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waste and heating oil for use in a boiler-Bad Idea
QUESTION:That's not an issue. The heating oil I've used since day one is high
sulfur, but I have a stainless stack and clean it personally. There are
no
signs of corrosion anywhere in the system after six years of operation,
including the firebox of the boiler.
ANSWER: Generally speaking the heating oil on the East Coast runs about 2000 ppm,and
that is slated to come down to 500ppm.
Sulphur content of waste oil/lubricating oil is double or in excess of
5000ppm. The heavy metal content of waste oil also has corrosive effects,
particularily the vanadium. Have you been burning waste oil for 6 years now?
And what shape will the iron sections be when subjected to the acidic flue
gas from waste oil.
Compounds of oxygen, nitrogen, calcium, chlorine, sodium, potassium and
vanadium may also play a role sometimes in very complex relationships. This
is particularly true of high-temperature corrosion, i.e., steam generator
tubes operating at temperatures of 400C to 650C, in the presence of molten
ash and oxides. Under these conditions even highly alloyed steels may suffer
catastrophic corrosionCompounds of oxygen, nitrogen, calcium, chlorine,
sodium, potassium and vanadium may also play a role sometimes in very
complex relationships. This is particularly true of high-temperature
corrosion, i.e., steam generator tubes operating at temperatures of 400C to
650C, in the presence of molten ash and oxides. Under these conditions even
highly alloyed steels may suffer catastrophic corrosion"Compounds of oxygen,
nitrogen, calcium, chlorine, sodium,
potassium and vanadium may also play a role sometimes in very complex
relationships.
This is particularly true of high-temperature corrosion, i.e., steam tubes
operating at temperatures of 400C to 650C, in the presence of molten ash
and oxides.
Under these conditions even highly alloyed steels may suffer catastrophic
corrosion. Vanadium can also play a significant role in high-
temperature corrosion and is of interest because it is a major
constituent in the ash of residual oils. "
Waste oil contains large concentrations of heavy metals, that will react in
your oil tank to form sludge (even after you filtered it). That is why
additive packages for heating oil contain metal deactivatiors.
You propose to add chemically unstable oil of higher viscosity and flash
point, laden with heavy metals and carbon, into your oil tank with good oil.
Keep in mind even good quality heating oil has a "shelf life". It has to sit
in your tank for months before it is burned, and is subject to
condensation/water accumulation, baterial growth, and catalytic reaction
with metals in contact with the fuel, or suspended in the fuel. All of these
items cause sludge formation in your tank. Sludge in the tank not only
messes up the tank, but coats the interior of the oil lines leading to the
burner like hardening of the arteries. The pump vacuum will go higher and
higher until the pump fails. I get the feeling this is a buried tank, so
digging up the oil lines is another future consideration.
You also don't mention how you blend the waste oil and #2. If you just dump
waste oil in the tank, it will stratify at the bottom. Hypothetically
speaking, to properly blend the waste oil it should probably be at least 10
degF above its cloud point, or lets say around 60 degF, and blended by
pumping with several tank turnovers at sufficient volume, or even better
with a mixing eductor.
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