Case Study · Power Generation
Burner Tip High Emissivity Coating: 3× Longer Life and Lower NOx at a Coal-Fired Power Plant
| Industry | Power Generation |
|---|---|
| Asset | Coal burner tips (stainless steel) |
| Customer or location | Coal-fired power plant |
| Products used | Emisshield sintered coating |
| Headline metric | Failures ~6 to ~20 months |
| Secondary metric | Surface temperature reduced to 150°C |
| Also measured | NOx reduced |
| Also measured | Complete combustion |
Stainless-steel burner tips at a coal-fired power plant suffered coke buildup, broken welds, and a lifespan of roughly six months, and replacement meant significant downtime. Emisshield sintered coatings on the tips extended time between failures to roughly 20 months, held burner surface temperature to 150°C, reduced coke formation and broken welds, and achieved complete combustion with lower NOx.
01
What was the challenge?
Coke buildup and thermal stress were failing tips every six months.
02
What was applied?
Sintered coating on the burner tips to minimize degradation from temperature and corrosion.
03
What were the results?
| Metric | Uncoated | Coated |
|---|---|---|
| Time between failures | ~6 months | ~20 months (3×) |
| Burner surface temperature | Baseline | Reduced to 150°C |
| Coke formation and broken welds | Significant | Reduced |
| Combustion | Incomplete | Complete |
| NOx generation | Baseline | Reduced |
| Condition at 6 months | Coked | Coated tips cleaner than uncoated |
04
Why did it work?
A cooler, uniform tip surface stops the coke laydown and thermal cycling that break welds, and steadier flame lowers NOx. See Production Increase, combustion.
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