Hi Guys, I'm simulating a sterilisation process which uses a steam pipe to heat a body of liquid. I am looking into the effects of fouling and have another post on the forum related to this one.

I was wondering whether it is possible for steam, travelling along a pipe, to deposit material on the surface of the pipe?

Experience in the kitchen indicates that as water boils a layer of minerals are deposited on the side of the pan - the dissolved minerals that are present in the tap water. This would suggest that the materials are not carried away by the steam. Is it then safe to say that steam does not carry any dissolved minerals and will not cause scaling within a pipe?

If someone could shed some light on this I would be very grateful. Dave

[azt]

Hi

Impurities can be carried along by steam, they're just dissolved. So usually the cooler the flow the more impurities will drop out. This is not always the case:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_exchanger#Fouling

Hope this helps.

allan