Hot parts of burners for residential boilers are subject to irregular heating cycles up to 800 oC
and higher, simultaneously exposed to alkali salts, variable oxygen partial pressure – and
thermal shock. Fundamental hot corrosion studies under well-controlled conditions, in
combination with simple ranking tests simulating the effect of ash deposited on the alloy
surface, have been performed. The investigation included four types of high-alloyed steel and
two types of ash from wood and bark pellets. The work was complemented with field studies of
selected damaged parts. Two mechanisms involving interaction of potassium as well as
carbon under intermittent oxygen-deficient conditions with chromium from the alloys have been
corroborated. A simple ranking test procedure has also been designed. It proved relevant as a
screening method only after incorporating a mild thermal shock in the heat treatment
sequence. A significant difference in corrosive effect, particularly on a lower chromium-alloy
like 304 L, has been observed for the ash derived from the wood and bark pellets, respectively.
Key words: alkali corrosion, residential boilers, pellet ash, thermal shock, screening, high
temperature corrosion-resistant alloys