Successful Caustic Treatment of Electric Utility Drum Boilers

Only a few years ago, it was considered foolhardy in the United States to operate high-pressure electric utility drum boilers with free caustic in the boiler water.  It was assumed that free caustic in the boiler would lead to caustic gouging of boiler tube metal.  It became evident that many electric utility boilers in other countries were operating successfully on caustic treatment programs. 
Many U.S. electric utilities have converted their drum boilers to caustic treatment and eliminated problems such as phosphate hideout.  This paper will discuss the basics of caustic treatment and present some case histories of successful operation in a caustic boiler water treatment regimen.