Whether it's extreme heat, extreme cold or anything in between, assets utilized for the oil and gas industry take a beating year-round, exposed to some of the most challenging environmental conditions on the planet. In addition to protection from the elements, it's equally important to address the fire protection needs of the structure, and choosing the appropriate passive fire protection (PFP) coatings solution can be a matter of life and death for workers at the facility. PPG PITT-CHAR® NX, the next-generation PFP solution, is a coating that will address these important factors for asset owners.
Safe
Paramount to any PFP coatings solution is enhancing the safety of the workforce in the field. PITT-CHAR NX helps protect against the full range of hydrocarbon hazards, including jet fire, pool fire and explosions. When faced with a fire or explosion in an oil and gas facility, a durable, fire-protective coating can reduce the rate of heat-up of the protected item and help maintain the integrity of the equipment, providing the crucial time needed for workers to clear the area. PITT-CHAR NX is an intumescent coating that also complies with the latest internationally recognized fire test standards and is resistant to severe explosions.
Flexible
Steel expands and contracts in relation to the temperature to which it is exposed. As a result, flexibility is a critical feature for a PFP coating system, as it enables the coating to withstand the stresses and strains of expansion/ contraction without cracking or delamination during fabrication, erection, transportation or construction. Oil and gas assets can be exposed to vastly varying climates: scorching summer heat to subzero arctic winter cold. A flexible, protective coating like PITT-CHAR NX helps provide dependable protection for assets exposed to these extreme climate variances.
Fast
The thinness, excellent sagging resistance and fast-cure characteristics of PITT-CHAR NX facilitate wet-on-wet applications, whether applied on-site or offsite. Additionally, PITT-CHAR NX can be applied in just one day, whereas some protective solutions require two or three days of application time. Faster curing times enhance productivity, increase throughput, shorten production schedules and ultimately reduce application costs.
Jet-fire protection
Fire-protective coating solutions are facing tougher and tougher industry standards and construction code requirements, moving toward stricter regulations that include jet-fire protection. This consideration is directly associated with and paramount to the safety of the workers, and it's an important factor that PITT-CHAR NX helps address for asset owners.
Lifecycle
Once an asset is installed in the field, refurbishment or refinishing is typically not an option, given the extreme weather conditions and the difficulty of accessing previously installed steel. As a result, it's critical to consider a long-lasting PFP coatings solution like PITT-CHAR NX.
Durable
Corrosion, vibration and impact protection are all concerns at the top of any asset owner's list. PITT-CHAR NX enhances an asset's resistance to all of these factors, which is important to consider when choosing a PFP coatings solution to protect assets long term.
Thickness/weight
Thinness and lightness are qualities of a coatings solution that enhance increased flexibility and facilitate weight reduction, which can ultimately reduce transport and construction costs of the asset. PITT-CHAR NX is an intumescent coating that is thinner than "lightweight" cementitious coating systems, which are three times heavier.
Cost
Like any prudent business leader, asset owners seek to minimize costs and expenses as much as possible. However, the PFP coatings solution that's the least expensive in the short term (to purchase and apply) may not be the most durable or effective long term, potentially compromising the lifecycle of the asset and, more importantly, increasing the risk for those in the field should an explosion or a jet/pool fire occur.
The ultimate concern among asset owners is to extend the safe service life of their assets, and there are many factors to consider when choosing the PFP coatings solution that will provide this for their facilities. As a result, they need to be diligent in their selection process. Cost, flexibility, safety and a fast/easy application are just some of the factors to consider when choosing a PFP solution, and PITT-CHAR NX from PPG is designed to address these factors. As a next-generation PFP coatings technology, it can provide an impressive list of benefits toward accomplishing long-term asset protection for any asset owner.
For more information, contact Juan Pablo Leon Arellano at (713) 254-5580 or jleon@ppg.com.
