The use of citric acid formulations to derust the steel shells of heat exchangers requires special consideration for the impact on these formulations of large surface areas of copper based metals. The ratio of the copper metal to steel surface areas in many heat exchange systems can be as high as 10:1. In the acid cleaning of the interior surface of the steel shell, copper oxide will dissolve faster from copper metals in the same space than iron oxide will from steel surfaces. This results in the consumption of the active ingredients of an organic acid formula such as those based on citric acid before iron oxide descaling can begin.
Subject
Acids,
Steel surfaces,
Ions,
Iron oxide,
Iron,
Acidity,
Ion concentrations,
Metals,
Scale formation,
Steel,
Boilers,
Copper,
Cleaning
© 1980 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1980
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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