Cooling towers are a vital part of many industrial processes. They provide cooling for chiller systems and help remove heat from fabrication processes. Coolant in many applications comes in the form of water, and when combined with extreme heat it creates an environment that is prone to corroding metal. To extend the life of cooling towers, and their components, coatings are applied on various elements as a barrier between water and chemicals and bare metal.
Regional Effects on Corrosion
The degree of oxidation and corrosion on carbon steel varies by degree based on the heat and humidity of a given geographical region. Places that are cool and dry have not the same predisposition for corrosion as somewhere that is humid and hot. It is in these hot or humid areas which corrosion must be prepared for prevented.
Atmospheric Effects on Corrosion
Today’s air conditions include an ever-increasing corrosion atmosphere, which is caused by considerable increases in industrialization. The coatings that we used years ago which would be considered rudimentary by today’s standards functioned adequately with air that was more “fresh”. With air quality changing and usually towards a higher content of gaseous by-products ongoing research and development is necessary to keep the coatings used to prevent corrosion effectively.
Cooling Tower – CORROSION CHALLENGES
The purpose of a cooling tower is to take hot water from industrial or HVAC processes which produce hot water and cool it back down to be used again to sustain the process. As we know the combination of heat and humidity is the perfect condition for corrosion to occur. In addition to heat and humidity, cooling towers also include evaporation that causes a relentless flow against the metal components in the cooling tower. When water stagnates around steel, it actually develops a protective layer of oxidation that prevents aggressive corrosion. In the case of cooling towers, the constant flow of air, water, and evaporation continually dissolves this film and perpetually eats away at new metal material.
AREA OF MOST CONCERN: Header /Riser or warm water pipes:
- Constant spray of chemical inhibited water on to the Pipe surface
- Wrong choice of protective coating
- Stringent shut down or no shut down.
Quality Cooling Tower Coatings
To prevent corrosion and the need to replace components or entire cooling towers, which are susceptible to corrosion, glass flake coatings are used. The benefit of using a coating like DEMECH MAKE KOROGLASS 1000 is to make maintenance more simple. It helps to cuts down on the need for unnecessary breakdowns, helps protect against corrosion, and therefore extends the life of cooling towers. Let DEMECH CHEMICAL take care of your cooling towers the right way. We specialize in maintaining the equipment you have to make it operate more efficiently and last longer.
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