Industrial steam systems are often considered utilities, nevertheless they are among the largest hidden cost factors in industrial sites across all market sectors. From small laundries and food production facilities to chemical plants, refineries, and power stations, steam generation consumes significant amounts of fuel and water while contributing substantially to CO2 emissions. Yet steam generation is one of the most energy-intensive processes in industry – and a major source of water consumption, operating costs, and CO2 emissions. Traditional treatment packages, often built around several separate chemicals, can only partially address these challenges.
Kurita’s Cetamine® film-forming amine (FFA) technology reshapes this equation by providing single-product, full-cycle protection, increasing efficiency, reducing blowdown, cutting water use, and lowering fuel demand – all while simplifying operations.
The problem with Traditional Boiler Treatment
Most boiler programs rely on a combination of oxygen scavengers (typically sulfite), internal treatments (phosphates, caustic, dispersants), and neutralizing or alkalizing amines for condensate protection. This means multiple products, multiple injection points, complex control, and a constant struggle to maintain stability across, feedwater, boiler, steam, and condensate loops. Inorganic products raise conductivity, which forces operators to restrict cycles of concentration and increase blowdown.
How Cetamine® Works: All-in-One, Surface-Active Protection
Unlike conventional chemistry, Cetamine® uses volatile, organic film-forming molecules that travel with steam, adsorb onto metal and oxide surfaces, and create a hydrophobic barrier between metal and water. Acting on the surface – where corrosion and scale originate – it simultaneously mitigates corrosion and scaling. Its surface activity also delivers online cleaning of loosely bound oxides and hardness deposits, restoring heat-transfer efficiency. And it replaces multiple products with one program, dose point, and control strategy.
Higher Cycles, Lower Blowdown - Why Cetamine® Cuts Water & Fuel
A key limitation of conventional treatment is conductivity buildup caused by inorganic chemicals. As conductivity rises, operators must limit cycles of concentration and increase blowdown to stay within operating thresholds. Each blowdown event wastes treated water, the energy used to heat it, and the chemicals already added to it. Because Cetamine® actives are organic and do not significantly increase boiler-water conductivity, plants can operate at higher cycles without hitting conductivity limits. That reduces blowdown, makeup water demand, and the fuel required to heat replacement water – directly lowering CO2 emissions.
Flexible Protection: Wet & Dry, Short & Long Shutdowns
Boiler systems are not always in continuous operation. Overnight stops, weekend shutdowns, seasonal production schedules, and extended turnarounds create periods where corrosion risk can increase significantly. Cetamine® forms a persistent protective film that remains on metal surfaces during both wet and dry lay-up conditions. This protection can last through short interruptions as well as long-term dry preservation periods of months or even up to one to two years. As a result, the technology is well suited for intermittent or seasonal operations where reliable asset preservation is critical.
Steam Quality & Food-Contact Safety
Selected Cetamine® formulations comply with international food regulations and are suitable where steam directly contacts food – with the exception of milk production, which is excluded for direct-contact use per webinar guidance.
Real-World Case Study: Massive Water, Energy & CO2 Savings
A site with four 21-23 bar steam generators on softened makeup switched from a sulfite/phosphate/amine regime that delivered unstable performance (poor condensate pH, high iron > 0.2 ppm, only 50% condensate return) to Cetamine®.
Results:
- 16.000 m3/year less water (≈€45k/year)
- 2.5 million kWh/year energy saved (≈€175k/year)
- 750 t/year CO2 avoided (≈€60k/year)
Totaling ≈ €280k/year savings – while steam output rose by ∼1.7%.
Online Calculator: Estime Your Own Savings
Kurita’s calculator estimates potential savings from a few inputs: boiler pressure, steam production, makeup rate, condensate return, and unit costs for fuel and makeup water. Using a conservative ≥50% blowdown-reduction assumption aligns with typical field performance.
High-Pressure Turbines & Organic Acid Formation
For high-pressure power generation and refinery applications, Kurita offers dedicated single-component film-forming technologies suitable for demanding operating environments. Based on application experience and referenced studies discussed in the webinar, the formation of low-molecular-weight organic acids is minimal, controlled, and well understood when the technology is properly applied. This ensures safe implementation even in high-pressure systems where chemistry control is critical.
Supported by International Guidelines
Film-forming substances (FFS) have formal recognition: the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS) has issued two guidelines – one for power stations and one for industrial boilers – to support safe, effective application.
Conclusion: One Technology, Five Big Advantages
Cetamine® delivers:
- Full-cycle protection (boiler → steam → condensate)
- Efficiency gains via clean surfaces and stable chemistry
- High cycles & low blowdown for water, fuel and CO2 savings
- Simple dosing (one product, one point)
- Proven results across thousands of boilers worldwide
See What Cetamine® Could Save You
Use Kurita’s online calculator to estimate water, energy, CO2 and cost savings in minutes. For a full audit, Kurita engineers can baseline your boiler and project achievable improvements.
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