Protecting steel vessels, piping, valves and other equipment from corrosion under insulation (CUI) in harsh, high temperature environments is a never-ending concern to oil, gas and chemical processing plant owners. With scheduled and unscheduled plant shutdowns costing billions of dollars each year, owners are looking to the coatings industry for ever more advanced solutions.
A number of coatings systems have been used in the past to address issues related to high temperature thermal cycling and thermal shock — critical components in producing CUI. These materials have included zinc silicates, aluminum silicones and epoxy phenolic coatings. While individually effective in certain elevated temperature environments, these coatings’ strengths are limited to specific operating conditions, often resulting in a complex coatings specification utilizing a variety of different products. Thermal Spray Aluminum (TSA) technology has also recently emerged as a popular alternative in new construction projects; however, issues related to cost, surface preparation, application and safety risks make TSA a difficult solution to work with for maintenance and repair projects.
International Paint took on the CUI challenge more than 15 years ago and, after extensive field and third-party laboratory testing, provides the industry worldwide with a fighting advantage — Intertherm® 751Cold Spray Aluminum (CSA). The unique Titanium Modified Inorganic Copolymer (TMIC)-based system delivers a cost-effective solution for achieving superior corrosion protection in plant environments with continuous or cyclical high-heat temperatures of up to 750 F, without the application difficulties or limitations of traditional anti-corrosion and TSA products.
Intertherm 751CSA’s excellent adhesion characteristics and inherent flexibility make it an ideal choice for maintenance and repair applications where coatings must be applied on site in operational facilities. In many cases, the coating system can be applied without disruption to equipment operation or production schedules. And when used in fabrication shop applications, it delivers a whole new level of quality control and cost savings to new construction projects.
One early adopter of Intertherm 751CSA, a large gas processing plant in South Australia, chose the coating system in October 2005 based on lab performance data alone. Plant owners hoped the system would help eradicate serious CUI problems on their propane treater units. Surfaces received Sa 2.5 grit blast and were then sprayed with Intertherm 751CSA at 8 mils dry film thickness. Despite the units’ regular cyclic exposure to temperatures of 500 F, damaging sea spray and regular rainfall, annual inspections revealed consistent performance with no sign of coating degradation after more than eight years of service. Today, Intertherm 751CSA continues to be specified around the world as the leading solution for protecting facilities and assets from CUI, and its proprietary TMIC resin technology is cited in the respected NACE SP0198 guideline for controlling CUI.
For more information about Intertherm CSA, visit www.coldsprayaluminum.com. To learn more about International Paint’s full range of protective coatings, linings and fire-protection products, visit www.international-pc.com or call (800) 589-1267.
