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Soot and slag act as potent thermal insulators. The thermal conductivity of ash deposits is roughly 10 to 100 times lower than that of the carbon steel or alloy tubes they coat. Even a thin layer of soot severely restricts heat transfer from the flue gas to the water or steam inside the tubes. Consequences of Ignored Deposits
Legacy "scheduled every 8 hours" soot blowing is obsolete. Modern best practice includes: boiler soot blowing
During combustion, fossil fuels (coal, oil, or biomass) release ash and particulate matter. As the hot gases flow through the boiler, these particles stick to the tubes and walls. Soot blowing uses a high-velocity jet of a cleaning medium (usually steam or air) to blast these deposits off while the boiler is still running. Soot and slag act as potent thermal insulators