SOLVING CALCIUM SCALING PROBLEMS IN BLACK LIQUOR EVAPORATORS

Jarmo Kaila
Manager of Technology, Heat Engineering
Ahlstrom Machinery
Alpharetta, GA 30004
USA

Hannu Kyt
Operation Manager, Recovery and Energy
UPM-Kymmene Corporation, Kaukas mill
FIN-53200 Lappeenranta
Finland

Heikki Jaakkola
Technical Manager, Heat Engineering
Ahlstrom Machinery
FIN-00441 Helsinki
Finland

The most common scaling problem in modem evaporators is the so-called hard scale, caused by precipitation of
inorganic salts. The precipitation forms crystalline build-up on the evaporator heating surfaces. The hard scale can be
further divided into two broad classes; water-soluble and water insoluble.
Water soluble scaling, such as sodium carbonate or burkeite (a double salt formed by sodium carbonate and sodium
sulfate), used to be a major problem but can be easily handled by the latest evaporator technology. Water insoluble
scaling is often still a major problem. The most common scale forming compound is calcium carbonate (CaCO3),
although different silica (Si) compounds are also a problem, especially in non-wood pulping. Modem evaporator
technology has been applied to non-wood liquors with positive impact on the observed silica scaling /1/.
Calcium scaling remains a problem in many modem evaporator plants. Especially with the increase of modem batch
pulping technologies the reported calcium scaling problems in the industry have increased in recent years. Calcium
scaling is not a new phenomenon. It has been extensively studied, and several ways of decreasing it have been
proposed. This paper discusses calcium scale formation and ways to reduce it.
One method of eliminating calcium scaling is Liquor Heat Treatment (LHT) for calcium deactivation. In this method,
black liquor is treated thermally to generate inert calcium carbonate in the deactivation reactor. The effect is a
reduction or complete elimination of calcium scaling in the evaporators. The theory behind calcium deactivation is
discussed.
Two calcium deactivation systems have started up, and two are currently (early 1998) under construction. This paper
discusses in detail the scaling problems, calcium deactivation system design and system performance for UPMKymmene Corporation Kaukas mills in Lappeenranta, Finland. This system has been in operation since early
summer 1997.

INTRODUCTION
Mechanism of Evaporator Calcium Scaling
With evaporator calcium scaling, we typically understand the build up of calcium carbonate crystals on the
evaporator heat transfer surface. The general mechanism of calcium scale formation has been known for a long time
/2/. The subject was intensely studied in the 1970s.
The solubility of calcium carbonate in alkaline black liquor is very low, and even reduced by the large amount of
dissolved carbonate (CO32-) ions. However, when analyzing the black liquor for calcium that cant be physically
separated from black liquor, the analyzed calcium concentration is orders of magnitude above the theoretical

1998 International Chemical Recovery Conference / 419