Doesn high alkalinity dissolve brasses and bronzes?
Only up to a point. Experience shows it is important to not have leaking valves situated below the normal water level. Such valves seats and stems, where made of brass or bronze, should ideally be substituted by stainless steel or other alkaline-resistant materials. Note ONLY the seat and stem need replacement. Erosion of the component body will be very slow indeed. Q: Doesnt high alkalinity dissolve glass, ie: gauge glasses. A: Silica is dissolved gradually by alkalinity. Correct maintenance policies based on inspection on set days in steam will prevent problems from occurring with tubular glasses. It is best to use reflex glasses if possible. Failures of these flat glasses are virtually unheard of. The ability to dissolve silica ensures silica scale does not form on boiler surfaces.
