MIDTERM SOLUTION

SOLUTION OF QUESTION NUMBER 1

The Northern Ontario region has a permanent and semi-permanent frozen so il conditions, under which a pipe line is subjected to var iation in annual temperature, multiple water crossing, corrosion, moisture and envi ronmental challenges. Under such conditions h igh operati ng perfor mance character istics are required. I n order to maintain the integr ity of pipeline in Northern Ontario area, temperature and soil effect are the important factors, which need to be considered. Safe and reliable operation needs to be met t hroughout the operation of the pipe li ne.[II Though there are various types of coatings w h ich can be used in above mentioned areas such as coal tar, Fusion Bonded Epoxy coating, High performance composite coating (HPCC), but in this case High Performance Composite Coating (HPCC) will be used. The report covers the properties, uses, cost issues and the integrity management needed for the safe and rel ia ble operation of the pipeline.

STRUCTURE OF HPCC -

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High performance composite coati ng (HPCC) is a three layer coating system consisting of a FBE primer, a med ium density polyethylene outer layer and a tie layer conta ining a chemicall y mod ified polyethylene adhesive. The three components of t he coating are applied through an electrostatic powder coati ng process.Th is tie layer is a blend of adhesive and FBE with a gradation of FBE concentration. The mixing produces a physical interlocking of the three components without any definition of i nterface. The polyethylene and adhesive are similar to each other and they mix very well with each other. Hence, the layers are sort of interlocked and beha ve as a single coating system without any fear of delam inating. Delamination has always been a performance issue with other three-layer po l yethylene coating, usua ll y u nder cyclic conditions. As HPCC is a single layer coating and thinner, it will have less internal stress development when it is subjected to large temperature changes. The thickness of th polyeth ylene outer coat could be increased to 1250 microns (50 mils) to create a total th ickness of 1500 microns (60 mils) for a heavy-duty operation 121. I n a three layer PE system, the po l yethylene layer is applied by side extrusion for larg7 d iameter pipes and by crosshead extrusion for smaller diameter pipes. However, the problem with extrusion is poor coverage to the raised welds especially where the profile is pronounced. This tendency is also called tenting effect", rollers are some time used to compress the motte po lyethylene around the weld seam around the weld seam but it leads to red uction of coating t hick ness at the top of the weld i n a three layer system wh ich resu lts in increased material usage to achieve t he minimum required coating thickness. Powder coating avoids the above problems and provides advantages of being able to coat large diameter pipes and weld seams, thus savi ng
1

coating material by up to 60%. The HPCC coating uses a specially designed process for applying the various powder components. The process provides versati l ity in customizing the thickness of the components of the coating system, as well as producing unique structure. In this process, the coating solidification front also moves from the steei-FBE base coat interface towards the outer surface, thus minimizing the format ion of voids, which can be formed when the outer surface freezes before the bulk of the material. The HPCC coating system is covered under CSA 2245.21 system B2 - a coating system comprised of a powdered epoxy primer, a powdered copolymer adhesive, and a powdered polyethylene outer layer. The figure (Fig l) below shows cross link structure ofthe HPCC coating. Ill
Coating Cross-Section Material Standard Thickness microns (mils)
Polyethylene topcoat

500

(20)

FBE/Adhesive lnterlayer FBE

125

( 5)

125
750

( 5)

TOTAL

(30)

Fig 1

FBE has been tested to be a good corrosion resistant coating for pipelines; therefore, with the addition of polyethylene layer, HPCC is a more efficient option over FBE to corrosion resistance. The dense bonding of polyethylene with FBE ensures that there is no solid, liquid or gas phase impurity trapped at the interface. Also, FBE has a strong adhesion to the steel substrate. HPCC coating integrates the advantages of the two coating layers, adhesion to substrate by FBE and compactness by polyet ylr,-) 2 1

>- PROPERTIES AND USES121

HPCC coating provides excellent aal1esion to the pipe surface with inherent shear resistance properties, flexibility at lower temperatures, impact and cathodic disbandment resistance, and very low moisture permeability; some of these properties are discussed in this section in detail. Selected materials allow for operating temperatures in wet conditions of up to 85 Celsius and installation temperatures down to -40 Celsius. The figures on next page gives the impact resistance and flexibility of the HPCC system at
2

various temperat ures as examples to h ighlight its with FBE, dual layer FBE, and 3 LPE J2 1

performance properties, comparing

._

. . ., _ ---1!.00

- - - - -- r- - - -

1l.OO
1 !0 .0

- f.

------

o- --- :: ---

?- -

--- ::

-10.00

- -

-- .

Sjljl L,--

---

I)

' "

10

6.00

.o
c
30 -0

uo

-:.oo
-30
-.!0

;.oo

... - - - - -- r- - - -
.JO
-10

10

:e
. IL PE

-10 T tptunan
tC)

10

:o
. lLPE

30

O DPS fBE

.i.HPCC' -b

rBE

Gl DPS fB E

{l HPCC -

Fig 2- Impact resistance

Fig 3 - Flexibility

WATER PERMEABILITY _ I ll Water permeability is stated as the relative ease by which a porous medium can transmit water under a hydraulic gradient. For a corrosion-resistant coating it is very important that the coati ng has a low permeabilit y to water, the figure below shows that the HPCC coating has very low water permeabi lity. Polyethylene layer dominates the water permeabi l ity of the coating, with t he struct ural characterization resu lts it is denser or compact than the FBE layer_ll l
680r---------------------------

66 0

.. .. . - '6- --a-n-----._.

y = -0.0085x + 648 9 -.........

: c 640 .2>
620

y = -0.018x + 646.11 - --9---0...A.

. ..----..
-- -

--t.
a&- -11

y = -0.008x + 622 59

"""'"---

--"

6QO L------- ------ ------------_J

200

400

600

BOO

Time its (h) various temperat ures as examples to h ighlight

performance properties, comparing

3

Fig 4- Time dependence of the weight of the tested cells

 CATHODIC DISBONDMENT RESISTANCE 111 The figure below shows the cathod ic d isband men t result, average disbondment distance is about S mm. Visual inspections were also done which showed only trace amount of corrosion on the steel substrate. If the coating has a low resistance to cathodic d isbandment the like lihood of corrosion and stress corrosion cracking of the substrate stee l increases drastically. The results also showed that the disbandment rate decreases with time, with maximum disbanding radii up to 30-40 mm, depending upon the temperature. The small disbandment of HPCC measured in the current test was at 6S C ind icati ng that the HPCC has a strong resistance to cathodic disbondment.
10

r--------------------------------,

------- -----

0 -- ---- ---- ---- -- ---0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Test number Fig 5- Disbondment radius measured on HPCC coating under standard disbondment tests.

ADHESION OF COATING TO STEEL SUBSTRATEThe adhesion tests performed by ASTM and CSA standards followed by a manual i nspection show no fa ilure of HPCC coating on the entire coated specimen made up of steel. The strength of the bonding between HPCC and steel substrate came out to be SA and I. SA ranks the top one in ASTM standard, showi ng no removal or peeling of the coating. Same is the case with the rating I wh ich ranks top one in CSA standard, showing coating cannot be removed cleanly (11.
4

Adhesion between t he H PCC coating and the pipeline stee l is the ma i n property, which needs to be considered when determining the effectiveness ofthe coating in northern climate. HPCC coating shows exceptional adhesion to the steel substrate. The tests have shown that the HPCC abrasion resistance is ideal for northern climate where frost heave and thaw sett lement can cause shear stress alo ng the pipe, w h ich may result in disbondment of coat ing from the surface of the coating from the stee l surface. Electrostatic powder coati ng technique (2lis used to apply all the components of H PCC in powder form. The process is versatile in nature as it controls the thickness of the components of the coating system and a uniform la yer is formed. It uses a propriety internal quenching process instead of spraying or flood ing of the pipe exterior surface. This results i n coat ing so lidificat ion wh ich moves from the steel primer interface towards the outer su rface to generate excellent adhesion to the substrate steel. A single layer coating system performs well in a limited set of conditions and fails when subjected to the certain cond itions that are commonly encountered by pipeline coating. I n cont rast, the mu lt ila yer coati ng overcomes the disadva ntages of single layer coating. HPCC is designed to protect oil/gas pipel ine in the conditio ns where super ior corrosion resistance and high operating performance parameters are required.

COST ISSUES AND COMPARISION WITH OTHER COATINGS

121

Till now there is no quantitative mode l that has been established to predict with any rea l accu racy the long term pipeline in tegrity of one pipe l i ne coated wit h a pipe coating w ith{ other sa me pipe line coated with other type of pi pe line coating. Installation cost,\._V maintenance cost, cathod ic protection and repair cost have a significant influence on the overall coating cost of the pipeline. The cheapest coating is rarely the best one in a long run. A qualitati ve mode l has been proposed to give an estimate of overall long term perfo rmance cost benefit rating of var ious pipeline coating system and summat ion of ranking of eac h crit ical performance and cost item assoc iated with a pipe coating with ranking I ( lowest) to 5(highest), shows HPCC coating (standard and heavy) will provide the highest performance-cost benefit return among all pipeline coating system available today in the market. The following two figures(on next page) compare HPCC (strong and heavy) wit h ot her types of coati ng, the figures depict cost issue and a qualitati ve mode l for comparing pipe coati ngs and over ranking of H PCC versus other coat i ngs.f 2 l

ok

iJ

,_...
<..> c:: c:::.;; ... c:: Eca

51

,_... ,_...
41

55

,_...

48

47

. ... .-"-0 : ::
4>

25

c... c::
- d>

....

4>

>

HPCC
Standard

HPCC
Heavy

FBE

Dual Layer

3LPE

3LPP

FBE

Fig 6- Overall ranking of HPCC with versus other coating

Longer se\lc i elif e Low eslpass1ve pro:e-ot llf' budget LN esi!otanc.e Low est martenance cos1

l"'llaot esi!o:ance

Low e ;t coatir'lg cost per

or area

Cathodic disbor.drrer:res!Staroe

ow est irstalla :ioo cost

Easies t applcai :on

_ess dam1ge during

nanahng

-iPC : Standard

1-f'CC --Ieavy

FBE

D.Jal Layer CSE

3LPE -3LFP

Fig 7- A qualitative model for comparing pipeline coating

OVERALL COMPARISION OF HPPCC WITH OTHER COATING 131

COATING FBE

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

Excellent Corrosion Resistance Does not shield cathodic protection system H igh adhesion limits damaged area

Low impact resistance results in considerable field damage Sensitive to steel surface preparation and condition High moisture absorption and permeation especially at higher temperatures. Affected by UV during storage Low flexibility High cost Sensitive to steel surface preparation and condition High moisture absorption and permeation especially at higher temperature Affected by UV during storage Thickness constraints 1.5 mm Sensitive to steel surface preparation and condition

DPS

Excellent abrasion and damage resistance Excellent Corrosion Resistance

HPCC

3LPE

Excellent handling Excellent corrosion resistance Excellent low temperature impact resistance and flexibility Excellent moisture resistance Excel lent raised weld coverage Excel lent handling Excellent corrosion resistance Excellent moisture resistance

Prone to thinning across raised weld seams Side extrusion prone to delamination and
7

voids High cost due to minimum thickness constraints Sensitive to steel surface preparation and condition

INTEGRITY MAINTENANCE

11

An ideal pipeline coating system shou ld be environmental friendly, worker safe, durable and able to expose little/ no metal/substrate surface to the environment. It must also be resistant to environmental, mechanical and chemical damage during application, handling, burial and insulation. It should be capable of being efficiently and effectively under the restricted

environmental and work conditions in the field.

Cold temperature in northern Ontario has led to issues concerning to strength and flexibility of pipeline. Pipe that would be flexible enough to bend and sh ift whenever frost heaving will occur are necessary to sustain consistent flow. Frost heaving occurs whenever the ground changes from hard during w inter months to soft during warmer temperature. This effect causes any material that is built underground to shift accordingly. A coating on the high strength steel pipes in cold areas should withstand cold temperature and retain flexibility needed to protect the pipes. Laying pipeline in the north is another big challenge as soi l is permafrost that is it remains at or below 0 Celsius throughout the year. It happens when the ground cools sufficiently in winter to produce a frozen layer that persists through the following summer. The upper portion of permafrost is called the act i ve layer. As mentioned above freezing and thawing occurs but the pipeline can stay frozen in extreme ly northern region. Also clearing shrubs and trees in order to create right of way can expose land to the solar heating effects of the sun. This can thaw ice masses formed in the ground years agol 4 1. Dynamic soil conditions produce significant circumferential stress on the pipeline, which can lead to Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC). In addition, soil movement impose shear and torsion stresses on the pipeline. I f combined with hoop stress due to the gas pressure fluctuations, these various stresses might cause pipeline to leak/rupture at a stress level much lower than the designed, permitted stress. There is a trend in the natural gas pipel ine industry towards the northern pipeline technology using higher strength larger diameter steel pipeline to meet the requirements for project cost reduction and transportation capacity. But with the increase in strengt h the issue of crack initiation and propagation also increases dramatically.

In order to reduce the likelihood of SCC of pipelines in the north, external coating selection can play a vital role. Coating prov ides a barrier which is protective in nature between the pipeline and the soil. The superior quality of HPCC with other type of coatings has enabled its outstanding performance in maintaining the overall pipeline integrity in northern pipeline application. HPCC is relative robust to withstand frozen heave impact a nd has little chance to be disrupt ive. It also has su perior adhesive and single layer structure to effect ively resist disbanding from the pipe surface. l41 In the end to conclude, it can be said HPCC provides an effective alternat i ve for pipeli ne integrity maintenance due to its resistance to abrasion, flexi bility and cathodic disbondbent and high electrochemical impedance and have enabled the long term pipeline protection in harsh northern env ironment. [4J The coating has undergone considerable testing, meeti ng all the requirements of CSA Z245.21 and exceeding many of the test results for conventional coating system. HPCC was selected Trans Canada in the Gold in lake loop demonstration project to evaluate new technologies in remote and cha llenging environments for anticipated arctic pipeline construction. The application process and const ruction process went exceptionall y well without any major problems, Very little damage on the coating was observed during unloading, springing and bending even at construction temperatures as low as minus 45Celsius.

OL
A
f_,. _f
CX.lf!J'

SOLUTION OF QUESTION NUMBER 2

, r:n n the given question the concrete is exposed to high levels of hydrogen sulfide. In order words concrete is corroded by hydrogen sulfide.So in this case a there is need to understand corrosion of concrete by hydrogen sulfide and how to prevent it in near future. COR ROSION IN CONCRETEI61

Chemical reactions involving concrete needs to be considered as concrete follows metal as a princi pal building material. Concrete is a hydrated calcium aluminum sil icate, which is strongly alkaline. Moist concrete can develop a pH of up to 13, which is one reason it is considered a good protective media for steel structures. All ac id material reacts readily with concrete, due primarily to the { calc iu m in the comp lex cement molecule. Cement will even react with an acid as weak as pure water with very low dissol ved solids. Concrete will only with stand up properly without an y solution taking place if the water is somewhat hard. Thus, the acidic materials that must be considered when working with cement range all the way from pure water, fruit juices, and carbonated water, to strong acids such as sulfuric acid. Even extremely dilute sulfuric acid wi ll rapidl y react with cement, causing effervescence and precipitation of the insoluble calcium su lfate.

This latter reaction is the one which takes place i n sewers where sulfuric acid develops from the bacteria at and above the water line. I t has been measu red i n concent rations as h igh as 10%, disi ntegrating co ncrete at a rate as great t wo i nches per year under strongly corrosi ve conditions such as one shown in this figurel6 1-

+ AerobiC Bacteria (Th.M., Th. x,

Th. ConcretiUONI) + Air - H2S04 + S

"""'.,..-J r-on Concrete SUrface

Aerobic Bacter a

'#4-#-ofiiO Corrosion

'-j m sm.

below water ......

Whenever concrete is used as structural material that may be exposed to acidic compounds, it must be properly coated to ensure the preservat ion of the structure. In many ways, this process can be more complex than that of coating metals.

PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE tst Concrete is inorgan ic and therefore essent ially a rock. Very few organisms, such as fungi or bacteria will attack it as they attack organic materials. I t is general ly unaffected by sunlight, weather, moisture, dryness, or other similar conditions.

10

Concrete is a lso hard and does not wear away easily. Its abrasion resistance is determined by the aggregate used. The use of hard, durable granitic aggregate makes it very abrasion resistant, even though hydrated cement alone is not a highly abrasion-resistant material Concrete has good compressi ve strength. which is its most outstanding property. Concrete has proven a durable building material under most environment conditions. However, it is very reactive to many chemical exposures, primarily acidic ones. Even pure flowing water will d isso lve concrete under certain conditions.

LESSONS LEARNT
Any coating which is not thoroughly alkali-resistant will eventually breakdown and be destroyed by the alkali content in the concrete. The alkalinity in concrete is also a primary cause for the chem ical act ivity of concrete. Being highly alkaline, it is subject to attack by any material that is even slightly acidic. In the case of sulfuric acid attack, acid reacts with calcium in concrete and forms calcium su lfate, and its vo lume increases. With increase in volume it tends to spa ll a nd break the concrete. It pushes offthe coatings, the expansion has been strong enough to push cast in place, tile lining off the surface, and crack the tile lining. In this case it is a combination of both a chemica l and a strong physical attack.

NEGLIGENCE - The owner did not took the advice of the applicator regarding a sign ificant cement bu ild-back would be requ ired on the rough surfaces ofthe existing concrete. This made concrete more prone to be attacked by H 2S, as Cement build back would have acted as a barrier. USE OF DRY FILM THICKNESS GAUGE - As given in the lecture notes Dry film thickness gauge is more accurate than wet film thickness ga uge. As wet film thickness gauge is an in process check it wi ll not always yield the exact measurement. I n this case elect ronic dry thickness gauge should be used as they are effective in measuri ng nonconductive coati ng over such nonferrous subst rates such as concrete, wood or ceramic. UNIFORM APPLICATION- The details of inspection shows t hat the coat ing was not applied uniform l y; due to th is reason thicker monolithic areas were performing as intended while thinner non-monolithic areas were failing. The variation in coating leads to pinpoint corrosion and delamination ofthe coat i ng. Also in t his case adhesio n test using adhesion tester should had been done. Hence, coating needed to be applied uniformly. PINHOLE REPAIRING - As exposed aggregated areas had been left uncoated and pinholes were not repaired, H 2 S penetrated and it leads to localized corrosion. Surface Preparation - Surface of concrete needs to be prepared before applicat ion of coating using technique such as abrasive blasti ng and acid itchi ng as it will
11

improve the adhesiveness of coating and the substrate. These techniques are discussed be low in the repair methods.

REPAIR METHODS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM

In order to repair this problem a brief understanding of problems in coating the // concrete are needed to be understood, which are explained in the next section D{\.

PROBLEMS IN COATING CONCRETE171

ttil

There are some physical and chemical properties of concrete that have a direct beari coatings. Concrete performs best when under compression, and it has relatively high compressive strength (i.e. 2000 to 6000 psi). In this state, it resists cracki ng and checking, and the surface does not appreciably change, even with time. This makes a good, constant surface over which to apply coatings. Unfortunately, the opposite property - tensile strength-is low, so that concrete in tension can crack, making the surface difficult to protect. Cracks can occur due to foundation settli ng, earth movement (as in the joints of concrete pipe), and the vibration of machinery, and many other reasons. Whenever concrete changes from a state of compression to one of tension, cracks appear. Concrete is also brittle, which adds to the cracking problem and often causes spa lli ng. One of the ways in which cracking is reduced is to pre stress concrete or place it in permanent compression. Many concrete tanks, both above and below ground, are of a pre stress design, which means that the reinforcement is in sufficient tension to maintain the concrete under compression. Cracking, however, is not completely e liminated as some pre stressed cylindrical tanks, both above and below ground, are of a pre stress design, which means that the reinforcement is in sufficient tension to mai ntai n t he concrete under compression. Cracking, however, is not complete ly eliminated, as some pre stressed cylindrical tanks, which are wound with high tensile wire, may develop a few cracks parallel to the reinforcing wire. Much concrete pressu re pipe is also made using a pre stressed design. Each of these physical conditions can create coating problems where concrete is used under corrosive conditions INDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM The first step i n any repair procedure is to thoroughly inspect the area and determine the type of coating damage and extent of the damage to the substrate. Sources and type of contamination should be identified. Followi ng the inspection is to determine the condition ofthe coating and su bstrate; it may be well to test the substrate areas to determine suitably the surface preparation methods.

12

CONCRETE PREPRATION ltOI

The shrinkage stress are common and epoxy toppings and even si mple epoxy coating will often develop stresses suffic ient to pull up sizable pieces of the surface concrete. This means that the concrete over which concrete toppings and coating are applied must be solid, hard and with as high tensile strength as possible. In many cases where concrete surfaces have been exposed to chemicals of a number of types found in industry, or where concrete has been subject to se age conditions, the concrete can have very poor or margi nal strength. In this case corrosion is a problem; concrete may have to be re oved to a depth of 1.5 to 2 in. to reach the solid gray concrete underneath the corrosion produ . The same is true with sulfates. Blasting of such concrete surfaces is the most practical way of etting down to solid gray concrete. If the concrete has been severe l y eroded due to chemical attack the use of organic floor toppings and surfaces is recommended as the best met hod of repair. When concrete is seriously corroded and an inch or more must be replaced, concrete may be used to build up such areas. The floor toppings and surfacing can then be applied over this new surface. Generally however where a damaged area is l /8 to 1/4 in. in depth organic epoxy floor toppings provide excellent adhesion to the tight concrete and provide a good abrasion and chemical resistant surface.

ABRASIVE BLASTING (Surface preparation method)

Abrasi ve blasting is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive mater ial against a surface under high pressure to roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface, or remove su rface contaminants. A pressurized fluid, typically a ir, or a centrifugal wheel is used to propel the media 151.Water blasting with a brasive blast ing can also be used. The objective of A brasive blasting is to create proper adhesion of the coating over the substrate. Adhesio n is the key to coati ng effectiveness and it determi nes whether the coating is mere ly a t hi n sheet of material lying on the substrate or whether it becomes an actual part of the substrate. Adhesion becomes an even more critical condition for coatings applied in corrosive areas. Thus, proper surface preparation is vital to the long life and effectiveness of a coating applied in corrosive.

ACID ETCHING (Surface preparation method) 181

In some areas of concrete abrasive blasting is not feasible as it might damage other equipment and areas, acid etching will open the concrete surface so that coatings can obtain mechanica l adhesion. The opening of the concrete su rface is extremely for most coatings, particularly those that have a high molecular weight and do not have high penetrating powers (e.g. vinyl coatings). Unless the coating can penetrate, it does not obtain the adhesion necessary for a tight bond over the surface. The procedure tor acid etching is simple, use a dilute acid and apply it on concrete surface, allow it to react with calcium compounds in the cement and then wash the surface 13

thoroughly to remove the acid salts. However, one need to be careful while handling the acids such as hydrochloric acid and Sulfuric acid as they should not contact body or cloth.

REPAIR OF COATING ON CONCRETE 191 1. Remove all of the damaged coating or coating with loose adhesion back to the point where adhesion is consistent. 2. Remove the entire concrete corrosion product such as white carbonate deposit on the surfa 'e, the whitish or yellow corrosion product of sulfate. If chemical action has occurred remove all t softened surface back to clean gray concrete. This may require chipping, scraping, water jetti g, or abrasive blasting the surface. 3. If the concrete is subject to severe abrasion or chemical use even though it may not contain moisture, the above penetrating primer is also recommended. 4. If the concrete is deeply corroded or eroded leaving a rough surface the application of a heavy surface over the penetrating primer is recommended. The surface must be compatible with the primer in every way. 5. Check for cracks, as su bstantial working cracks of any type must be repaired prior to applying the repair coating. The general procedure recom mended is to "V" out the crack using a chisel or similar tool. Once this has been done, the crack then is filled with an epoxy or sim ilar concrete surface and trawled smooth and leve l with the surface. A penetrating primer is highly recommended prior to the application of the surfacer in order to penetrate the crack as deeply as possible.

REFERENCES
1. Characterization of high performance composite coatingfor the northern pipeline applicationby G.R. Howell. YF. Cheng, 19th July 2007 2. Advanced onshore and offshore pipeline coating technologies by Shiwei William Guan, Nick Gritis, Adam Jachon, and Peter Singh (Bredero Shaw, 25 Bethridge Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 1M7) at 2005 China International Oil and Gas Pipeline Technology (Integrity) Conference and Expo. 3. New developments in high performance coatings Peter Singh, Sean Haberer, Nick Gritis,Bredero Shaw Limited, Canada, Robert Worthingham, Matt Cetiner TransCanada PipeLines Limited, Canada 4. Development of innovative coating technology.for pipeline operation crossing the permafrost terrain by L Niu and Y.F. Cheng ,June 2007 5. Abrasive Blasting -http://en.wikipedia.orglwiki!Abrasive blasting 14

6. Corrosion Prevenlion 1986 , pg no. 34 7. Corrosion Prevention 1986. pg no. 289 8. Corrosion Prevention 1986, pg no. 282 9. Corrosion Prevention 1986, pg no. 394 10. Corrosion Prevention 1986, pg no. 392-393

by Pro1ec1ive Coatings by Charles G. Munger ,Second printing by Protective Coatings by Charles G. Munger .Second printing by Protective Coatings by Charles G. Munger .Second printing by Protective Coatings by Charles G. Munger ,Second printing by Protective Coatings by Charles G. Munger ,Second printing

15

1.2.

Solvent Characteristics behind the probable cause

A fast evaporating solvent is usually mixed into the base. Most applications prefer the fast evaporating solvent as it reduces the drying time-the faster the evaporating of the solvent, the faster the drying of the coating. Xylene is the most popular fast evaporating solvents on the market and normally meets industry standards. The trouble with fast evaporating solvents is that if the solvent evaporates too fast, it will flash over the surface and trap un-evaporated solvent underneath. Consequently, the coating never truly hardens leaving it sticky and soft.l 1
2

The second characteristic of solvent that can lead to soft and sticky coating occurs in multi layered coating where coating is applied as different layers. A multiple coating with each coating cycle requiresa sufficiently high viscous resist as well as a short soft bake between two successive coating steps so as to prevent the dissolution of the already coated resist film. Applicators usually observe the dryness visually and apply second coating over the first before the former has completely dried. This leaves a sticky film on the upper coating surface.

1.3.

Recommendations

i. Choose more viscous and slow evaporating solvents. Aromatic amines and amidoamines have higher viscosities and slow evaporating. A wide variety of industrially approved aromatic amines and amidoamines are available in the market. They are relatively environment friendly and are comparatively less toxic compared to Xylene.
)>

The higher viscosity ensures that the coating remains confined to the applied area ( no flow) thereby ensuring uniform thickness across the section of coating.

)>

Slow evaporation provides sufficient time and creates adequate environment for proper adhesion between the metal surface and the coating.

ii. Add a suitable catalyst or hardener. Two or more component coating kits require a catalyst or hardener to produce a chemical bonding to reach a final cure. Improper measuring of the products volume mix ratio can lead to too much of either resins or hardener at the mix stations, and can result in the imbalance that may not allow the 2 components to react properly and final curing will not occur, leaving an uncured (Gooey) mess. Also, verify the product volume mix ratio prior to measuring any components and use measuring containers for proper proportions.

iii. Storage time - Most solvents for coatings have expiry for storage after it is mixed with the base coat material. It is important to stick to the storage period as the solvents rapidly evaporate from the surface of the mix in the container, leaving a thick material on the surface and soft materials towards bottom. Wherever possible, immediately use the mix avoiding the need for storage.

2. It is acknowledged that the connection parts by rivets or bolts are the problematic areas for coating application. A design engineer suggested that the problem can be avoided by doubling the coating thickness locally. Do you agree or disagree with this design? Please justify.

Premature coating failure and corrosion of nuts and bolt heads are very common for all corrosive materials in the vulnerable environment. These failures can be diminished by different methods such as i. Cathodic protection, if possible.

ii. Galvanization or cadmium coating of rivets and nuts/bolts (if applicable)

iii. Careful surface preparation prior to application of a protecting coating. A brush coating of primer prior to spray application can ensure adequate coverage.

Bolts that pass through different metals or have a history of displaying general corrosion and stress corrosion cracking or galling may be coated before installation with industrial

coating compounds such as Cortec VCI-368. Bolts and nuts, wherever possible should be hot-dipped galvanized where possible.l31

Based on the given information, the design engineer's suggestion to double the coating thickness locally is recommended. The most common cause of corrosion around the rivets and bolts is the gradual thinning and breaking of coating at the surface boundary limits - for example, the boundary where the depression of the rivet lap starts or ends. This is attributed to both construction and service factors. During coating at the construction stage, the coating thickness usually thins at edges due to surface tension leading to weak coating at the reivet/bolt edges. During operation, the coating failure occurs due to mechanical factors such as vibration or accumulation of corrosive impurities along bolt/rivet edges. Doubling the coating thickness locally helps in longer satisfactory service life of rivets and bolt edges.

3. A coated steel component will be used in offshore platform for oil production. You are an engineer in charge of coating selection. You realize the importance of the properties of coating in its performance and service life. You thus prepare a report to the management team to comment the critical properties of the selected coating for this application. Please use 2 pages to draft a report for the management team. 3.1. Design Considerations

Offshore application steel components provide a challenge to the engineers who must design structures that and the components itself to withstand these hostile environments. The coatings assist in protecting these structures from the ambient surroundings that are most destructive to coatings systems including the following. i. incessant exposure to salt spray in atmospheric zones

ii. Continuous dry/wet environment from wave action iii. Harsh exposure to UV rays from sunlight iv. Steady movement and flexing of substrates v. Rigorous abrasion from drill pipe and casings etc. vi. Accidental chemical spills

In the absence of routine maintenance also coatings systems are to be engineered for a extreme levels of performance and high service life. Coatings shall be designed to enhance both substrates and workers safety and shall consider non-skid deck coatings, high visibility colour marking's, heat and fire resistantance and other specialty coatings. Offshore steel components fall into one of the following categories
1.

Permanently immersed in water

ii. Permanently exposed to atmosphere ( above water, but in moist and salty conditions) iii. Environment keeps changing (both of the above at different times) For permanently immersed components, sacrificial Cathodic protection is the traditional choice and works satisfactorily. High performance anticorrosive pigment primer coatings are used for the corrosion protection of components exposed to offshore atmosphere. The most effective anticorrosive pigment for such applications is inorganic zinc silicate fibers. Additional sacrificial cathodic protection may be applied to prevent corrosion, should the coatings fail.

3.2.

Available Options

Depending on the environment in which the component operates, the following coatings may be used to protect the component. 3.2.1. High Build Epoxy coatings An epoxy coating normally protects to substrates by forming a wall to the environment and keeps the electrolyte essential for corrosion at bay. Epoxies are usually more abrasion and chemical resistant that primers and topcoats and protect the substrate itsel f and the zinc primer from all of these damaging factors. Combined with a zinc rich primer it will provide the best long life anticorrosive protection for atmospheric exposure. However, epoxy coatings have very poor resistance to UV from sunlight and most will chalk and lighten rapidly.

3.2.2. Aliphatic Polyurethane Topcoats

Polyurethane finish coats have optimum resistance to ultra violet rays, are flexibile and have good chemical resistance. They can withstand low pH detergents and fresh water pressures washing that are common during spillage. Technically, polyurethane finishes do not offer anticorrosive or fence protection to the substrate. but they do provide elevated levels of protection to the integrity of the coatings system.

3.2.3. Epoxy/Polysiloxane Finish Coats Polysiloxane coatings technology combines the have the combination of the barrier protection and durability features of high build epoxy with ultra violet resistance, color and luster retention. This technology provides superior performance and eliminates the need for polyurethane topcoats that have health and safety concerns. A 3 coat system consisting of zinc -epoxy -epoxy-polysiloxane rivals the high performance achieved with a typical 4 coat zinc-epoxy-epoxy-poly urethane system.

3.2.4. Zinc Rich Epoxy Primers As mentioned earlier, inorganic zinc silicates provide optimum galvanic protection for steel substrates in open atmospheric areas but in some cases may not be possible as they need a high degree of surface preparation and positive ambient conditions for correct application. Zinc customized epoxy anti-corrosives can provide a high level of satisfactory service and are more tolerant to less surface preparation and ambient conditions. Zinc pigment loading of bigger than 80% by weight in the dried film is considered as a low for good cathodic protection properties. 3.3. Summary of recommendations

Protective coatings systems are to some extent, a partnership in that each component is reliant upon the performance of its counterparts. In simplistic terms. the following is the brief summary i. zinc provides galvanic protection for the offshore steel component of component coating. ii. epoxy protects the zinc that is applied as a primer, essentially ensuring durability