WPS OCMC extend service life of petrochemical burner lances

Traditional metallic burner lances are severely damaged after 6 months of operation. Source (All Images) | Walter E.C. Pritzkow Spezialkeramik (WPS)

Walter E.C. Pritzkow Spezialkeramik (WPS, Filderstadt, Germany), a company focused on the development and design of lightweight structures made of ceramics, has developed a solution in collaboration with BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany) consisting of tubes that combine monolithic ceramics with an oxide ceramic matrix composite (OCMC), creating hybrid burner lances that are advancing operations at BASF facilities worldwide.

For decades, petrochemical crackers have faced continuous challenges with metallic burner lances, particularly as hydrogen is increasingly incorporated into processes. The catalytic properties of nickel-based alloys accelerate coking, a damaging carbon buildup that obstructs critical flow passages and leads to overheating, corrosion and ultimately, component failure during removal.

Unlike metal components that require replacement approximately every 6 months, WPS’ ceramic hybrid burner lances have been operating continuously for more than 18 months without issues, with projected service life extending to 10-12 years based on similar operating conditions in other applications.

Close-up of WPS’ CMC burner lances after 18 months of continuous operation.

According to the company, what makes this solution effective is the application of OCMC where traditional monolithic ceramics would fail. While monolithic ceramics offer the needed chemical inertness, they lack the crack-stopping mechanisms and thermal shock resistance required in cracker environments. Monolithic components would crack during initial heating cycles due to thermal stresses. The combination of the monolithic ceramic with the fiber-reinforced structure of OCMC provides the necessary damage tolerance and thermal shock resistance while maintaining the chemical inertness that makes ceramics ideal for these harsh environments.

This approach delivers multiple benefits to chemical plant operators. First, OCMC components eliminate the catalytic reactions that damage metal parts during operation. They also withstand the high temperatures that occur during decoking processes, which reduces the risk of failure. Additionally, the system incorporates commercially available metal connections that make the ceramic burner lances integrate seamlessly with current systems as a retrofitable solution.

WPS’ exclusive license for this patented technology by BASF positions the company as the sole provider of this solution. WPS continues to work with BASF to optimize the metal-ceramic connection to simplify the installation process for plant operators.

Walter E.C. Pritzkow Spezialkeramik has more than 30 years of experience with OCMC for extreme environments. The company is seeing interest in the technology spreading throughout the petrochemical industry as more companies recognize the potential benefits for their global operations to increase efficiency, reduce maintenance schedules and enable the transition to greener, more sustainable operations.