Corrosion protection for reaction vessels
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The reactor currently in use for producing aluminum sulfate has steel plates lined with lead; there are now several small holes in those plates, and the steel itself has also been corroded. What should be done? Please advise
Depending on the extent of corrosion, if it is severe, patching can be done; we have carried out similar projects in the past, and local repairs can also be applied
The lead plating process is now used less often; firstly, it is toxic, and secondly, it is difficult to detect corrosion. If this phenomenon occurs, it might happen again in the future. It is recommended to use other anti-corrosion methods. If repair is necessary, a thorough inspection should be carried out, the corroded areas should be removed, and the steel plate should be re-welded before applying lead plating
Reply to 4# Yinghong: There’s no good solution; one can only patch it up by applying lead. The most annoying thing is that the lead can only be applied horizontally, so the tank has to be lowered. Just the cost of the crane amounts to nearly ten thousand – it’s frustrating
Reply to 5# Striver: If the temperature isn’t very high, you can use a lining of PO. We have applied this solution before; in the sulfuric acid industry, lead lining was originally used in inclined tube settlers, and after making the change the results were good – those settlers were in use for 6 years without any quality issues.
If it is a pressure vessel, repair is probably not an option; for a vessel at normal pressure, repair is not a major issue, but stress needs to be taken into account when cutting and repairing it
First, determine whether there is severe corrosion of the casing; if it is mild and does not affect safety, carry out a simple cleaning and then apply a piece of lead sheet as a patch. If the casing is severely corroded, first carry out patching and inspection before applying the patch. All of these tasks can be carried out on-site without the need for lifting equipment, as all operations can be done inside the casing. If the position permits, lead plating can be applied.
We used lead lining equipment a long time ago, especially for the stirring in reaction vessels, where the exterior was lined with lead. At that time, there was a lead welder with extremely high skills. He can make the quality of lead plating on the blades on both sides of the mixer almost the same. Ensure it is balanced when in use. However, due to the toxicity of lead during soldering, this type of job hardly exists anymore. If anyone else has this technique, they can carry out direct welding repairs.
Try using polymer repair materials. This method is indeed used for repairing local damage in many enamel reaction kettles. Feel free to contact me if you need anything.
Reply to 5# Striver: Try Fushi Lan polymer composite materials; there are some technical products available that can help with corrosion protection. The original poster didn’t specify the application environment, so it’s impossible to say for sure whether these materials will work. If they do, it would be a huge help – the problem could be fixed just by using cranes, and the repair can be done online without any need for disassembly, making it fast and convenient. It’s worth taking a look at.