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The failure mechanism of two economizer tubes of a fossil fuelled 260 MW power plant has been investigated through the magnetic Barkhausen emission (MBE) technique along with the conventional and established materials characterization and evaluation techniques (like microstructures, mechanical properties and X-ray diffraction). The longer service exposer period results in the breaking of ferrite–pearlite structure and spheroidization lamellar cementite in ferrite matrix, associating with high magnetic r.m.s. voltage for former structure. The failure mechanism was governed by the cold end corrosion process with the presence of sulfates, and the subsequent erosion through hard quartz particles leads to a localized thinning of outer surface. Accordingly, the hoop stress was operative in tube walls and failed through fish-mouth opening. The MBE r.m.s. voltage response and pulse height distribution throw light on …