**2. Classification of the fouling**

For a better understanding of the biofouling problem, this chapter begin of the description general term "fouling" and its types, among which is biofouling. This term is used to define the accumulation of biotic and/or abiotic deposits on a surface in contact with a fluid. This type of soiling can occur in nature in many different ways and is usually classified in the following categories [11]:

**65**

**Figure 3.**

*Inc. 2013).*

*Fouling in Heat Exchangers*

• Ice-cold fouling

• Fouling by precipitation

**2.2 Fouling by chemical reaction**

tation by acting as a catalyst.

**2.3 Fouling by corrosion**

**2.4 Freezing fouling**

• Fouling by particles

**2.1 Biological fouling**

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88079*

The biological fouling or biofouling in the Anglo-Saxon literature depends on the material on which the accumulation of macrofouling or macrobial biofouling

Deposits caused by chemical reaction can be initiated by the contact of two chemicals in a heat transfer process. In some cases, the metal surface favors precipi-

This type of fouling is frequently observed in the petroleum industry, in which the refining processes induce the polymerization of unsaturated hydrocarbons (**Figure 3**).

This type of fouling occurs as a result of electrochemical or microbial corrosion of a surface in contact with a fluid (**Figure 4**). The composition of corrosion products is normally a function of the material from which they originate. According to [12] corrosion must be taken into account in the design of heat exchangers in order to generate more information on the thermal resistance associated with fouling by corrosion.

It is the accumulation of solid deposits on a refrigerated surface due to the solidification of a fluid or one of its constituents. The accumulation of this type of fouling depends on the temperature of the surface and the shearing effect produced by the fluid on the surface as a function of its velocity of circulation [13, 14]. This phenomenon is seen in the solidification of the wax, whose melting point is high, in

*Residue of hydrocarbon in the tubes of a heat exchanger (Source: By courtesy of H&C Heat Transfer Solutions* 

a hydrocarbon solution on a heat exchange surface (**Figure 5**).

occurs, which originates from microfouling or microbial biofouling.


*Fouling in Heat Exchangers DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88079*

• Ice-cold fouling

*Inverse Heat Conduction and Heat Exchangers*

although, until now, none have been found that are substitutes for chemical agents

*Tubular heat exchanger in maintenance due to the presence of biofouling in its tubular bundle (Source: By* 

Other "offline" methods, such as antifouling coatings (AF) or mechanical cleaning, are widely used in heat exchangers. AF coatings have the drawback of using chemicals that can harm the environment. Nowadays, new coatings are being researched to avoid

For a better understanding of the biofouling problem, this chapter begin of the description general term "fouling" and its types, among which is biofouling. This term is used to define the accumulation of biotic and/or abiotic deposits on a surface in contact with a fluid. This type of soiling can occur in nature in many different

and that have the same or with higher efficiency.

*courtesy of Merus-the water conditioner company).*

**2. Classification of the fouling**

• Fouling by chemical reaction

• Biological fouling

• Fouling by corrosion

the growth of biofouling, without harming the environment [9, 10].

*Presence of mussels in the water box of a condenser (Source: By courtesy of Nuclenor).*

ways and is usually classified in the following categories [11]:

**64**

**Figure 2.**

**Figure 1.**

