants. The thermodynamic solubility of salts such as calcium carbonate and calcium and barium sulfate imposes an upper boundary on the system recovery. Thus, it is essential to operate systems at recoveries lower than this critical value to avoid chemical scaling, unless the water chemistry is adjusted to prevent precipitation. It is possible to increase system recovery by either adjusting the pH or adding an antisealant, or both. 

Iron fouling is caused by both forms of iron ions the insoluble form will coat the resin bead surface and the soluble form can exchange and attach to exchange sites on the resin bead. These exchanged ions can be oxidized by subsequent cycles and precipitate ferric oxide within the bead interior. 

In most engineering applications the supply water is not suitable for immediate use without treatment. It is essential that the method of water treatment selected be the one most suited to the application. If steam is used as the working medium for a process, it is essential that water treatment be used to prevent the precipitation of substances in the water from fouling pipe work and heat exchangers otherwise costly plant damage will result. 

Random and structured packings are susceptible to surface fouling due to process conditions and/or the presence of oxygen as may be related to bacterial growth. Some systems will precipitate solids or crystals from solution usually due to the temperature and concentration effects. Bravo [135] discusses air-water stripping and illus-... 

Fouling (caused by precipitation, lodgment of loose material and debris damaged packing)... 

Group II consists of six different cations, all of which form very insoluble sulfides (Figure A). These compounds are precipitated selectively by adding hydrogen sulfide, a toxic, foul-smelling gas. at a pH of 0.5. At this rather high H+ ion concentration. 0.3 M, the equilibrium... 

Innocuous sludges such as those resulting from using phosphate precipitation programs may cause severe fouling problems, especially when oil, saponifiable fats, or other deposit binders are present in the boiler. 

Under the sludge considerable orange-red tuberculation corrosion deposits may develop. In cause-and-effect fashion, the tubercles grow cause fouling, permit under-deposit corrosion to persist, and generally act as a binding agent for carbonates, silicates, and other precipitates. 

The effect of carryover and after-precipitation is that solids settle out and cause pre-boiler system fouling and result in reduced flow and equipment waterway blockages. Check valves are especially prone to blockage. 

External treatment carryover, and after-precipitation Fouling and blocked check valves Erosion/corrosion... 

As discussed previously, serious fouling, deposition, and corrosion problems may occur in the FW line as a result of the entry of carryover, after-precipitation, corrosion debris pickup, or oxygen and other contaminants, from either the MU or returning condensate. 

Localized pre-boiler scale and corrosion debris deposits. Combination of New phosphate, iron, copper, and silica deposition Old re-deposited debris Transport of Fe, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr oxides to HP boiler section, leading to deposition, fouling, and possible tube failures Transport of minerals and debris including malachite, ammonium carbamate, basic ferric ammonium carbonate Precipitation in FW line of phosphates, iron, and silicates... 

At a pH of 8.5 or more, all the iron is in the ferric form, usually as a colloidal precipitate. If the iron level is very low, it tends to be ignored for most general purposes, but if the concentration rises to perhaps 0.3 ppm Fe or more, it causes discoloration upon precipitation and fouling and must be removed. 

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