2.

Condensates

2. CONDENSATES The objective of treating condensates is to

overcome the following problems:
The following types of condensates can be - removal of corrosion products from
distinguished: steam-condensate systems;
- neutral HP boiler condensates, which - removal of minerals due to raw water
generally require purification and always inflow through condenser leaks;
require conditioning;
- removal of organic pollutants brought in
- alkaline LP condensates, which always
by the exchangers used in the process
require conditioning but only require (heating condensates in the oil industry).
treatment if they are likely to be polluted.

2.1. HP CONDENSATES The filter starts to release soluble impurities

2.1.1. Treatment
The method adopted to treat condensates
depends on:
- the quality of the condensates;
- the standards laid down by constructors;
- the requirements of operators.
The solutions combine filtration with
demineralization. The requisite equipment
therefore consists primarily of filters and
ion exchangers (alone or combined).
2.1.1.1. Filtration on candle filters with
or without a precoat (see Pages 182 and
788)
The filtration rates adopted generally
vary between 5 and 10 m.h -1 .
The following types of filter can be used:
- Cellulose fibres of between 40 and 100
gm in length: the filters trap all suspended
impurities, particularly metallic oxides, up
to an average size of approximately 0.5 m.
at a temperature of 60C and decomposes at
temperatures above 85C. The effect of
alkaline pHs is similar.
- Non-polar powdered synthetic resins,
which are more effective than cellulose
fibres in that they adsorb colloids and resist
temperatures of almost 100C.
- Diatomaceous earth: if the water is oily,
high-porosity diatomaceous earth should be
preferred to cellulose or resin for its
adsorptive properties. The optimum oil
removal temperature varies between 40 and
80C according to the nature of the oil.
If the condensate water contains only a
small amount of aromatic hydrocarbons that
are soluble in water, it is better to use
activated carbon for feeding rather than
diatomaceous earth at a temperature not
exceeding 50C.
The filtration rates for oily water should
be adapted to each problem. They are far
lower than for condensates containing only
corrosion products.
 Chap. 25: Treatment and conditioning of industrial water
After the start-up period, disposable
wound supports can also be used without a
precoat.
2.1.1.2. Direct demineralization at very
high filtration rates (80-120 m.h -1 ) on a
cation-anion mixed bed.
The objective of these systems is to fix the
iron, copper, nickel and silica ions and to
intercept the salts produced by raw water
leaking into the condenser.
Mixed beds also have a filtering effect.
Their efficiency varies between 50 and 90%
depending on the size of the particles and the
operating state. Colloids tend to go straight
through.
To resist the effects of head loss caused by
high filtration rates and clogging, ion
exchangers must be particularly resistant.
Macroporous resins are most commonly used
(see Page 229).
Figure 905. Power unit in Alberta (Canada). Flow race: 2 X 540 m3 .h -1 . Demineralization
station on a skid, mixed-bed type.
Resins are generally cleaned and
regenerated outside the treatment columns.
Transfers of resin are performed by
entrainment in water, thereby avoiding the
risk of acid or caustic soda accidentally
leaking into the boiler during regeneration
(Figure 906).
The constructors of pressurized water
nuclear reactors lay down stringent
requirements concerning the sodium content
of water in the system. If the cation and anion
resins in the mixed bed are not completely
separated prior to regeneration, a certain
amount of sodium harmful even in low
quantities - is observed to pass through.
The mixed bed is not protected by
upstream treatment units and must therefore
remove the various pollutants alone, i.e., not
only dissolved salts but also suspended solids
(mainly iron oxides) and sometimes slight
traces of hydrocarbons.
 2. Condensates
The cycles are long owing to the fact that
TDS is very low. Secondary pollutants,
even when present in minimal quantities,
accumulate sufficiently to affect the
classification of resins following transfer to
the external regeneration column.
The processes below are implemented to
reduce ion leaks caused by
crosscontamination (non-regeneration of
resins caused by incomplete separation
prior to regeneration) or to improve
separation:
- large quantities of extra reagents
(ammonia, lime - Calex process - caustic
soda);
- numerous and relatively complex resin
transfers.
The solution recommended by Degrmont
consists of a triobed with an inert
intermediate layer of resin. This system
greatly improves the classification of
resins. The main features are as follows:
- no risk of mixing resins in the
regeneration columns;
- correct size distribution of resin particles;
- systematic cleaning of resins with air and
water to remove suspended solids.
2.1.1.3. Very high-rate demineralization
using a ration exchanger and a mixed
bed
When condensed water is conditioned
with large quantities of volatile anions
(ammonia, morpholine or
cyclohexylamine) and the increase in
salinity from leaking raw water is
negligible, the mixed bed is unbalanced
owing to the fact that there are far more
canons than anions other than OH- - to be
trapped.
A ration exchanger installed upstream of
the mixed bed removes NH4 + ions or
amines and considerably extends the
operating cycle. Corrosion products are
filtered at the same time and in
consequence the sole function of the mixed
bed is to perform demineralization.
The above system also protects the
Chap. 25: Treatment and conditioning of industrial water

mixed bed from suspended solids, traces of

oil and the ammonia present in the raw
condensate.
To reduce the cost of this type of installation,
Degrmont places a strong acid exchanger
above an MB in the same treatment column
(Figure 908).
Another solution would be to use systems that
place three separate resin beds (strong acid,
strong base, polishing strong acid) in the
same column. This type of system has the
following disadvantages:
- complexity of exchanger construction;
- risk of acidification of the treated
condensate;
- risk of fine particles of resin passing
through.

2.1.1.4 Combining filtration and

demineralization in a single installation
through the use of microresins on precoat
filters
The installation shown in Figure 910

satisfies the two requirements described
earlier for this type of system.
However, although the initial investment
is lower, operating costs are far higher
owing to the fact that powdered resins are
costly and need to be replaced frequently,
even when they have only been in operation
for a short period of time. Powdered resins
tend to become clogged by suspended
impurities or else a leak in the condenser
causes salinity to increase to an abnormal
level.
The maximum operating temperatures
applicable to the above technique depend
on the thermal resistance of the resins
employed and on whether silica needs to be
removed from the water. In the latter case,
the maximum temperature will range
between 40C and 50C.
2. Condensates
It should be noted that this process offers
filtration of exceptional quality.
2.1.1.5. Filtration on an electromagnetic
filter
This filter consists of a column of steel
beads packed into a vertical chamber and
controlled by an external electromagnetic
field. Working at high rates and easy to
clean, electromagnetic filters make it
possible to filter out certain metallic oxides
from the condensate water at high
temperatures without using coating
products. This process is relatively costly.
2.1.2. Conditioning
The chemical conditioning of HP
condensates is performed using ammonia or
morpholine (see Page 55).
 Chap. 25: Treatment and conditioning of industrial water

2.2. The solution is to use volatile,

neutralizing or film-forming amines such as
LP CONDENSATES cyclohexylamine, morpholine, DEA
2.2.1. Conditioning (diethanolamine), AMP (amino
The corrosion of condensate and return trimethylene phosphoric acid),
lines is mainly due to the acidity of the octodecylamine, etc.
immediate environment. In most cases, the best solution is to use
An acid pH is caused by the carbon a mixture of amines and reducing agents
dioxide released in the steam through the with different vaporization and
hot hydrolysis of the carbonates and condensation coefficients, which will
bicarbonates contained in the water. effectively protect short and long piping
sys-
 2. Condensates
tems in the heating installation from
corrosion by forming a protective film of
Fe3 O4 .
In certain cases, ammonia, ammonium
phosphate, polyphosphates and
pyrophosphates are also used.
These conditioning chemicals are
recovered and recycled in the boiler plant in
condensate returns. They also protect the
tanks and supply lines from corrosion.
Injected by a metering pump at the level
of the feed pump intake, most of the
corrosion inhibitors listed above:
- neutralize free CO2 ;
- maintain an inhibition pH of between 8.5
and 9.
Certain volatile reducing agents form a
protective film of Fe3 O4 .
Film-forming amines isolate the metal
from the water by creating a
monomolecular barrier.
Degrmont offers a complete range of
conditioning chemicals, "Complexes" and
"Kemazur, which associate the most
efficient molecules and thereby protect the
installation effectively.
2.2.2. Treatment
If no pollutants are present, LP
condensates are of a quality comparable to
distilled or demineralized water. They also
offer potentially recoverable calories.
One specific characteristic of LP
condensates is their high total iron content
owing to metal particles becoming detached
through erosion or rolling (steam speed).
 Chap. 25: Treatment and conditioning of industrial water
BP condensates can be treated in certain
cases. It is advisable to consult the boiler
manufacturer or the water treatment
specialist.
Possible treatments include:
- iron removal by slow controlled filtration
on a magnetic candle filter equipped with a
permanent magnet (Ferrostop filter);
- softening of hot condensates on
ionexchange resins.
Certain condensates liable to have been
polluted by the process must undergo
specific treatment:
- Condensates produced in the heating of
refinery stocks: according to
the type of hydrocarbons dispersed,
condensates are purified by steam stripping
and then filtered on a carbon precoat filter
(aromatic hydrocarbons), or by coalescence
(Colexer) and diatom precoat filtration
(insoluble hydrocarbons).
- Condensates produced by the
evaporation of milk: after pH correction,
these condensates are purified in a
biological filtering process involving the
use of carbon to remove the lactic acid.
- Ammonia condensates produced by
evaporation in sugar refineries: the
fraction recycled in the boiler undergoes
stripping or thermal deaeration.