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Diamond Power Diamonized feed tubes

Maintain high feed tube performance

Built for long-term reliability, the Diamonized feed tube has a smooth, hard surface that causes less friction wear on packing material and extends service life. It supports smoother maintenance routines and offers a practical upgrade for demanding sootblower operations. 

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. 

Avoid the issues of 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. Unlike a chrome-plated tube, a Diamonized feed tube’s entire surface is hardened. This means there’s no layer to peel or flake off, ensuring a smooth, wear-resistant surface over the long term. 

Benefits of Diamonized feed tubes

An upgrade to Diamonized feed tubes can prevent costly outages and improve boiler reliability. The Diamonized surface is 20% harder than a typical chrome-plated feed tube, yet it expands and contracts with the base metal, so it won’t crack under heat stress. 

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

  • Reduced maintenance time and costs: Fewer packing replacements and less frequent repacking maintenance. A customer operating 60 retractable sootblowers reported feed tube packing and maintenance expenses were reduced by approximately 40,000 USD annually. 

  • Better performance, improved efficiency: Minor leaks can result in steam losses of up to 90 kg/hr (200 lb/hr), safety hazards, shortened life of sootblower components, and accelerated gear rack and track wear. 

Ready to extend your sootblower’s service life? Contact us for more information on Diamonized feed tubes or to discuss how an upgrade can integrate with your existing sootblowers.