Diamonized® Feed Tubes

Maintaining consistently high feed tube performance is important to the safe, efficient operation of any sootblower installation. The useful life of feed tubes is limited in part by friction wear of the packing as it repeatedly slides over the surface of the feed tubes which can cause cracking. Steam leaks from cracked tubes lead to loss in efficiency, unsafe conditions and, ultimately, costly and more frequent replacement, so extending the life of the tubes has both operational and cost-saving benefits.

Cracks in feed tube coating

To improve the surface hardness and minimize the abrasion in the small clearance between the feed tube outer diameter and lance tube inner diameter, some sootblower manufacturers apply a chrome coating to the tubing. However, because the chrome plating doesn’t have the same thermal expansion characteristics as the stainless steel feed tube material, cracking and peeling result when subjected to heat during sootblower cycles. Over time, the rough surface wears the feed tube packing, regardless of the packing material used.

Benefits of Diamonized feed tubes:

Extended feed tube and packing life
Durability of hardened material avoids need for replacement due to peeling or cracking

Reduced maintenance time and costs
A customer operating 60 retractable sootblowers reported feed tube packing and maintenance expenses were reduced by approximately $40,000 annually

Better performance, improved efficiency
Minor leaks can result in steam losses of up to 200 lb/hr, safety hazards, shortened life of sootblower components, and accelerated gear rack and track wear