Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Table of Contents
Introduction – T/A Best Practices ..........................................................3
c. #2A Best Practice for Lay-up: Drain, Dry and Purge ................................. 10
Passivation Procedures.......................................................................12
a. Chart – Passivation Options Review .......................................................... 12
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Turn Arounds (T/As) are consistently the one time period where all cooling water
treatment companies are judged. This is the customer’s one chance to inspect the
equipment and directly evaluate the performance of the cooling water treatment.
You know that a successful cooling water treatment program is based on a large
number of variables. These include the Mechanical, Operational and Chemical
control of the cooling water system. Fair or not, when an exchanger is opened, its
condition is attributed directly to the water treatment company’s performance.
How Nalco personnel handle themselves before, during and after a T/A can often
be the difference between maintaining, winning or losing an account.
Professionally handling all aspects of a T/A will ensure that we are delivering value
to our customers. It will lead to improved reliability and decreased maintenance
costs. It will help determine where the customer should utilize their resources
during and after the T/A.
Our customers are looking to you as the Nalco representatives to bring to their site
Best Practices. The term “Best Practices” refers to Nalco’s best technology,
products, equipment and processes. The following is designed to help identify the
items that likely will be required at your site. These lists should help provide an
outline of the steps necessary to properly plan for any cooling water system T/A.
This document is designed to help you get fully integrated into your customer’s T/A
process. You will need to identify where the site currently operates and how this
differs from Nalco’s Best Practices. You will need to present these gaps to the
Customer management and outline how these gaps can impact their plans for their
unit’s safe and reliable operation.
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If Nalco has not been an integral part of your sites T/A planning activities, you will
need to back up and do an assessment of what your customer does at a T/A with
respect to the cooling water system. Then assess how these activities relate to
Nalco’s T/A Best Practices. This gap analysis will help determine what is needed
and what will or won’t be allowed by the customer.
In order to engrain these Best Practices into the customer’s T/A plans and culture,
you will have to communicate with the site management to get agreement on your
recommendations. They will then help you get these implemented by
communicating these recommendations to the customer’s T/A planning
organization. Work with these professionals to institute these recommendations
into their normal T/A plans. From that point it will be about execution of these
plans. If you perform this initial planning step with the site management
successfully, you will only have to convince the site of these Best Practices and
their value once.
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Cooling Tower
o Issues with cooling tower (basin, tower fill, return line distribution
valves on top of deck, distribution nozzles, etc.)
o Identified issues with existing cooling water or make-up water piping
(size or location changes)
o Repair of make up water or basin level control system
o Repair / calibration of flow meter in supply header
Pumps, Piping
o Installation of Cooling Water Return Line “Gas Hat” for monitoring
and sampling for presence of light hydrocarbons
o Installation of valves to isolate or back flush sections of recirculating
water piping
o Installation or repair of blowdown piping on return header piping
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System Lay-Up
A critical step to protecting the cooling water system during the T/A is how the
system lay-up is planned and executed. Prevention of corrosion, minimizing
microbiological growth and minimizing the amount of foulants and chip scale are
the primary focus of a good lay-up program.
The flowing water is broken into two parts, a thin diffusion boundary layer at the
metal surface and the bulk solution. The thin diffusion layer’s thickness varies with
flow rate. As flow increases the diffusion boundary layer’s thickness decreases and
when flow rates decrease, the diffusion boundary layer’s thickness increases.
Since the thin diffusion boundary is at the metal interface its thickness greatly
influences the corrosion control process.
Optimum flow velocities for mild steel exchangers in cooling service are generally
set at 3-6 ft/sec. As the velocities increases over 6 ft./sec. the effects of
erosion/corrosion become more pronounced. High velocity erosion/corrosion has
a substantial increase in metal loss because the turbulent water has enough
energy to destroy the protective corrosion films. When these films are destroyed
the metal’s corrosion increases substantially.
When flow velocities for mild steel exchangers decrease below 3ft/sec. corrosion
rates also begin to increase. As flow decreases below 1 ft./sec. the corrosion rates
become extremely high. This increase in corrosion is due to an increase in the
thickness of the diffusion boundary layer and its relationship to mass transfer.
Mass Transfer defines the transport of chemical species to the metal surface
(corrosion inhibitors) and from the metal surface (corrosion products). Mass
transfer brings the corrosion inhibitors through the diffusion boundary layer to the
metal surface.
Why does this flow/ boundary layer process become so important for corrosion
control? It becomes important because the boundary layer thickness regulates the
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amount of corrosion inhibitor that reaches the metal surface. As the boundary layer
becomes thicker the concentration of corrosion inhibitor at the metal surface
decreases. These mass transport values can be quantified by using Fick’s
diffusion law treatments and Nernst’s diffusion layer treatments but for the
application of corrosion inhibitors in cooling water treatments it simply means that
as flow decreases below 3 ft/sec. the corrosion inhibitor concentration decreases
at the metal surface. The metal surface in effect is “under-treated”. At flows < 1
ft./sec this under-treatment is extreme and corrosion rates are very high. Iron
tuberculation is also very severe in low flow because the corrosion products cannot
be transported from the metal surface, so they just deposit.
Modern cooling water chemistry corrosion inhibition chemicals are used in cycled
cooling water environments where there are high degrees of super-saturation,
microbiological contamination and foulants. This high degree of super-saturation
prevents most corrosion inhibitors from being increased to levels that would be
high enough to be effective at the metal surface. In addition, microbiological and
fouling control issues present additional difficulty. The “best treatment” for low flow
corrosion is to take a mechanical approach and get velocities increased to the
recommended 3-6 ft./sec.
N a lc o C h e m ic a l C o m p a n y
Note that the concentration of Cobulk (bulk water corrosion inhibitor concentration)
decreases to Cosurface (corrosion inhibitor concentration at metal surface)
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* More in depth reading on these treatments can be found in the Metals Handbook,
Volume 13 Corrosion, Kinetics of Aqueous Corrosion.
By maintaining recirculating cooling water to the rest of the system, you remove
the two most damaging mechanisms that can adversely impact the system.
The first is stagnant water. In order for most of the normal chemical treatment
programs to perform, a vital component is the water’s velocity. The graph
below illustrates the relationship between water velocity and corrosion.
In the graph, the flat “bottom of the horseshoe” is the 3-6 ft/sec (0.305 m/s)
velocity range, ideal for minimal corrosion rates. Also note that as the flow
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In order to fully protect a system when the water recirculation is stopped, the
system must be treated one of two ways. Choosing which method is largely
based on the primary problem issues associated with that system.
We have to discuss with the customer the corrosive damage that can be done
with stagnant water. Also as discussed previously, any water that remains
stagnant in the cooling water system will become very corrosive if left
untreated. The normal chemical treatment program will not provide corrosion
inhibition during periods of stagnant water flow. The only way to minimize
corrosion during stagnant water situations is to treat the systems with very high
dosages of specific chemistries.
We also have to discuss the increased potential for fouling when a system is
allowed to sit dry for weeks at a time. What occurs is a drying out of the
existing deposits on the piping. As these become dry and brittle, they crack
and easily separate from the piping surface. These deposit pieces will become
system foulants if not removed from the system.
The proper Wet Lay-up procedure for ensuring corrosion inhibition during a
system outage is found in the Passivation Procedures Section.
Younger systems will likely not have had sufficient time for the cooling water
recirculation lines to have experienced significant corrosion, deposition and
fouling. Due to these lines being relatively “clean” of these potential foulants,
these recirculation lines are not likely to be a possible source for post-T/A chip
scale and other foulants at start-up. It is also important that the system have
not had any significant problems with corrosion. This will also ensure “clean”
piping that will not be a source for post-T/A chip scale. These criteria are in-
place to prevent start-up issues with fouling at the cooling water exchangers.
If the Drain, Dry, Purge method is used on systems that do not fit these criteria,
there is an increased potential for exchanger fouling during and after startup.
When the system is allowed to dry out and sit stagnant for a period of time, the
existing metal surface will dry and become less adherent to the metal surface.
All deposits, corrosion tubercles or cracks in the piping surface will provide the
source for later foulants. When the system’s recirculation water is restarted,
these deposits and weaknesses in the piping surface will allow this material to
be dislodged from its source location. When this happens, the material
becomes migratory chip scale and will deposit and settle out in an area of low
flow. Often, this is in the first pass of a cooling water exchanger. These
migratory foulants will deposit in the low flows of the channel head, on the tube
sheet and inside the tubes. This can obstruct or completely block the water
flow through the tube, leading to future problems with heat transfer, fouling and
corrosion.
The capability to dry and purge a cooling water system is extremely site-
specific. Procedures to accomplish this will have to be developed specifically
for each cooling water system.
By performing a Drain, Dry and Purge procedure, you are protecting the metal
surfaces by keeping moisture out of the equipment. Purging the system with
either nitrogen or plant air will help ensure the equipment remains free of
moisture. It should be noted that there is often resistance to the use of nitrogen
due to the hazards associated with the use of this gas. These should be fully
discussed with the customer to ensure it is the best method for that site and
that all proper steps are taken to ensure personnel safety. The use of plant air
can also perform well if the air is also free of moisture.
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If the customer cannot perform a system purge and is not willing to perform a
wet lay-up, then this is the last available method to minimize system corrosion.
The key to this procedure is to ensure, check and recheck that all of the system
is drained and dried. Any remaining water in the system will cause localized
corrosion. If the customer wants to perform a Drain and Dry Lay-up but you are
aware of sections of the cooling water system that can not be drained (i.e.,
underground piping), then you should discuss the potential impacts on these
areas and what options are available to minimize or remove this risk.
It will also be important to ensure the customer understands the impact drying
the system will have on the post-T/A start up. Ensuring that procedures are in-
place to minimize the impact of the chip scale that will be generated is key to
avoiding future problems. These post-T/A start-up procedures are included in
the later section of this workbook (page 51).
Passivation Procedures
a. Chart – Passivation Options Review
NO2/PSO based
Good program overcomes issues with
NO2 1000 ppm Time frame ~48 - 72 hours heat load, Operating over 48 hours
#2 No Calcium Required increases microbial growth concerns,
Very PSO 50 ppm 7.8-8.5 Can operate with a heat load need non-oxidizing biocide feed
Good Can initiate regular treatment program at during passivation, cannot use gas
Polymer 21 ppm
any time during passivation Cl2 during passivation. Compatible
with all treatment programs.
Azole 15ppm
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50-100 100 80 50 50
100-200 80 60 50 50
>200 80 60 50 50
PSO as Active
PH
Ca as CaCO3 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5
The damage resulting in such situations can be very significant affecting the
long-term equipment life as well as premature heat transfer problems. The
purpose of this document is to provide Best-in-Class procedures for proper lay-
up of cooling water during T/A downtime.
Listed below are some general product names that are commonly used around
the world. Some regions use different product names, so please consult your
region’s select product list. If you have any questions or concerns, please
consult the CPP or contact your regional ITC or marketing personnel for
assistance.
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Additional Considerations
1. If the unit to be in T/A is part of a large cooling water system that will still
be in operation for other processing units, it is imperative that only the
MoO4 and PSO be dosed to the cooling water prior to shut down. While
the entire loop will see the high treatment levels, it will only add to the
current corrosion program and not produce any adverse effects. High
levels of phosphate will not be as protective as the Molybdate and PSO
and may cause an issue with fouling if added to the cooling water system
after the T/A is over. Nitrite is not as option due to the potential for the
cooling water to leak into the unit in T/A and cause increased MB growth,
especially if the unit is not clean to begin with. The addition of nitrite to the
operating cooling water system may increase MB formation if biocide
control is poor.
2. If system is to be down for >2 months, supplemental or interim steps may
be required to insure long-term protection. The nature of this supplement
will depend on the length of down-time, ability to “bump circulation, etc.
Advise your Nalco representative if an expended down-time is anticipated.
3. If sections of the system are to be blocked-in before water flow is
terminated, notify your Nalco representative. Preemptive treatment prior to
the scheduling above may be required to protect these parts of the system.
4. If parts of the system are to be drained during the T/A, contact your Nalco
representative. These parts will become subject to “atmospheric”
corrosion if not addressed. Remedies may include desiccation, nitrogen
blanketing, or other protective steps.
Note: If the unit is equipped with steam driven pumps, use these first (prior to
electric driven pumps). These pumps should be capable of ramping up to
speed in a more controlled manor than electric driven pumps. This will
minimize any shock conveyed to the system pimping that might dislodge any
chip scale or other debris that can plug the exchangers.
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Plant:
System:
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Careful attention to the procedures described below will help minimize these
problems.
In many systems, chip scale and iron deposition pose the greatest threat to
tube and tube sheet plugging during start-ups. The best method for dealing
with this issue is to use either a strainer on the inlet side of the exchangers
and/or insure each exchanger that is on the primary cooling water circuit has
the capability to be back flushed. This is particularly important for those
exchangers that sit at the end of the cooling water supply piping that can
accumulate trash.
2. If the unit is equipped with steam driven pumps, use these first (prior to
electric driven pumps). These pumps should be capable of ramping up to
speed in a more controlled manor than electric driven pumps. This will
minimize any shock conveyed to the system piping that might dislodge any
chip scale.
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4. Back flush all exchangers that were exposed to the initial flow of water
vigorously for 20-30 minutes, and continue back flushing until all evidence
of chip scale has subsided.
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Listed below are some general product names that are commonly used
around the world. Some regions use different product names, so please
consult your region’s select product list. If you have any questions or
concerns, please consult the CPP or contact your regional ITC or marketing
personnel for assistance.
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7. Once the system has been pH adjusted, begin adding the chemicals
specified in Table 1 to the pump basin. Watch for foaming when adding
the 73550. You may want to have anti-foam on site. If the system is small,
you may consider using Nalco 3DT701, which is a single, drum blend of
all the chemicals given in Table 1. Feed 1250 ppm of Nalco 3DT701.
8. The initial PSO level will be measured as organic phosphate and should
be about ~15- 18 ppm (higher levels will not cause problem).
9. Open all exchangers and circulate the passivation chemicals. Maintain a
circulation velocity of at least 3 feet/sec through the heat exchangers.
10. After this treatment has been in operation, typically for 3-5 days, clean all
strainers/filters that may be in-line with the heat exchangers.
11. Resume all chemical treatments at dosages shown in Table 2 and initiate
the normal treatment program and control ranges (pH, Conductivity, etc)
When using Nalco 3DT701, the system is usually returned to normal
cooling system operation after 24-48 hours of circulation. Table 2
dosages are not used.
12. Continue this treatment regime typically for 2 to 4 weeks, shorter times
may be used. This treatment approach is compatible with all 3D
TRASAR® programs. The normal 3D TRASAR program should be
started during this period with the resumption of the heat load to the
tower.
13. Perform daily testing of the pH, iron, copper, active polymer, TRASAR,
molybdate, azole, conductivity, total/calcium hardness and microbio
activity
14. Blowdown should be adjusted to maintain iron (Fe) levels less than 2.0-
3.0 ppm while maintaining the dosages given in Table 2. This is
necessary to minimize the potential for iron fouling in the system.
15. After 2 to 4 weeks, turn off the passivation chemicals and maintain the
normal cooling tower treatment program after iron levels drop below 2
ppm. The system does not need to be drained or flushed to rid the system
of the pretreatment chemical program.
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Words of Caution
In the long term, successful system operation will be largely determined by your
attention to in-plant training. Properly trained plant personnel will insure that
Nalco recommended chemical/mechanical treatment programs are being
operated as prescribed. Listed below are a few areas where additional
attention is warranted.
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ppm. The iron is removed from the system through blowdown. Systems
with iron levels > 6 ppm will need to operate at low cycles to quickly remove
the iron from the system. Systems with heavy iron contamination will
consume more products because of the high blowdown. The product
calculations should be done assuming the system will operate @ 2 cycles
during the initial 48 hour period.
Greater levels of iron “pickup” (~60-100 ppm) will be expected from these
“high stressed” situations. These systems should have product
consumption calculated for 5 days operating @ 2 cycles.
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In many system, chip scale and iron deposition pose the greatest threat to
tube and tube sheet plugging during start-ups. The best methods for dealing
with this issue is to use either strainers on the inlet side of the exchangers
and/or ensure each exchanger that is on the primary cooling water circuit have
the capability to be back flushed to remove any debris on the inlet tubesheet.
This is particularly important for those exchangers that sit at the end of the
cooling water supply piping that can accumulate trash, chip scale, mud and
silt, etc.
Procedure
1. When the make up line is put back into service, the initial slug of water may
contain high levels of chip scale, mud and iron. If possible, this initial slug
should be diverted from the tower basin. If even after the initial slug, any
mud or high iron levels introduced into the basin, the basin may be
overflowed to wash that out before recirculation begins.
2. If the unit is equipped with steam driven pumps, use these first (prior to
electric driven pumps). These pumps should be capable of ramping up to
speed in a more controlled manor than electric driven pumps. This will
minimize any shock conveyed to the system pimping that might dislodge
any chip scale or other debris that can plug the exchangers.
3. As circulation begins, the water flow should be directed to exchangers that
are equipped with strainers or traps to filter out any chip scale. If possible,
exchangers should be blocked in and the flow of cooling water should be
directed through the system supply piping and flushed prior to opening any
of the blocked in exchangers. This is of particular importance for those
exchangers that are positioned at the end of the supply piping.
4. Backflush all exchangers vigorously for a minimum of 20-30 minutes that
were exposed to the initial flow of water and continue backflushing until all
evidence of chip scale has subsided.
5. The remaining exchangers (those without strainers on the primary cooling
water service) should be put into service on a staggered basis. Close the
outlet side valve. Open the backflush nozzle to allow flushing of the lines
up to the exchangers. When that runs clear back flush the exchangers.
When the water runs clear, close the back flush valve and open the inlet
valve. If possible install inlet and outlet pressure gauges to monitor
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pressure drop across exchangers as they are put into service. If backflush
valving does not exist, open to drain the CW supply piping for 15 minutes
before establishing flow to those exchangers.
6. Very good microbial control is needed during the passivation with Nitrite.
Stagnant water, during the TAR, can rapidly allow MB growth, and a
microbiological cleanup prior to beginning the passivation procedure is
needed.
a. Re-establish Chlorine feed and maintained at 0.5 – 1.0 ppm free for
the initial 24-48 hours of flushing. Confirm both general MB activity is
minimal and SRB activity is non-existent. To aid in MB control add 5-
10 ppm of N-73550. (Note- The addition of N-73550 may generate
some foam so dose the system slowly).
b. With the use of gas chlorination in this water it will be important to
initiate pH control maintaining a pH >7.8.
7. After all the exchangers have been put into circulation and the backflush is
complete, check the iron levels in the water, as the chlorination step is likely
to cause an increase in iron and begin heavy blowdown until iron levels are
less than 3 ppm. Prior to the addition of the Pretreatment products, stop the
chlorination and dose the system with 200 ppm of N-7338 and 10 ppm of N-
73550. Monitor the N-7338 actives with the GlutatTect WT test kit, looking
for a minimum of 70 ppm active and checking on the consumption
compared to what was fed. A minimum of 48 hours with 70 ppm active
should be maintained.
Passivation Products
When performing the various passivation procedures, there are a large number
of products that can be used to deliver the various chemical components. This
includes both single function products and blended, multi-functional products.
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Be sure you understand the products, their components and their percent
actives. This is critically important to ensure the correct dosages and
economics are calculated. Also remember that while blended products may
offer the advantage of fewer products to handle, they offer less treatment
flexibility and will likely be more expensive.
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Overall Control
In the long term, successful system operation will be largely determined by
your attention to in-plant training. Properly trained plant personnel will insure
that Nalco recommended chemical/mechanical treatment programs as being
operated as prescribed.
It is important to note that iron will be “picked up” into the re-circulating
water at startup. The “normal” level seen at startup are ~ <10 ppm. The iron
is removed from the system through blowdown. Systems with iron levels > 6
ppm will need to operate at low cycles to quickly remove the iron from the
system. Systems with heavy iron contamination will consume more products
because of the high blowdown. The product calculations should be done
assuming the system will operate @ 2 cycles during the initial 48 hour period.
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Do not substitute the use of 3DT191 or 3DT192 as the source of PSO for the
pretreatment program. This will result in overfeed of polymer and be
corrosive to both carbon steel and Admiralty brass metallurgy. For
example, to achieve a 50 ppm (active) dosage of PSO using 3DT191, 100
ppm of active polymer will be fed into the system. This level of active polymer
is likely to cause increased carbon steel and yellow metal corrosion.
Caution: The use of the Nitrite based passivation program can cause a
rapid increase in Microbial growth in the system. Microbial deposits can
lead to localized corrosion cells and fouling of exchangers. The use of
bleach and high levels of non-oxidizing biocides is required.
When using Nitrite, it is best to avoid systems with gas chlorination and the
chlorinators are driven by tower drive water. The combination of low pH and
high halogen levels will destroy the nitrite.
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The use of bleach has not been seen to cause rapid degradation of nitrite
especially at pH levels >7.8.
Usually, after water flushing, hydrotesting or acid cleaning operations, very little
is done in the way of protecting the metal surfaces until the entire system is put
into operation. Since protection is not available during this time, considerable
corrosion may occur due to either stagnant wet conditions or circulation of
untreated water on the metal components. Often flash corrosion is started due
to residual acid left from acid cleaning. This condition may exist for weeks
before application of a protective corrosive inhibiting film and produces a
corroded surface with considerable corrosion products (iron and copper oxides)
on the metal even before the inhibitor is applied. The corrosion products will
deposit on the exchanger surfaces setting up under-deposit corrosion cells
initiating localized corrosion.
During the start-up or first few months of operation new cooling systems,
considerable tuberculation and corrosion in the system may occur if the system
is not properly treated. Normal maintenance level dosages may not effectively
film even clean surfaces due to high initial demand for inhibitor to fill the metal
surfaces. High levels of corrosion inhibitors may be more effective in
establishing protection to metal surfaces. All metal surfaces will benefit from
pre-treatment, but they must be clean for optimum formation of a protective
film.
If no attempt is made to prepare the metal surfaces for effective film formation,
the corrosion inhibitor cannot properly react with the metal surfaces to form a
protective film. The presence of rust, oils, organic films, etc. resulting from
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Phase 1 Back flushing and high-level blowdown to remove chip scale and
debris
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11. Resume all chemical treatments at dosages shown in Table 2 and initiate
the normal treatment program and control ranges (pH, Conductivity, etc).
When using Nalco 3DT701, the system is usually returned to normal
cooling system operation after 24-48 hours of circulation. Table 2 dosages
are not used.
12. This treatment regime is typically continued for 2 to 4 weeks, shorter times
may be used. This treatment approach is compatible with all 3D TRASAR
programs. The normal 3D TRASAR program should be started during this
period with the resumption of the heat load to the tower.
13. Perform daily testing of the pH, iron, copper, active polymer, TRASAR,
molybdate, azole, conductivity, total/calcium hardness and microbio activity
14. Blowdown should be adjusted to maintain iron (Fe) levels less than 2.0-3.0
ppm while maintaining dosages given in Table 2. This is necessary to
minimize the potential for iron fouling in the system.
15. After 2 to 4 weeks, turn off the passivation chemicals and maintain the
normal cooling tower treatment program after iron levels drop below 2
ppm. The system does not need to be drained or flushed to rid the system
of the pretreatment chemical program.
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Words of Caution
In the long term, successful system operation will be largely determined by your
attention to in-plant training. Properly trained plant personnel will insure that
Nalco recommended chemical/mechanical treatment programs are being
operated as prescribed.
It is important to note that iron will be “picked up” into the re-circulating
water at startup. The “normal” level seen at startup are usually less than 10
ppm. The iron is removed from the system through blowdown. Systems with
iron levels > 6 ppm will need to operate at low cycles to quickly remove the iron
from the system. Systems with heavy iron contamination will consume more
products because of the high blowdown. The product calculations should be
done assuming the system will operate @ 2 cycles during the initial 48 hour
period.
Greater levels of iron “pickup” (~60-100 ppm) will be expected from these “high
stressed” situations. These systems should have product consumption
calculated for 5 days operating @ 2 cycles.
Also do not substitute the use of 3DT191 or 3DT192 as the source of PSO for
the pretreatment program. This causes an overfeed of polymer and be
corrosive to both carbon steel and admiralty brass metallurgy.
Available Literature
Confidential Product Profile 3DT701
PR-272 3DTRASAR Passivation Program
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Listed below are some general product names that are commonly used around
the world. Some regions use different product names, so please consult your
region’s select product list. If you have any questions or concerns, please
consult the CPP or contact your regional ITC or marketing personnel for
assistance.
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blowdown may be needed if the system is still under full heat load. If there is no
heat load (or negligible load) during a delay, blowdown will not be needed.
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For this reason, it is necessary that all new or freshly cleaned exchanger tubes
be exposed for a short period upon start-up to chemical inhibitors designed to
provide very rapid metal passivation. Documented benefits from this
procedure include a 20-50% extension in tube life as well as reduction in heat
transfer problems related to tuberculation.
The two methods of passivation are on-line and off-line. Off-line passivation is
the much-preferred method as it allows the use of high levels of inhibitors
designed specifically to promote a rapid protective film without any risk to the
bulk cooling water and other operating equipment. This procedure requires
that the exchanger remain off-line and blocked-in for the period of the
passivation.
Procedure
Prior to installation and passivation, the exchanger should be inspected for
cleanliness. For new exchangers, confirm that no “flash rust” is present due to
atmospheric corrosion during storage on a ‘pad’ or in a ‘yard’. New
exchangers need to be protected from the elements to minimize/eliminate
flash rust from forming on the carbon steel exchanger tubing. For exchangers
recently cleaned, insure that the cleaning was effective removing all scale and
tuberculation. If not found satisfactory, the exchanger should be re-cleaned.
Remember, the passivation only works on bare metal and will not protect
surfaces covered by scale or corrosion products!
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Recommended Procedure:
1. After the cleaning, ensure the exchanger has been flushed with high
quality water
a. Best - condensate or BFW with soda ash to a pH>9.5
b. Good- Clean service water with soda ash to a pH >9.5, turbidity <5
NTU
c. Acceptable- clean service water, turbidity <5 NTU
d. Unacceptable – untreated fire water, untreated/untested service
water
2. Fill the passivation solution tank with high quality water typically
condensate or BFW with soda ash to a pH>9.5. The use of cycled
cooling tower water or high hardness (>50 ppm TH) is not recommended
as the high temperature of the procedure can cause scale formation and
reduce the effectiveness of the passivation.
3. Heat the solution to 150F, the N-73310 to obtain 5000 ppm of NO2 (as
NO2). This is equal to 15.4 lbs of N-73310 per 100 gallons of water. Add
soda ash to raise the pH to 9-10. Use either 3DT191 or 3DT192 to
provide 15 ppm active HSP and 7.5 ppm PSO into the system
4. Circulate the solution for 2-4 hours at 150F. The circulation rate should
be adjusted to maintain a flow velocity of 3-6 fps. For best results, heated
passivation is strongly recommended. However, if this is not possible, the
circulation time must be increased to 8-12 hours.
Additional Considerations
Ensure the pH of the passivation solution is 9-10, a low pH water < 4.5 will
decompose the NO2 to a toxic NxOy gas. It will also increase the inherent
corrosivity of the solution.
Listed below are some general product names that are commonly used around
the world. Some regions use different product names, so please consult your
region’s select product list. If you have any questions or concerns, please
consult the CPP or contact your regional ITC or marketing personnel for
assistance.
Attached below is the CPP pre-section detailing the procedure for using
NALPREP III. Although this chemistry can be used successfully, there are
many drawbacks with the use of this product. It CANNOT be used with a heat
load. Elevated soluble iron levels will cause potential for iron phosphate
precipitation. Also there are environmental disposal issues due to the
extremely high levels of phosphate in the discharge. It is highly
recommended that NALPREP III only be used for individual exchanger
passivations. Please review all of these issues carefully with your customer
prior to use.
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If the customer has not been using pre-treatment programs, you must
emphasize the importance of pre-treatment.
1. DOSAGE REQUIREMENTS
On-Line pre-treatment of new plants (without Heat Load)
1. The first step in using NALPREP III in new plant start-ups (without heat
load) is to determine the condition of the cooling tower. If the cooling tower
is new, water in the system that was used to wet the tower lumber during
construction must be removed, given the probable existence of copper,
arsenic, and chromium in the water. These elements, added as wood
preservatives, are easily leached from wood. Research has shown the
application of NALPREP III in such a leachate produces a non-protective
spongy deposit and not the adherent passivating film that is desired.
2. After blowing down the system, the tower should then be filled with a
volume of water sufficient to flush main lines and laterals. All exchangers
should be blocked in so that flush water and construction debris are not
permitted entry. As a preferred practice, the flush water should be dosed
with NALPREP III at 2700 ppm product based on the total flush water
volume. Once flushing is complete, drain the tower and clean out the basin
of all debris.
3. Next, refill the basin with water to a level sufficient to fill piping, heat
exchangers, and provide sufficient head to the recirculating pumps. Begin
circulating the water to the main lines only, and adjust the pH within a range
of 6.5 - 7.5. Once the system has been pH adjusted, start adding NALPREP
III to the pump basin. The calcium level in the system must be at least 100
ppm.
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4. The initial total inorganic phosphate level (TIP) at its maximum should be
about 470 ppm. Ideal water temperatures are from 90-100oF [32-38oC],
although slightly lower or higher temperatures pose no problems. As the
passivating film starts to form, the phosphate level will decrease. Phosphate
uptake within the system will approximate 25-75% of total inorganic
phosphate within 24 hours.
5. Open all exchangers and circulate the NALPREP III for 24-48 hours. (24
hours is minimum; 48 hours is a recommended maximum, although going
beyond 48 hours poses no problem). After the proper circulation time, begin
tower blowdown.
6. The phosphate level must be decreased via blowdown to 10-20 ppm before
the regular corrosion program is started (failure to do this could result in
precipitation of calcium phosphate). The phosphate level should never be
allowed to reach zero before beginning the normal high-level corrosion
inhibitor program.
7. Once the correct phosphate level has been reached, the designated start-up
program for corrosion control may begin. Consult the appropriate product
CPP for start-up procedures.
2. DOSAGE REQUIREMENTS
• The initial water rinse step for removal of copper, arsenic, and chromium
leachate is not necessary.
• The flushing step to rid the system of construction debris is not necessary.
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3. DOSAGE REQUIREMENTS
4. PROGRAM CONTROL
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6. DISPOSAL PROCEDURES
Some plants may be able to use the phosphate in the cooling tower blowdown as
a nutrient source in their waste treatment process. However, if phosphate removal
from the blowdown is necessary, the general procedure outlined below may be
used.
Two chemicals are used to remove phosphate from the blowdown: a solution of
ferric chloride (FeCl3) and 50% sodium hydroxide.
2. As the phosphate bearing blowdown reaches the treatment site, begin adding
ferric chloride and caustic. Note that the order of addition of FeCl3 first and
NaOH second is very important for optimum phosphate removal. These two
chemicals should be added at two points at least 4-5 feet [1.2-1.5 meters]
apart.
3. Add 3.5 gallons [13 liters] of a 39% FeCl3 solution to every 1000 gallons [3785
liters] of blowdown (solutions of different strengths will require a volume that is
proportional to the strength).
4. Then add 1.4 gallons [5 liters] of 50% sodium hydroxide per 1000 gallons
[3785 liters] of blowdown. NaOH addition should generate a pH at the NaOH
mixing point of 6.0.
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5. Samples should be taken several feet [1 meter] from the final mixing point and
at a more remote point in the waste treatment system to assess successful
phosphate removal. Feed of FeCl3 or NaOH should be adjusted as necessary
to effect adequate phosphate removal. Sampling to determine phosphate
levels should occur hourly during the blowdown process.
6. For systems where the blowdown line enters a retention pond directly, a
temporary mixing baffle constructed of plywood will aid the mixing and
phosphate removal process.
Exchanger Inspections
Once the unit has come down and exchangers are being opened for inspection
and maintenance, it is time to begin to inspect the equipment. It is very important
to inspect every cooling water exchanger that is opened. As soon as these
exchangers are opened and inspected by the customer, they will usually either
clean in-place or pull the bundle and transport to a location where they are
cleaned. Time is money during the T/A - they will not wait on you if you are not
present to inspect an exchanger when opened. To make sure you do not miss any
inspections, you will need to get a copy of the T/A exchanger schedule from the
T/A group. It is also important to identify the individual(s) who will be managing the
exchanger scheduling during the T/A. Since the planned schedule will often
change, keeping in close touch with them will help ensure you do not miss any
equipment openings.
Another area that is important is ensuring you have the needed inspection
equipment supplies ready to go once they start opening exchangers. This would
include sample deposit / whirl pack bags, tools for the inspection (camera,
flashlight, magnet, knife, screwdriver, etc). Be sure to understand the permit
requirements for using a camera on-site and make arrangements to have the
necessary permit in advance of the exchangers’ openings.
The final item of need is a pad of Nalco exchanger inspection forms. These are
available from the literature forms directory in KM as Form 968, Exchanger
Inspection Form. This form is on the following pages and should be used for all
inspections.
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In many system, chip scale and iron deposition pose the greatest threat to tube
and tube sheet plugging during start-ups. The best methods for dealing with this
issue is to use either strainers on the inlet side of the exchangers and/or ensure
each exchanger that is on the primary cooling water circuit have the capability to
be back flushed to remove any debris on the inlet tube sheet. This is particularly
important for those exchangers that sit at the end of the cooling water supply
piping that can accumulate trash, chip scale, mud and silt, etc.
Procedure
1. When the make up line is put back into service, the initial slug of water may
contain high levels of chip scale, mud and iron. If possible, this initial slug
should be diverted from the tower basin. If even after the initial slug, any mud
or high iron levels introduced into the basin, the basin may be overflowed to
wash that out before recirculation begins.
2. If the unit is equipped with steam driven pumps, use these first (prior to electric
driven pumps). These pumps should be capable of ramping up to speed in a
more controlled manor than electric driven pumps. This will minimize any
shock conveyed to the cooling water piping that might dislodge any chip scale
or other debris that can plug the exchangers.
3. As circulation begins, the water flow should be directed to exchangers that are
equipped with strainers or traps to filter out any chip scale. If possible,
exchangers should be blocked in and the flow of cooling water should be
directed through the system supply piping and flushed prior to opening any of
the blocked in exchangers. This is of particular importance for those
exchangers that are positioned at the end of the supply piping.
4. Back flush all exchangers vigorously for a minimum of 20-30 minutes that were
exposed to the initial flow of water and continue back flushing until all evidence
of chip scale has subsided.
6. After all the exchangers have been put back into circulation and the back
flush is complete, begin the microbial cleaning and passivation procedures.
A T/A report provides Nalco the chance to document the tremendous amount of
work done by Nalco personnel. It also will provide an opportunity for you to
correlate the data gathered and provide observations of conditions and
recommendations for improvements. There are countless examples of good T/A
reports. However, they all will include these common items:
Examples of a good T/A report will be posted in the Energy Services, Downstream
PAC 3 Homepage in Knowledge Management.
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