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Brochure E-196E

Situation

An evaluation was carried out to trialthe effectiveness of Nalco ACT

 Advanced Condensate Treatment to

protect the Multiple Effect Evapora-

tors (MEE) at a European beet sugar

mill. MEE is used to concentrate the

sugar thin juice coming from the

clarification process (Figure 1).

The exhaust steam coming from a

turbine is used to heat up the first

body and then after condensation, is

collected in the first effect conden-sate receiver tank before being

returned to the boiler. The vapour

produced is used to heat up the

second body and the condensate

produced is collected in the second

condensate receiver tank. This

condensate is also returned 100%

to the boiler. The metallurgy of the

system is admiralty. Since the vapour

produced in the first effect contains

a lot of ammonia, stripped from the

sugar thin juice, the corrosion rate on

the copper heat exchangers of the

second body is always very high.

Normally the system is not treated

or an oxygen scavenger is added to

control the oxygen concentration in

the condensate. The results are that

the amount of copper present in

the second condensate is always

above 150 ppb.

Programme

During the sugar campaign, the first

effect vapour of the MEE was treated

initially with an oxygen scavenger.

The Nalco ACT programme was then

tested during the last week of the

sugar campaign, being fed at the same

point as the oxygen scavenger.

Nalco ACT® Advanced CondensateTreatment reduces corrosion inMEE plant at a European sugar mill

(Continued on Reverse Side)

Figure 1 –  Multiple-Effect Evaporator at a European sugar mill 

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Condensate monitoring was con-

ducted on the second condensate

tank, measuring the total amount of 

copper present. The total amount of 

copper dissolved daily was evaluated

based on the condensate feed rateand the ppm of copper registered

daily.

Performance

The values of copper measured

during the treatment with and

without the Nalco ACT programme

are shown in Figure 2. As can be

seen, the total amount of copper

coming from the 2nd

 body decreasedimmediately after starting the

treatment with Nalco ACT. Figure 3

shows the average value of copper

registered before and after the Nalco

ACT treatment. The reduction was

measured from 0.29 Kg Cu/day

without treatment to 0.12 Kg Cu/day

with Nalco ACT. Since the sugar

campaign lasted 60 working days, the

whole amount of copper dissolved

without the Nalco ACT treatment

would be 17.4 Kg.

Return on Investment

Although the treatment with Nalco

ACT was done only on a short

period of time, compared to the

previous one, it was possible to

evaluate an immediate benefit,

shown by the reduced level of 

copper measured in the condensate.

The decrease observed was as

high as 58%.

Figure 2 –  Copper concentrations dropped steadily after the adoptionof Nalco ACT.

Figure 3 – Reduction in daily average copper concentrations was used as the criterion for success. At this sugar mill, copper concentrationswere reduced over 85%!