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Corrosion issues in power plants prolongs maintenance, increases operating costs, reduces efficiencies and poses safety risks to workers. To optimize power-generating equipment, corrosion prevention is vital. This means ensuring the successful installation of insulation and protective coatings on items that are susceptible to corrosion.

Corrosion in the electricity power industry costs the U.S. over $23 billion per year. With plants looking to increase efficiencies, lower costs and reduce the amount of time offline for maintenance, corrosion prevention techniques will help lengthen the life of various components and increase safety. While many thermal power plants share the same types of corrosion issues, some require different preventive approaches.

For power plants to operate reliably, the components within it must have minimal impacts from its environment, including the air, water, fuel oil and fuel gas. In addition to controlling sulphuric acid to prevent cold-end erosion and comply with environmental laws, plants must consider hygroscopic salt damage and its deliquescent properties. While hygroscopic salts are integral to the inner workings of a plant, the corrosion that it causes will shorten a station’s life if the components don’t have an appropriate surface coating.

In addition to temperatures within cold storage units and warehouses, moisture levels are of considerable importance. When relative humidity levels are too dry, goods dehydrate and shrink. When condensation levels are too high, electronics may experience problems, goods deteriorate and products may experience mold, bacterial or insect contaminations that may pose health risks to workers and consumers. By being proactive about condensation prevention, you will protect the safety of the goods processed and worker health, as well as extend the life of equipment.

Consumers rely on food processing and storage facilities to ensure the ideal environmental conditions for produce from the moment it’s picked at the field to the time it reaches a grocery store. When it comes to cold storage, humidity and temperature levels are among the most important considerations to prolong the life of fruits and vegetables. When environmental conditions are not ideal, produce deteriorates and becomes potentially harmful to consumers.