What is fouling?

Fouling is the accumulation of unwanted material on the reactor jacket interior surface. Iron oxide corrosion, the most common form of jacket fouling, results in prolonged heating and cooling times, a reduction in product quality, and equipment deterioration, all of which lead to an overall decrease in productivity by as much as 15%. This type of corrosion is caused by steam condensate in combination with deposition from dissolved materials like calcium, magnesium, silica, and iron contained in the plant service water that is frequently used for cooling fluid.