High Temperature Erosion Resistance Characteristics of Boiler Tube Materials of Thermal Power Plant

The boiler tubes of Indian thermal power plants are exposed to severe erosive ash environment leading to continuous metal wastage and failure. The erosion resistance of the boiler tube material is affected by hardness, particle velocity, impact angle, particle size and metal temperature. The parameters affecting the erosion resistance properties are required to be evaluated in the laboratory under accelerated condition using a tunnel type erosion test rig. The present paper highlights the results of high temperature erosion of five different widely used boiler tube materials such as T11, T91, T22, carbon steel, and SS304 have been brought out in terms of their erosion resistance properties under different temperature conditions. The properties are compared with that of room temperature erosion resistance properties. The erosion resistance characteristics were studied for different velocity and impact angles around the circumference of the boiler tube. The evolution of surface roughness corresponding to different angles around the boiler tube, upon erosion, in comparison with the carbon steel tube, is presented.