Tubes Leakage types

S.No Leakage Types Symptoms Reasons Remarks

1 Acid attack Corrosive attack on internal Poor boiler chemical cleaning & Same as "Swiss cheese".
tube irregular pitting. inadequate postcleaning passivation.

Excess deposition on ID tube surface--

Localized loss ID resulting in loss of cooling medium flow local deposit Finally results in caustic
2 Caustic attack
stress and strain in tube. boiling & concentration of boiler water condition.
chemicals.

Manufacturing failure at When austenitic(SS) joins with ferrites

Dissimilar metal ferrite side of weld along due to high stress at austinitic interface,
3 weld(DMW) weldfusion line without difference in expansion properties, creep _
warning. of ferrite due to loading stress, etc

Impingement of external surface may be

4 Erosion OD metal loss on impact side Rupture due to increased
of the tube. due to fly ash or soot-blowing steam strain.
which also may cause thermal fatigue.

Combination of corrosion and thermal

5 Fireside corrosion Series of cracks on OD fatigue. OD experiences thermal stress "Elephant hide","Alligator
fatigue propagates into wall. cycle in addition to subjecting material to hide","Craze cracking".
cyclic stress.

Long term operation at relatively high

6 Graphitization Brittle with thick edge temperature to damage CS with more Dissociation of iron carbide in
fracture. steel.
carbon formation of graphite nodules.

Local high temperature causes high-

High temperature External tube metal loss temperature oxidations similar and
7 _
oxidation exess strain in tube. confused with fireside ash corrosion best
differentiated by tube analysis.

Loss of ductility & Deposition on tube ID & low pH under

Hydrogen deposit corrosion, atomic hydrogen is Water chemistry upset may
8 embrittlement; finally brittle
-embrittlement released, which reacts with carbon in the be due to condenser leakage.
catastrophic rupture. steel & causes intergranular separation.

Small swelling & longitudinal Long-term overheating at SH, RH, and

Long-term
9 split is narrow tubes often stress due to high temperature also _
overheating
have scale buildups. waterwalls fails due to this.

OD initiated localised crack Cyclic stress in component Thermal

10 Mechanical failure due to high stress & fatigue affects mechanical damage, with _
constrains. external stress.

Presence of excess air may be due to

pump air leakage or mainly occurs during
Aggressive localised corrosion a long idle periodic failure of operation of
11 Oxygen pitting _
& loss of tube wall. preboiler water treatment equipment
mostly in economizer FW inlet &
nondrainable surfaces.

Occurs during startup, when metal tube

Ductile rupture of tube metal temperature may be extremely elevated
12 Short-term overheat characterized by "fish due to lack of stream/water, or SH tubes _
mouth". are not cleared of condensation at
startup.

Thick wall, brittle-type crack Mainly in austenitic SH material due to

13 Stress corrosion _
cracking(SCC) in locations with external high tensile stress coupled with corrosive
extra stress fluid presence.

Function of ash characterised &boiler

14 SH fireside ash External tube wall loss & design mainly in coal(maybe for oil) _
corrosion increases strain in tube. certain constituents of ash in molten
state cause high corrosion.

Waterside corrosion ID initiated wide Combination of thermal fatigue & Found in seal plate,scallop
15 transgranular cracks to corrosion breakdown of protective
fatigue bars.
external attachment. magnetite on ID of the tube.
 External tube metal When reducing atmosphere is created
Waterwall fireside Also in burning zone of fossil
16 loss,thinning & increase due to combination ,mainly in recovery
corrosion. fuel boiler.
strain. boiler.