Investigation of Scale Formation on Glass Coatings of Pipes

The results of theoretical and experimental investigations of the influence of scale deposits on heat-transfer processes in glass-lined pipes laved by sea water are presented. Experimental investigations have shown that on long-term operation of heat exchangers, very insubstantial deposits of scale with layer thickness reaching 0.4 mm are observed on the surface of the glass coatings of the pipes, while a firm layer of scale up to 2 mm thick is formed on the inner surfaces of metal pipes. The virtual absence of deposits in glass-lined vitrified pipes is due to the heightened purity of the glass surface and its resistance to the aggressiveness of substances dissolved in sea water. This excludes the formation of large foci of scale on the glass surface, and the flow of sea water washes away the resulting scale.