Boiler Tube Failure Handbook Archive - M&M Engineering Associates 9/15/19, 4(07 PM

Boiler Tube Failure Handbook

BOILER TUBE FAILURE HANDBOOK
Appearance Observation Locations Mechanism
Bulging tube adjacent to Bulging »
Waterwall Long-term Overheat
field weld Deformation
Deformation » Superheater
Metal thinning on fireside Smelt/Slag Attack
Thinning Waterwall
External wastage beneath Deformation » Superheater
Corrosion From Slag Attack
adherent slag deposit Thinning Waterwall
External thinning, smooth Deformation »
Reheater Fireside Corrosion/Erosion
areas Thinning
Deformation » Reheater
Smooth surface Fly Ash Erosion
Thinning Superheater
Holes, Pits, Gouges
Waterside of
General pitting » Waterside (Firetube Acid Attack
firetube boiler
boiler)
Reheater
ID pitting with corrosion Holes, Pits, Gouges
Superheater Oxygen Pitting
tubercles » Waterside
Waterwall
Holes, Pits, Gouges
sharply defined hole Economizer Corrosion Fatigue
» Waterside
Multiple Under-Deposit
Severe corrosion on side of Corrosion Mechanisms
Holes, Pits, Gouges Evaporator
tube facing gas Including Caustic Gouging,
» Waterside Section
turbine/duct burners Phosphate Attack, and
Hydrogen Damage
Undercut corrosion, multi-
color deposits (red, white, Holes, Pits, Gouges
Waterwall Acid Phosphate Attack
black). (This is a view of a » Waterside
tube ID following cleaning.)
Thinning on inside of a U-
bend or other change in Holes, Pits, Gouges Flow Accelerated Corrosion
Economizer

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direction » Waterside (FAC)

Fireside/Material
Defect at weld bar
Flaw » Holes, Pits, Waterwall Weld/Materials Defect
attachment
Gouges
Holes, Pits, Gouges
Porosity in weld Superheater Weld Defect
» Material Defect
Thinning from the fireside,
Fireside » Holes,
pockmarks on external Waterwall Fireside Corrosion
Pits, Gouges
surface
Fireside » Holes,
Metal wastage Waterwall Fireside Corrosion
Pits, Gouges
Catastrophic failure Cracking » In or near
associated with weld weld or attachment » Waterwall Hydrogen Damage
overlay Transverse
Cracking » Not in or
Studded
Fine cracks around studs near a weld » Thermal Fatigue
Waterwall
Transverse
Cracking » Not in or
near a weld or
Circumferential cracking Waterwall Thermal Fatigue
attachment »
Transverse
Cracking »
Forming lap at tube OD Longitudinal » Not in Waterwall Material Defect
or near a weld
Cracking »
Multiple tight fine cracks Longitudinal » Not in Superheater Stress Corrosion Cracking
or near a weld
Cracking » Not in or Reheater
Fish-mouth rupture Short-Term Overheat
near a weld Superheater
Cracking »
Fish-mouth opening Longitudinal » Not in Waterwall Hot Tensile Overload
or near a weld
Thick-lipped rupture, may
be very large window
Holes, Pits, Gouges Waterwall Hydrogen Damage
missing or a flap hanging
by one edge
Cracking » Not in or
Irregular cracking Superheater Creep
near a weld
Cracking »
Short longitudinal cracks Longitudinal » Not in
Reheater

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with numerous parallel or near a weld or Superheater Long-term Overheat/Creep

cracks attachment

Cracking »
Multitude of cracks parallel Longitudinal » Not in
Superheater Long-term Overheat/Creep
to tube or near a weld or
attachment
Cracking » Not in or Reheater
Longitudinal crack at bend near a weld or Superheater Long-term Overheat
attachment Waterwall
Riser tube at
Transverse cracking in the
Near or in weld or rolled Caustic Induced Stress
rolled portion of tube where
attachment connection in Corrosion Cracking
it is inserted into the drum
drum
Cracking » In or near
Dissimilar Metal Weld Creep
Complete failure at weld weld or attachment » Superheater
Thermal Fatigue
Transverse
Cracking » In or near
Transverse crack near
weld or attachment » Evaporator Thermal Fatigue
support
Transverse
Cracking » In or near
Brittle fracture in heat weld or attachment » Reheater
Graphitization
affected zone of a weld Transverse or Superheater
Random
Cracking » In or near
Multiple cracks associated
weld or attachment » Economizer
with attachment on outside Corrosion Fatigue
Longitudinal or Waterwall
of tube
Random
Cracking » In or near
Longitudinal ID corrosion-
weld or attachment » Waterwall Corrosion Fatigue
fatigue cracks
Longitudinal
Cracking » In or near
Longitudinal cracks weld or attachment »
Superheater Wrong material/Creep
adjacent to weld Longitudinal or
Random
Thick-lipped rupture and Cracking »
Reheater
adjacent longitudinal Longitudinal » Not Creep
Superheater
fissuring Near Weld
Deformation and
Fire/Gas Side »
perforation from the outside Reheater Mechanical damage
Holes, Pits, Gouges
in
Cracking » In or near
Dissimilar Metal Weld Failure

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Complete weld separation weld or attachment » Superheater (DMW)

Transverse

Cracking » In or near
Cracks close to
weld or attachment » Waterwall Corrosion Fatigue
attachments
Longitudinal
Severe corrosion gouging Holes, Pits, Gouges
Waterwall Caustic Gouging
at a weld-backing ring » Water/Steam Side

Severe pock-marked
Holes, Pits, Gouges Furnace Riser Corrosion/Thermal Fatigue
corrosion on fireside

Bulging tube adjacent to Bulging »

Waterwall Long-term Overheat
field weld Deformation

Appearance Observation Location Mechanism

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