ipcm_Protective Coatings n. 41 - April 2022

Page 34

SUCCESS STORIES

Achieving CFB Boiler Maintenance Goals Integrated Global Services, Inc. (IGS), the international provider of surface protection solutions headquartered in Virginia (USA) improved a pulp mill’s operation thanks to repair and maintenance of the eroded surface areas.

T

his pulp mill in South Eastern United States operates a CFB boiler

that they had some issues on the roof of their CFB boiler. They had

unit built in 1989. The boiler was recently upgraded from the

an emergency outage and called a thermal spray vendor to apply a

viewpoint of operating mass flow rate to the 450,000 lbs/hr. The fuel

product with a low velocity arc spray.”

type for this particular unit is a combination of biomass sludge, some

“I was somewhat surprised by the choice of product specified by the

tire derivatives as well as some plastics. This type of fuel has led to

thermal spray vendor, because the roof area in a CFB boiler usually

the issues at hand – erosion causing tube leaks and numerous forced

receives high erosion. The specified product, a high nickel chrome

outages. As a result, the mill had a number of goals that they would like

material, is usually applied in the waterwalls of a PC-fired boiler for

to achieve, including:

corrosion protection” continued Paul.

• Increase reliability of their CFB boiler by reducing the number of tube

Integrated Global Services (IGS) offered to do an erosion test using

leaks so that it would better facilitate them to meet the requirements

their bed ash to compare the IGS 5xxx series material and the

of a 20-year PPE agreement.

previously applied material against uncoated carbon steel. The results

• Increase outage cycles from a current 12-month to an 18-month

showed the IGS 5xxx material to be five times more erosion resistant

turnaround.

than the product that the previous thermal spray vendor chose to

• Reduce the number of mechanical repairs that used to be needed

apply on the roof.

every outage.

IGS HVTS application in 2018

Path to reliability

Paul said: “I think they saw that an improved process and improved

Paul Strauss, IGS Boiler Maintenance expert said: “Back in 2017, I had

material could help the mill meet their goals and IGS was subsequently

the opportunity to meet with the pulp mill’s engineering manager,

awarded the 2018 project and we mobilized to site in May of 2018.”

operations manager, and maintenance manager. And I found out

IGS completed the HVTS (High Velocity Thermal Spray) application on

© IGS

© IGS

Previous vendor’s coating.

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N. 41 - 2022 APRIL - ipcm® Protective Coatings

© IGS

A tube leak.

IGS HVTS cladding applied with a top coat as a wear indicator.


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