What Does
Dry Saturated Steam Mean?
Dry saturated steam refers to a partially condensed form of water that occurs at temperatures and pressures where water vapor and liquid water can co-exist. Such conditions accelerate the corrosion rate of surrounding metals.
Dry saturated steam occurs when the rate of water vaporization is equal to the rate of its condensation. In industrial applications this type of steam is a significant contributing factor to higher rates of corrosion. As such, it must be remedied prior to continuous equipment exposure.
Corrosionpedia Explains Dry Saturated Steam
Corrosion caused by dry saturated steam is typically located in condensate steam piping systems such as those found in boilers. To reduce the amount of fresh water being introduced into the system, condensate is recirculated as feedwater. However, catastrophic failure is known to occur when dry saturated steam is not carefully monitored.
The most common type of corrosion due to dry saturated steam is impingement corrosion, which is caused by the collision of particles (such as high velocity steam) onto a metal's surface at a right angle. This corrosion type is particularly severe.