Fossil fuel fired boilers and circulating fluidized bed boiler tubing in the power industry are normally protected against corrosion using nickel based clad coatings. Weld overlay is the most common form of cladding that utilizes the pulsed gas metal arc welding process, however thermal spray processes using cored wires, powder, and solid wire nickel based consumables have been used as well. Good bond integrity, heat transfer, corrosion resistance, and cladding density are the essential cladding characteristics that provide optimum life of water wall tubes in the transition areas, air injection ports, super-heater and re-heater areas of a boiler. Increasingly, nickel base alloy cladding is not only used for repair and maintenance purposes, but is also used as a cost-effective and efficient alternative for new boiler installations. This paper describes field experience of nickel based materials of construction and repair, and reports laboratory results of a new, low NOx test method developed to screen various alloys and coatings for the power industry. Case history examples presented include the effective application of nickel alloy claddings for new boiler systems, as well as evaluations of materials that were previously exposed to high temperature and corrosive operating conditions. The inherent corrosion resistance, mechanical and physical properties of NiCr, NiCrMo, NiCrFe and NiCrFeAl qualify them as materials that meet or exceed high temperature corrosion and corrosion-erosion requirements.
Keywords: superheater tubes, reheater tubes, sulfidation, coal-ash corrosion, low NO x boilers, metal wastage, waterwall, ERNiCr-4