Corrosion of Waste Heat Boiler Tubes in Methanol Plant

A thorough failure investigation was conducted into a failure of waste heat boiler tubes in a methanol plant to determine the failure mechanism, and contributing factors. The investigation was performed utilizing different characterization techniques, including optical light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, mechanical testing and chemical analysis techniques. The investigation findings showed that the tubes failure is attributed to corrosion under deposit. Details of the failure’s contributing factors, and recommendations to avoid similar failures, are discussed in this article.