Vapour Phase Cleaning
Vapour Phase Cleaning
The Service
Vapour phase chemical cleaning uses a small piston pump to inject cleaning chemical into a steam or gas carrier stream. The vapour carries the chemical throughout a vessel or piping system, depositing it on internal surfaces to dissolve fouling, scale, and hydrocarbon deposits, all without full vessel entry or large equipment.
Our units are portable and connect with ½" high-pressure hose, making them well-suited for confined turnaround environments where space is limited and multiple systems need to be treated simultaneously.
This service is typically coordinated with plant shutdown and turnaround schedules, where access to vessels and heat exchangers is available and cleaning can be completed ahead of inspection and maintenance activities.
Equipment
Applications
What We Do
Vessel & Heat Exchanger Cleaning
- Chemical injected into steam carrier and routed through vessel internals
- Dissolves hydrocarbon fouling, scale, and deposits on tube bundles and shell surfaces
- Reduces manual cleaning time and confined space entry requirements
- Applicable to separators, knock-out drums, and process vessels
Process Piping & System Cleaning
- Chemical carried through piping systems via steam or gas
- Cleans dead legs, headers, and interconnecting piping
- Amine and glycol system cleaning during turnarounds
- Pre-inspection surface preparation
Plant Turnaround Support
- Coordinated with shutdown and turnaround schedules
- Low footprint: portable units wheel into position and connect with ½" hose
- Multiple systems can be treated simultaneously
- Integrates with nitrogen inerting and purging operations
Equipment & Operations
Where We Work
Basins & Regions
Understanding the Service
What is Vapour Phase Cleaning?
Vapour phase chemical cleaning injects a cleaning agent into a steam or gas carrier at low flow rates using a small piston pump. The vapour stream carries the chemical throughout the connected system (vessel shells, tube bundles, piping headers, and dead legs), depositing it on fouled surfaces where it reacts with and loosens hydrocarbon scale, iron sulphide, and organic deposits.
Unlike high-pressure water jetting or chemical circulation, vapour phase cleaning requires minimal equipment, no large fluid volumes, and no significant modifications to the system being cleaned. The injection pump connects via ½" hose to an existing steam or gas supply point on the equipment.
This technique is particularly effective during plant turnarounds, where cleaning needs to be completed quickly across multiple systems before inspection crews begin their work. Copper Tip crews coordinate directly with turnaround planners to sequence cleaning activities with the overall shutdown schedule.
Common Questions
What is vapour phase chemical cleaning?
Vapour phase chemical cleaning uses a piston pump to inject cleaning chemical into a steam or gas carrier at low flow rates. The vapour carries the chemical through vessels, heat exchangers, and process piping, depositing it on internal surfaces where it dissolves fouling, scale, and hydrocarbon deposits. The technique requires minimal equipment and no large fluid volumes, making it well-suited to plant turnaround environments.
How does vapour phase cleaning differ from chemical circulation?
Chemical circulation requires filling a vessel or system with liquid chemical and circulating it through the equipment, which demands pumps, hoses, containment, and significant fluid volumes. Vapour phase cleaning injects a small quantity of chemical as a vapour, which carries to all connected surfaces without filling the system. It is faster to set up, requires less equipment, and generates less waste.
What systems can be cleaned with vapour phase injection?
Vapour phase cleaning is applicable to process vessels, separators, heat exchangers, amine and glycol contactors, process piping, headers, and dead legs: any system that can accept a steam or gas carrier connection. It is commonly used during plant turnarounds to clean equipment ahead of internal inspection and maintenance.