Sulfuric acid plants don’t usually get much warning before moisture-related problems start causing corrosion, hydrogen formation, and expensive maintenance issues. By the time a leak becomes obvious, the damage may already be underway.
That’s why acid dewpoint monitoring is gaining attention as a practical tool for early leak detection and process monitoring.
A recent Ohio Lumex evaluation of the Ei4200 explored how changes in acid dewpoint behavior may help identify moisture intrusion before larger operational issues develop. The paper also examines how the relationship between sensor temperature and Delta Current, referred to as the “CT curve,” can provide additional insight into process conditions within sulfuric acid plants.
Field data collected across multiple installations showed that even relatively small changes in moisture conditions can create measurable shifts in dewpoint behavior. In leak detection applications, this allows operators to establish alarm thresholds that provide earlier indication of process upsets and water intrusion.
The evaluation also suggests that dewpoint trends may provide value beyond leak detection alone. As plants continue collecting long-term operating data, these trends may help correlate process changes with reliability, corrosion potential, and overall plant performance.
Read the full paper:
