BOILER DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONTROL

DISSOLVED OXYGEN CHEMISTRY tiny leak in the equipment will result in high DO and
corrosion.
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is a measure of the amount of
oxygen, usually thought of as a gas, that is dissolved in The most economical DO removal can be achieved by
a liquid such as water. Oxygen is essential to life and is continuously measuring deaerator ppb DO results and
also the most common element found taking part in fine tuning deaerator operation for lowest possible ppb
corrosion reactions. DO can be thought of as the fuel DO reading before adding the more costly chemical
needed for the corrosion process to proceed. It is the scavengers. In addition, even with chemical oxygen
corrosion reactions that necessitate trace (boiler) DO scavengers present, DO ppb levels should be measured
analyzers; such as IC Controls 865-25 or 869-22 at potential air in-leakage points to prevent localized
portable that are designed to measure down to part per high DO and corrosion.
billion (ppb or µg/L) levels. The IC CONTROLS model 865-25 monitors ppb
dissolved oxygen continuously in these critical steam
and water circuits. The operating range of 0.1 ppb to 10
DO Corrosion of Boilers ppm (boiler water systems best practice, kept below 5-
The presence of dissolved oxygen in water makes for a 10 µg/L.) allows monitoring of leaks from condensers,
highly corrosive environment. Mechanically hard, valves and fittings, plus low level precision of ±2% of
porous metal oxide deposits with little strength form reading, or 2 digits, clearly shows the performance of
rapidly with the most serious aspect of this oxygen oxygen removal equipment and scavengers. Design
corrosion being that it occurs in localized cells that considerations include a simple, accurate calibration
result in pitting. Pitting is a concentration of corrosion approach plus the capability to communicate with
in a small area of the total metal surface that effectively Distributed Control Systems (DCS) systems and
drills a small metal oxide filled hole in the metal. Pits evolving technology.
can produce large mechanical failures even though only
a relatively small amount of metal has been lost and the
overall corrosion rate is low. Rapid corrosion will
Galvanic ppb DO advantage.
progress inside an industrial or utility boiler plus its With IC Controls trace dissolved oxygen measuring
water and steam system unless dissolved oxygen can be sensor, galvanic current naturally is zero when oxygen
virtually eliminated. Unchecked corrosion eventually is absent. An electrochemical cell similar to a battery it
results in expensive repairs or equipment failures and produces current only when oxygen is present. By using
subsequent replacement. carefully selected electrodes in contact with an
electrolyte, a chemical reaction occurs that uses
electrons gained from oxygen molecules to produce a
Boiler water DO removal galvanic current directly proportional to the
Dissolved Oxygen removal from any steam and water concentration of oxygen present. By comparison
system is of major importance. The first step is typically
mechanical deaeration which is economical and serves
to also eliminate other corrosive gases such as ammonia
and carbon dioxide. A properly operated deaerator can
reduce dissolved oxygen to as low as 10 µg/L (10 ppb).
Note: 1 µg/L = 1 ppb. For complete oxygen removal
down to low ppb levels a second step, chemical oxygen
removal, is needed to assist the deaerator. It is important
to monitor the actual DO level since air contains 21%
oxygen and the difference between the atmospheric Fig. 1: Galvanic Cell
percent and ppb is a factor of 100,000,000. Thus, any

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Electrolytic DO cells require an external supply to drive so they automatically calibrate the analyzer. To calibrate
the chemical reaction, the resulting zero-current can the sensor, simply suspend the probe above water, Fig.
drift. This can result in negative ppb readings or offsets 2, and let the analyzer auto calibrate. This calibration
in the readings. Luminescent DO sensors use light from technique will give a 100% saturation reading for the
an LED source to excite fluorescence which decays in temperature and pressure which the analyzer will
proportion to the oxygen present. The delay (or phase display as ppb dissolved oxygen.
shift) of the light is then measured and translated to ppm
DO. In practice, phase shift sensitivity is reduced in DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONTROL
order to improve signal to noise ratio which results in OBJECTIVES AND CHALLENGES
certain limitations. Galvanic current, naturally linear to Successful water treatment in closed (or almost closed)
oxygen and zero when oxygen is zero, is a big systems such as boiler and steam, hot-water heating or
advantage for reliable trace ppb level DO operation. The chilled water systems has three fundamental
IC Controls galvanic cell is separated from the sample requirements: 1. Dissolved oxygen concentrations
by an oxygen permeable membrane. The cell has a must be controlled to reduce the likelihood of forming
silver cathode in close contact with the membrane oxygen corrosion cells that can result in pitting of
where oxygen gains electrons (is reduced) to become carbon steel. 2. The pH must be maintained high
hydroxyl ions, and a lead anode that is oxidized enough to minimize general corrosion of carbon steel,
regenerating the electrolyte and balancing the reaction but not so high that caustic attack can occur. 3. An
to complete the galvanic cell. Installed in an 865-25 external-treatment system must be in place to minimize
sample panel that controls fouling and permits in-line the ingress of dissolved and suspended solids and/or an
calibration, these advantages result in years long internal treatment system must be used to control these
accurate ppb DO performance. materials.
Looking at the first item, dissolved oxygen control,.
target values specified by most manufacturers and
utilities have called for oxygen concentrations in boiler
feedwater or closed heating/cooling systems to be kept
below 5-10 µg/L (5-10 ppb). Achieving this low level of
oxygen may require a combination of mechanical and
chemical methods in steam and water systems such as
the boiler system illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 2: ppb DO Calibration

Simple Calibration
At any given temperature and barometric pressure the
partial pressure of oxygen in water-saturated air is
exactly the same as it is in air-saturated water. Thus a
galvanic sensor can be calibrated in water-saturated air,
using the 20.9% oxygen available in air as the full-scale Fig. 3: Boiler Steam and water Cycle
standard, and it will correctly read dissolved oxygen in
water samples. IC Controls DO analyzers have
automatic temperature and barometric pressure sensors, Other systems, such as a closed hot water heating or
cooling system, particularly when they are tight (no

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oxygen in-leakage points), may achieve their target with the plume is lower or higher, the steam flow should be
only the chemical addition. The hot-water heating adjusted.
system in Fig. 4 uses only a by-pass feeder for
intermittent chemical feed.

Fig. 4: Closed Hot-Water Cycle

MECHANICAL DEAERATION
As new make-up water is fed to the boiler, or
condensate is recycled back, it goes through the
deaerator or deaerating heater. The principle behind the
deaeration process is Henry's Law of Partial Pressures.
The solubility of a gas in a liquid is proportional to the
partial pressure of the species in the atmosphere in
Fig. 5: Deaerating Heater System
equilibrium with the liquid. In this case, the make-up
water has been in equilibrium with the atmosphere and
the solubility of oxygen and nitrogen has been Typically, oxygen can be reduced to 10 µg/L or lower.
proportional to the concentration of oxygen and The manufacturers of deaerators such as Ecodyne make
nitrogen in the atmosphere. In the raw water, this both scrubber and tray type deaerators. The expected
corresponds to 8-10 ppm of oxygen. performance from both types can be 10 µg/L or better
under steady load conditions. As the contact between
In the deaerator, the water equilibriates with steam. As the steam and liquid water will change with flow, it can
oxygen and nitrogen are now excluded, the dissolved be expected that the actual performance will be
gases must leave the liquid to enable the equilibrium to somewhat dependent upon the plant load. Of the two
be achieved. Deaeration is performed in two stages. types, the scrubber unit can tolerate operation over a
a. In the first stage, the feedwater is sprayed into wider load range (typically 20-120% of design) than the
the deaerator vessel where it contacts a flow of steam. tray unit (typically 40-100% of design) which can
The steam both heats the water to within a degree or tolerate more cold water. The tray unit is generally the
two of the steam temperature and removes most of the choice in the bigger units that operate under constant
dissolved non-condensable gases. load as in major electrical generating stations.
b. In the second stage intimate and vigorous When conditions depart from the design conditions,
mixing of the liquid and steam removes the remaining there may be some deterioration in the concentration of
non-condensable gases after which the water moves to dissolved oxygen that will be achieved by the deaerator
the storage tank until needed by the boiler. The steam and within the system. To compensate for any changes,
and gases that were removed from the water are vented the water is chemically treated to remove any residual
to the atmosphere. In a properly operating system, a oxygen as it is fed to the storage tank.
plume 1-1.5 meter high would be seen above the vent. If

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Chemical treatment becomes economical only after the On systems with a turbine, non-condensable gases (air)
bulk of the oxygen has been removed “mechanically” are also removed by vacuum pumps or ejectors
with the deaerator. If used earlier, the costs would be operating with the condenser to help achieve the desired
high. Trying to ensure an oxygen-free environment by vacuum or back-pressure for efficient operation of the
adding and monitoring a large excess of oxygen turbine. In a typical condenser system (Fig. 6), the
scavenger has been shown ineffective by continuous on- dissolved oxygen can be reduced to 20-50 µg/L by the
line ppb DO measurements revealing the coexistence of ejectors and the deaerator completes the job to bring the
dissolved oxygen and resulting corrosion. It is important dissolved oxygen down to the 10 µg/L range. In some
to ensure that only a small excess of scavenger is added plants with a very tight condenser and feedwater
and that the dissolved oxygen is monitored on a regular system, it is possible to get this low concentration with
basis to see the performance of the deaerator. the condenser ejectors alone. A number of steam
generating systems actually do operate with the
The deaerator is designed to operate for extended
condenser alone and no deaerator.
periods with no attention other than adjustments to the
steam flow. With continuous on-line ppb DO
measurement the operators can optimize steam flow for CHEMICAL DEAERATION
the lowest ppb reading, plus automation becomes
possible. Annual maintenance is typically a visible There are a number of chemical species that rapidly
inspection to check that the sprays respond to pressure react with oxygen. Several of these are suitable to act as
properly and that all internals are present and supported oxygen scavengers. These fit into two categories which
as designed. Should the support for the baffle system be are the sulfites and the weak bases, including hydrazine
disturbed for example, a short circuit in the flow pattern and its substitutes.
could develop. If this resulted in a reduction of oxygen
removal capacity within a particular region, localized SODIUM SULFITE: This product is used extensively
pitting or grooving may be visible. on low-pressure boilers, below 6900 kpa (1000 psi).
With continuous on-line ppb DO measurement Although reasonably priced and easy to handle, it
deterioration in performance can be observed promptly contributes conductivity increasing ionic solids to the
and action can be taken before serious damage is done, system thereby increasing corrosion and scaling
and chemical scavenger costs will remain under control. potential and requiring more blowdown.
2Na2SO3 + O2 → 2Na2SO4
The reaction product is an ionic salt. Depending upon
the supplier, it may also be purchased as a bisulfite such
as NaHSO3. Whichever product is used, it contributes to
increased conductivity in the water. Under appropriate
scale forming conditions, a sulfate-containing deposit
could be formed. The dosage, on a mass ratio basis,
requires 8 mg/L for each mg/L of oxygen. Sodium
sulfite alone is slow to scavenge oxygen from boiler
feedwater. The rate of reaction is considerably hastened
by the addition of a small quantity of a heavy metal
cation salt such as iron, copper, cobalt, and nickel salts
as a catalyst. It should be noted the catalytic action can
be deactivated by several products commonly used for
boiler treatment. Addition of catalyzed sulfite plus any
phosphate product from the same addition tank will, as
an example, result in deactivation of the catalyst.
Fig. 6: Typical Condenser System for a Turbine
Sodium sulfite is available as an open-market
commodity. The catalyzed sodium sulfite is a blended

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product and can be purchased at higher cost from and costs, DO removal effectiveness, and available
industrial water treatment companies. technical support. Because hydrazine's oxygen
scavenging by-products are water and nitrogen it has no
HYDRAZINE: Hydrazine can act both as an oxygen adverse effect on corrosion or blowdown. Hydrazine
scavenger and as a reducing agent to passivate metal also as a reducing agent cuts corrosion by passivating
surfaces. It combines with oxygen and the end products metal, it would seem the ideal choice. There is,
are nitrogen and water: however, a preference in some locations to use sodium
O2 + N2H4 → 2H2O + N2 sulfite over hydrazine because of reported greater safety
and lower costs. Neither of these is totally valid.
These hydrazine oxygen reaction end products, water
and nitrogen gas, clearly have of no adverse effect on i) The required dosage for hydrazine is much lower
the system. At higher temperatures the hydrazine than that of sodium sulfite, and its contribution to
decomposes to yield ammonia: blowdown is negligible. It is also a less expensive
product when corrected for scavenging capacity, but it
3N2H4 → 4NH3 + N2 T = 200-320 ºC
requires enclosed liquid handling facilities to contain its
2N2H4 → 4NH3 + H2 + N2 T > 320 ºC ammonia-like odour.
Carbon steel (iron) and copper surfaces are passivated ii) There are no reported deaths due to hydrazine
by the formation of a protective oxide layer. In the case exposure in spite of the perceived risk associated with
of the carbon steel, the protective surface is the black its use, and its OSHA listing.
magnetic oxide (magnetite, Fe3O4). and for copper Cu2O
iii) There are several deaths each year attributed to
that both resist further attack and remain stable for
sodium sulfite. Although sodium sulfite is a common
years:
additive to foods as a preservative (it keeps meat
6Fe2O3 + N2H4 → 4Fe3O4 + 2H2O + N2 looking red and lettuce green), concentrated sulfite can
trigger severe allergic reactions which can result in
6CuO + N2H4 → 4Cu2O + 2H2O + N2
death to people with asthmatic and other conditions that
It should be noted that zero oxygen is not actually a make them particularly sensitive.
desirable target. A small trace of dissolved oxygen is
iv) The required sodium sulfite dosage, on a mass ratio
actually desirable to allow some very limited corrosion
basis, requires 8 mg/L for each mg/L of oxygen. Which
to occur so the hydrazine can then go about doing its job
contributes to increased conductivity in the boiler water,
of converting rust to magnetite. This repair mechanism
requires increased blowdown, and increased make up
provides a more impervious passivating layer on the
water heating costs. The higher conductivity blowdown
carbon steel surfaces.
also adds TDS to the plant's environmental footprint.
Often a catalyst is added to accelerate the oxygen
scavenging rate. The most common catalyst is
hydroquinone, which itself is used as an alternative Hydrazine Substitutes:
scavenger. At lower temperatures, as in a closed cooling Carbohydrazide: Initially this may appear to be just
system, the use of the catalyst may be valuable. At another way of adding hydrazine to scavenge oxygen
higher temperatures, there is likely enough metal oxide since Carbohydrazide is a condensation product made
surface within the system to make it self-catalyzing. from hydrazine and a carbonyl group (e.g., carbon
Hydrazine adds insignificant solid or ionic material to dioxide). It dissolves in water to release hydrazine:
the system. While it is ideal for the job, it has come
under attack due to various claims about potential
carcinogenic nature. As a result, various alternative
products have been brought to the market.
SODUIM SULFITE or HYDRAZINE? Selecting Carbohydrazide is also capable of scavenging oxygen,
sodium sulfite or hydrazine involves consideration of on its own, without reverting back to hydrazine:
the by-product salts, cost of blowdown, handling safety

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 not fit. The main oxygen scavenging reaction is:
Caution needs to be exercised with the use of
Carbohydrazide as it releases carbon dioxide into the
system which must be treated to prevent corrosion.
Sufficient neutralizing capacity must be present to
prevent any corrosion from its presence.
Diethylhydroxylamine (DEHA): The primary reaction
consumes oxygen to yield acetic acid: Further degradation under boiler conditions will
eventually lead to the formation of a series of weak
organic acids including lactic, glycolic and ultimately
carbon dioxide.

In reality, the reaction does not always proceed by a Hydrazine vs Substitutes:

simple straight forward route and a number of side
products, including acetaldoxime and acetaldehyde may Is there any distinct advantage provided by the
form. In the end, these may result in the formation of hydrazine substitutes when compared to hydrazine
weak organic acids. itself? They are all capable of doing an excellent job of
scavenging oxygen and they all passivate iron and
Hydroquinone: This material is the most common copper surfaces. Differences are more commercial than
catalyst used with hydrazine. It can also be used technical. With substitutes you get application
effectively by itself. The scavenging reaction produces assistance, technical support, a product that is easier to
water and benzoquinone: handle, but costs more.
Hydrazine is listed by CDC NIOSH as considered to
potentially be a carcinogen. However there are many
The benzoquinone formed may further decompose to industrial uses of hydrazine compounds. Some safety
form some light alcohols and ketones. There is also conscious organizations continue to use hydrazine.
some possibility of linking the benzoquinones into a These include electrical utilities and NASA, where
chain structure. hydrazine is used as a propellant. In mg/L
concentrations, it is an oxygen scavenger. At full
Methylethylketoxime (MEKO): When oximes react
strength it's reaction with oxygen produces a powerful
with water, the C=N bond is broken and a ketone is
rocket fuel.
formed:
Most substitutes cost only about 10-20% more than
hydrazine on a $per-kg basis, but they may require
dosages as much as 5-10 times higher because they are
actually much heavier molecules. The comparison must
This product may decompose in high-pressure boilers to be made on a mass ratio basis. By coincidence, the mass
release ammonia: of one mole of oxygen and hydrazine are equal,
meaning that 1.0 mg/kg of hydrazine reacts with 1.0
mg/L of oxygen. On a ratio basis you can see less
hydrazine by weight, is required to scavenge dissolved
The ammonia presents no problems. The ketone may oxygen in the system: see table below. Another factor to
ultimately end up as some combination of weak organic consider is that substitutes decompose to organic
acids and possibly some polymer. residues that may lead to boiler tube failures, the subject
of research projects now in progress. This may be an
Erythorbic Acid: This product is a stereo isomer of exchange of one control problem which is easy to
ascorbic acid or vitamin C (it is essentially the same control for another.
molecule, but a mirror image). The body's functions are
stereo specific and will not accept this molecule, it does

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 Comparison of Oxygen Scavengers When selecting an oxygen scavenger for your plant,
Material mole Mass Ratio safety, cost and your technical support needs, should be
considered the determining factors. All the scavengers
Oxygen 32.0 g 1.00 discussed have their advantages and should be
Hydrazine 32.0 g 1.00 considered depending on your plants technical abilities
and oxygen scavenging needs. With all scavengers DO
Carbohydrazide 42.0 g 1.31
should be monitored with a continuous on line analyzer
DEHA (diethylhyroxylamine) 70.0 g 2.19 such as the IC Controls 865-25. Potential DO in-
Methylethylketoneoxime 87.0 g 2.72 leakage weak points in the steam and water circuit
should also be periodically checked by a moveable
Erythorbic acid 176 g 5.50 portable analyzer such as IC Controls 869 with internal
Sodium sulfate (monohydrate) 142 g 4.49 DO logging capability.

Morpholine: One interesting research project (Cdn. OXIDIZING CHEMISTRIY

Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.64, issue 4 Instead of adding an oxygen scavenger to remove
pp646-51, Gilbert and Lamarre, Hydro-Quebec,) has oxygen, a specific level of oxygen is intentionally
shown that the breakdown reactions of some organic maintained. Typically oxygen is controlled in the 50-
species consume oxygen. One of the species studied 200 µg/L range. This chemistry has some advantages. It
was morpholine which was added for pH control rather forms an γ-iron oxide film that can be both stable and
than as an oxygen scavenger. Degradation products protective. The solubility of this oxide species is
included carbon dioxide, acetic and glycolic acids. With somewhat lower than that of the magnetite, formed with
the ability now to measure them, these weak acids have hydrazine, and could result in much lower transport of
become a concern with respect to corrosion of the metal iron.
surfaces. Gentilly-2 in Quebec, Canada has operated
without the use of an oxygen scavenger; relying upon
the indirect scavenging of morpholine, coupled with a
tight system. Since these early investigations oxygen
control via morpholine has come into use in some
thermal generation plants. Similar reactions exist for
most organic species under boiler conditions. Inevitably
they end up as some combination of carbon dioxide and
other weak acids.
Fig. 7: Feedwater in a Supercritical Unit. Note: The low
iron at high dissolved oxygen levels needs very low cation
conductivities. (from EPRI data)

This mode of operation is neither a contradiction nor a

substitute for low oxygen programs. As the research
data following shows, it represents a reasonable
operating regime under a set of limiting conditions. To
be able to use it, extremely tight control of the system
chemistry must be maintained at all times; there is no
margin for error. The water purity must be maintained
sufficiently high, i.e., a cation conductivity 0.15 µS/cm
(0.015 mS/m). With this purity, the corrosion rate for
carbon steel drops dramatically and a more stable and
protective oxide is formed in the presence of oxygen at

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concentrations in the range of 50-200 µg/L. It is quantities of magnetite from the boiler and piping
important to recognize that if the purity can not be surfaces can also lead to buildup of magnetite in valve
maintained, the corrosion rate will increase. orifices resulting in poor (or loss of) blowdown control.
Depending upon the tightness of the system, the There is a vast difference between the reducing
deaerator may only be needed during startup. conditions with chemical treatment for low oxygen
Alternatively, a smaller deaerator may be used with the conditions and the oxidizing conditions for oxygenated
intent of deaerating only the makeup water. It is treatment. Switching from the one set of conditions to
conceivable that some systems may add oxygen from the other places a severe stress upon the system.
bottles rather than depend upon air ingress. Le Chetalier's Principle states that a system under stress
will move in a way to relieve that stress. In most cases,
As discussed earlier, it should be noted that there is a
this results in a tendency to strip off the existing oxide
requirement for oxygen to complete the breakdown of
surface layer and replace it with a new surface layer
the various products to carbon dioxide and weak organic
formed under the new conditions. The high level of
acids. With oxygenating conditions, sufficiently large
particulate material could result in plugging of small
quantities of oxygen are available to assist in the
bore flow paths such as flow orifices or the path within
breakdown of any organic material present within the
the capillary or drag valves used for pressure reducing
boiler system. The use of volatile amines should be
and water sampling.
restricted to ammonia to prevent excess formation of
weak organic acids. There is operating experience to If a system cycles between the two states, with proper
show that under oxygenating conditions, there is no controls, cycling can be utilized to bring about a
longer the same need for operating at a historically high cleaning or decontamination of system surfaces. At the
pH to protect the carbon steel surfaces. EPRI data, Douglas Point nuclear station, in Canada, radiation
fields from the boiler and piping surfaces required
shortened maintenance shifts, to keep technician
exposure well under permissible radiation dose levels.
Cycling between reducing and oxidizing states was used
to decontaminate the primary circuit. The circuit
operated normally under reducing conditions. Prior to a
weekend shutdown, oxygen was added to make the
conditions oxidizing. When the shutdown occurred, the
rapid change of heat flux, coupled with the change to
oxidizing conditions, resulted in a sudden release of
Fig. 8: pH Dependance of corrosion-product release large quantities of magnetite from the boiler and piping
surfaces (which contained a significant proportion of the
60
Co [cobalt 60] that caused the radiation fields). The
cobalt 60 was then removed by the purification system.
Figure 8, indicates that operation under neutral
Repeating this process several times over a few months
conditions provides essentially the same level of
succeeded in removing a considerable portion of the
protection providing the above purity restrictions can be
radiation fields from the boiler and piping surfaces and
met. Many small combined cycle plants operate under
enabled maintenance to proceed with less expended
these conditions as it simplifies the water chemistry.
radiation dose.

CYCLING; Reducing to Oxidizing

DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONTROL
Cycling between Oxidizing and Reducing treatments is
better suited to cleaning or decontamination and should There are two components that must be monitored for
not be a normal way to operate boiler water treatment effective dissolved oxygen control. First, it is important
on a regular basis. Repeated cycling will result in vessel to monitor the quantity of residual dissolved oxygen
wall thinning and eventually failure. Release of large present in the system. Then it is important to assess the

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effects of this oxygen. The latter is best assessed by favoured? The answer to that is dependent upon
measuring the quantity of iron circulating within the conditions within the system.
system.
The fact that boiler, economizer or superheater tubes
have failed from oxidative processes, on boilers using
Dissolved Oxygen high residual scavenger, verify that maintaining a large
residual of scavenger may not provide sufficient
In boiler plants and closed-loop heating or cooling protection. Maintaining control based on excess
systems, there is a need for µg/L (ppb) analysis. The concentration of scavenger increases scavenger
methods and equipment used for these measurements treatment costs. The higher ionic content will also
are considerably different than those for doing the mg/L require more blowdown, which also consumes more of
(part per million) range that would be common in a raw all boiler treatment products and may also waste energy
water supply. Collection of a grab sample presents the if there is no blowdown energy recovery system.
major difficulty. As soon as any sample is taken from Moreover, monitoring high residual scavenger alone has
the system, it is surrounded by air which contains 21% some serious disadvantages.
oxygen. The difference between oxygen in air and ppb
boiler water dissolved oxygen is a factor of By comparison, dissolved oxygen measured directly on-
100,000,000. Any trace of oxygen in-leakage line, even combined with residual scavenger
contamination will result in a high reading. Only measurement, produces a better overall view of boiler
permanently installed, on-line ppb dissolved oxygen conditions and pays for itself through reduced
analyzers that become part of the system with a blowdown and treatment chemical costs.
continuously flowing sample will properly resist in- Given a technician with good blue colour recognition,
leakage errors. good lighting, and who takes the reading quickly
Because of grab sampling difficulties, a common enough that incoming atmospheric oxygen has not
approach has been to maintain a sufficiently high pushed the reading high, ppb DO may be determined
concentration of oxygen scavenger so that the presence with relatively inexpensive test kits based upon color
of any dissolved oxygen is unlikely. For many such comparison. In the most common test kit, the color
systems the concentration of the scavenger was actually forming reagent is blue indigo dye which is very prone
specified as the control parameter and not DO ppb level. to rapid oxidation in the presence of oxygen. Its non-
This approach has suffered failures in the past where oxidized form has a faint yellow color, which quickly
oxygen was present but had not been detected because changes to violet as it is oxidized. The level of oxygen
dissolved oxygen was not being monitored. After the is determined by comparing the color produced vs. a set
failures DO's presence was usually inferred from the of standard colors. A number of test kits are available.
forensic work that was required to ascertain why boiler All must be handled carefully to avoid air
tubes or an economizer had failed. contamination; however, with practice, fairly good
readings can be obtained down to the 5-10 µg/L range.
The rationale for using the scavenger as the control Also it must be remembered that when measuring
parameter is based upon claims that any analysis for dissolved oxygen with an oxygen scavenger present it
oxygen will be meaningless. The explanation is that an will eventually remove the oxygen, so the sample
excess of scavenger will sooner or later eat up the cannot be transported or stored. To avoid losing or
residual oxygen. This logic ignores the competitive gaining oxygen, it is imperative that the analysis be
chemical reactions that could occur and may even be performed quickly. This means that rather than taking
more likely. The reaction rates for oxygen scavenging the sample back to the laboratory, the test kit must be
are usually based upon laboratory work performed taken to the sample point, where potential error do to
within glass, which does not compete for oxygen. An lighting and operator colour recognition are higher.
industrial boiler is usually constructed from carbon steel
or some more exotic alloys. It can be considered an iron Whenever critical measurements are required, as in the
oxide surface. The residual oxygen can react with this operation of a boiler plant deaerator, a permanently
surface or it can react with the scavenger. Which will be installed on-line ppb DO analyzer is the best route to
obtain consistent readings that avoid contamination. In

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the detector, oxygen is measured by a galvanic cell
which is isolated from the solution with a thin
membrane through which the oxygen diffuses.
As little as one hour per month of maintenance is often
sufficient to keep the analyzer and sensor operating.
Some users report their DO analyzer was online for

Fig. 10: 869 Portable ppb DO

Circulating Iron Concentrations

The best indication of good dissolved oxygen control, is
the concentration of iron circulating around the system.
Iron content can be determined by either taking a
sample for chemical analysis or by passing a large
volume of sample through a particulate filter to catch
the suspended solids. This latter approach is
accomplished using comparison charts which also give
some indication of the chemical state of the iron by its
color. In a well-controlled system, concentrations of
circulating iron can be expected to be consistently
below 10 µg/L. Under reducing chemistry, the iron
should be present as the black magnetic oxide,
magnetite or Fe3O4. Under oxidizing conditions, the iron
should be present as a brown iron oxide.

Fig. 9: 865-25 Online DO Analyzer

years with little or no maintenance, but still giving good DISSOLVED OXYGEN SAMPLE POINTS
ppb DO readings.
Advances with these on-line analyzers have seen the • Deaerator Outlet – for Efficiency
arrival of portable units that can be easily and quickly • Condensate Return Points – Air In-leakage
be hooked up to a sample point and the sample logged,
then quickly disconnected and moved to log another • Boiler Feedwater – for Proof of Performance
sample point in the system. These portables can then • Steam Condensate – Proof no Air In-leakage
transmit the sample data via your serial port to your
computer.
With a combination of on-line ppb dissolved oxygen Related Condensate Concerns
measurement at the deaerator and a portable on-line ppb
dissolved oxygen to monitor various potential oxygen • Condensate Return – For HI TDS or Hi
in-leakage points, a true picture of the condition of any Conductivity
boiler system can be obtained, plus cost efficient action Copyright 2015 IC Controls Ltd. All rights reserved.
can be directed where it is needed.

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 PORTABLE ppb DO Analyzer/Logger

Instrumentation

What to Order
HOT SAMPLE UNIT up to 65 °C (149 F)
865-25 Online ppb Dissolved Oxygen Analyzer
Model 869-22-91: ppb DO Analyzer
Benefits
-Metal survivor housing, SS flowcell, SS stand.
Instrumentation -Display shows:
0.01 ppb to 20 ppm DO, 0 to 65 ºC temperature,
What to Order Barometric pressure, 2 alarms, calibration and
program status.
DEAERATOR at 0 to 45 °C (32 to 113 F) -Logs calibration plus last 1000 readings.
-user can download, freeze, and adjust frequency
Model 865-25: ppb DO Analyzer -Easy air calibration – auto calibrates over water
-Analyzer Expert Quality Results, 1 button CAL.
Benefits -Solid metal boiler survivor housing -Absolute zero – Galvanic sensor – no O = no e-
2
-Display shows: -Memory table of partial pressure & temperature
0.01 ppb to 20 ppm DO, 0 to 50 ºC temperature, -Self- and sensor diagnostics
Barometric pressure, 2 alarms, 2 4-20ma, -PEEK DO sensor handles temperature surprises
calibration and program status. -Long term stability – electrolyte self regenerates
-Easy air calibration – auto calibrates over water -Battery operated or 115/230 VAC power pack.
-Calibrates On-line – no need to remove sensor -RS 232 communications for your portable PC.
-Analyzer Expert Quality Results, 1 button CAL. -IC Net-869 program for Windows 7, Vista, XP.
-Absolute zero – Galvanic sensor – no O2 = no e- -In a 14x14x16.6 ¾ inch plywood case with heavy
-Memory table of partial pressure & temperature zinc plated steel handles, hasp, and ball corners.
-Self- and sensor diagnostics
-SS flowcell and sample panel, magnetite grit is
bypassed, constant pressure, siphon-drain Cal.
-Long term stability – electrolyte self regenerates
-115/230 VAC rated 2 SPDT 5A Alarms 2 4-20mA
DO RENTAL UNIT - What to Order
-Optional RS 232 communications
ppb DO RENTAL UNIT up to 65°C/149F
HOT DEAERATOR up to 65 °C (149 F) Model 869-RENT: ppb DO RENTAL
Benefits - Same as 869-22-91 except
Model 865-25-80: ppb DO Analyzer -RENTED from IC Controls – by the month
Benefits - Same as 865-25 except -Low cost trouble shooting
-PEEK DO Sensor – rated to 65 ºC (149 F) -Feedwater, Condensate, Ultra-Pure, etc.

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 TDS Contaminated Condensate Diversion or Recovery
BTU per lb. A 1 gallon per minute hot condensate trickling to
Recovery of otherwise questionable quality TDS sewer cost about $12000.00 in heat loss per year
contaminated condensate can be easily and economically (1 gal/min x 8.33 lb/gal x 60 min x 24 hr x 365 d x 200
handled by a 210-C Analyzer and a 401-0.1 sensor plus a 3 BTU/lb) x 14.00/106 BTU ($90.00/bbl oil) = approx
way solenoid valve. $12000.00.
Returning condensate can be (but may not be) contaminated Where returning condensate may be contaminated so it goes
with untreated water from heat exchanger leaks or process to sewer, use of a simple condensate monitoring system plus a
liquids and often goes to sewer. Hot condensate at 20 PSIG 3 way diversion solenoid valve can pay for itself in the first
compared to make up water at 60°F represents a loss of 200 year.

What
What to
to Order
Order for
for Contaminated
Contaminated Condensate
Condensate Diversion
Diversion

11 TDS
TDS analyzer,
analyzer, 210-C(TDS)-2-10-20
210-C(TDS)-2-10-20 Recommended
Recommended options:
options: TDS
TDS Standards
Standards
11 TDS
TDS sensor,
sensor, 401-0.1-62
401-0.1-62 A9200000
A9200000 Sensor
Sensor Signal
Signal to
to Analyzer
Analyzer Cable
Cable

Model
Model 210C(TDS):
210C(TDS): TDS
TDS Analyzer
Analyzer
Model
Model 401-0.1:
401-0.1: TDS
TDS Sensor
Sensor,, cond.
cond. based
based

Benefits
Benefits -- SolidSolid metal
metal industrial
industrial survivor
survivor housing
housing Benefits
Benefits -- Solid Solid metal
metal Boiler
Boiler House
House survivor
survivor housing
housing
-- Display
Display shows
shows TDS,
TDS, temperature,
temperature, 44 alarms,
alarms, 22 4-20
4-20 mAmA -- Rugged
Rugged TDS TDS Sensor
Sensor with
with Explosion
Explosion Proof
Proof Housing
Housing
-- Display
Display as
as TDS,
TDS, units
units available
available are are ppm,
ppm, mg/l,
mg/l, or
or ppt
ppt -- Rapid
Rapid and
and accurate
accurate TDS,
TDS, or or non-neutralized
non-neutralized TDS
TDS
-- SCF
SCF factor
factor adjustable
adjustable between
between 0.40 0.40 -- 1.10
1.10 -- Easy
Easy calibration
calibration –– in
in air
air and
and TDS
TDS Standards
Standards
-- Easy
Easy calibration
calibration -- recognizes
recognizes standards,
standards, holds
holds outputs
outputs -- Easy
Easy inin line
line standardize
standardize –– with
with grab
grab samples
samples
-- Self-
Self- and
and sensor
sensor diagnostics
diagnostics -- Operating
Operating temperature
temperature to to 150°C
150°C (302°F)
(302°F) maximum
maximum
-- 4-20
4-20 mA
mA outputs:
outputs: 11 for
for TDS,
TDS, 11 forfor Temperature
Temperature -- Operating
Operating pressure
pressure toto 2.8
2.8 MPa
MPa (400
(400 psi)
psi) maximum
maximum
-- 4-20
4-20 mA
mA limits
limits direct
direct set
set in
in ppm
ppm or or mg/L
mg/L TDSTDS -- Automatic
Automatic temperature
temperature compensation
compensation
-- Four
Four programmable
programmable alarms alarms with
with self
self and
and sensor
sensor alert
alert -- Constructed
Constructed of of 316
316 SS,
SS, VITON,
VITON, andand PEEK
PEEK
-- ON-OFF
ON-OFF control
control and/or
and/or pump
pump pulser
pulser control
control -- Direct
Direct insertion,
insertion, 3/4”
3/4” NPT
NPT screw
screw inin design
design
-- TDS
TDS set
set point
point units
units direct
direct set
set in
in ppm,
ppm, mg/L,
mg/L, or
or ppt
ppt -Low
-Low maintenance
maintenance
-- Optional
Optional PID
PID control
control
-- Optional
Optional communications
communications

Option
Option 11 TDS
TDS Standards
Standards Option
Option 22 A9200000
A9200000 Cable
Cable J-Box
J-Box to
to Analyzer
Analyzer
Benefits
Benefits
-- Calibrate
Calibrate is
is easy,
easy, no
no long
long time
time delay
delay Benefits
Benefits
-- range
range of
of values
values available
available -- Manufacturers
Manufacturers recommended
recommended cable cable
-- includes
includes table
table of
of values
values at
at various
various temperatures
temperatures -- shielded
shielded sensor
sensor signal
signal gets
gets back
back toto analyzer
analyzer
-- protection
protection from
from stray
stray electrical
electrical noise
noise
Can
Can be
be traced
traced to
to NIST
NIST -- reliable
reliable sensor
sensor andand analyzer
analyzer performance
performance
-- A1100244
A1100244 70.1
70.1 ppm
ppm or
or mg/L
mg/L as
as NaCl
NaCl at
at 25ºC
25ºC -- wire
wire size
size fits
fits terminal
terminal blocks
blocks
-- A1100243
A1100243 700700 ppm
ppm or
or mg/L
mg/L as
as NaCl
NaCl at
at 25ºC
25ºC -- unlike
unlike typical
typical 1414 Gage
Gage solid
solid wire,
wire, easily
easily makes
makes turns
turns
-- A1100242
A1100242 7217
7217 ppm
ppm or
or mg/L
mg/L asas NaCl
NaCl at
at 25ºC
25ºC -- low
low maintenance
maintenance
-- A1100241
A1100241 74380
74380 ppmppm or
or mg/L
mg/L as
as NaCl
NaCl at
at 25ºC
25ºC -- available
available by
by the
the meter
meter (or
(or foot),
foot), specify
specify length
length desired
desired

Equivalent
Equivalent TDS
TDS Standards
Standards from
from IC
IC Controls:
Controls:
-- A1100245
A1100245 4747 ppm
ppm or
or mg/L
mg/L as
as NaCl
NaCl at
at 25ºC
25ºC
-- A1100246
A1100246 692
692 ppm
ppm or
or mg/L
mg/L as
as NaCl
NaCl at
at 25ºC
25ºC
-- A1100247
A1100247 7230
7230 ppm
ppm or
or mg/L
mg/L as
as NaCl
NaCl at
at 25ºC
25ºC

© Copyright 2015 IC Controls Ltd. All rights reserved.

Updated 2016-11-03

29 Centennial Road • Orangeville Ontario L9W 1R1 • Tel:(519)941-8161 • Fax:(519)941-8164 • 1-800-265-9161

www.iccontrols.com • sales@iccontrols.com