CS19 – Ferralium 255 – Bark Drying Vessels

From our case study archives: MacMillan Bloedel Pulp and Paper Company in Powell River, British Columbia, experienced serious corrosion problems with carbon steel vessels used to dry bark and wood waste (hog fuel) to be burned in power boilers. The bark is removed from pulp logs which have been both transported and stored in seawater. It is then dried in rotating cylindrical vessels heated with flue gas from the hog fuel boilers. Chlorides present from the salt water are very corrosive to carbon steel.

A test program was conducted to find a suitable alternate material. In the tests, Ferralium^® 255 was the only alloy that didn’t undergo uniform corrosion, pitting, crevice attack or chloride stress corrosion cracking. Even some of the more expensive super stainless steels experienced some degree of corrosion. Ferralium^® 255 was selected as a liner material for the carbon steel dryers and all the internal baffles and lifters because of its excellent corrosion resistance and cost effectiveness. Approximately 48T (105,000lbs) were used in total. After 12 months’ service, a visual inspection of the unit discovered no evidence of corrosion. MacMillan Bloedel subsequently utilised Ferralium^® 255 for follow-on units.

If you would like more information about our Ferralium^® 255, please get in touch today.