Many industries and everyday homeowners depend on pipelines for fluid transmission purposes. These can range from the supply of potable water, HVAC systems, petrochemical refineries, plumbing, irrigation, and many more. Oftentimes, these pipelines will be protected by various steel pipe coating types that slow down the rate of wear and tear for the pipes and prevent damages such as corrosion. While steel pipes may last for several decades up to 100 years, they need to be consistently maintained as long as water or any type of fluid comes into contact with the pipes’ linings.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit our website.
Today, industries make use of two kinds of techniques: pipelining (which is essentially a pipe within a pipe) and pipe coating which is designed to prevent direct contact between the pipe and the fluid it carries. Some of these pipe coating types include high performance powder coating, galvanizing, polyethylene coating, fusion-bonded epoxy powder coating, and the like. Each has its own advantages and limitations that can affect pipe quality and functionality. Read on to learn more.
High performance powder coating or HPPC is mainly made out of a combination of polymer resins that also include leveling agents, colorants, additives, curing compounds, flow modifiers, and the like.
As the name suggests, HHPC provides high performance protection for pipes that are used especially in extreme environments. This is why you’ll often find HPPC-coated steel pipes in use for oil and gas pipelines, metal refineries. HPPC coating also contains polyethylene which is effective at providing another layer of protection to the pipe during transport and underground use. The polyethylene content is particularly exceptional in maintaining the quality of the pipe despite exposure to different chemicals and abrasive soils.
HPPC coating is designed for pipes that have a minimum diameter of 14 inches with a max of 42. It may not be suitable for construction applications like scaffolding or plumbing as the pipes tend to have a smaller diameter. Nevertheless, the coating can withstand high-temperature ranges — -45 up to 85 degrees Celsius, to be exact.
Similar to the high performance powder coating, the high density two-layer is also a polyethylene-based coating that is commonly used as the topcoat for multi-layered coating systems. With this in mind, usage for both kinds of coating is mainly reserved for situations that involve extreme environmental conditions, such as oil & gas, petrochemical factories, water transportation, and many more.
The main difference between this two-layer coating and the powder coat is that the latter is composed of a layer of adhesive and another polyethylene layer. This provides the pipes with higher resistance against shears, corrosion, impacts, and cathodic disbondment. While previous types of coatings that were mainly mastic or copolymer polyethylene-based were cheap to manufacture, they have poor peel strength and can operate only under low temperatures.
The high-density coating, therefore, was developed mainly for the reasons previously mentioned. Even during stockpiling or storage, HDTLPC-coated pipes will maintain their shape and form and overall physical quality.
If the first two types of coating were limited only to pipes that have large diameters, fusion bonded epoxy powder coating or FBE can be used for small pipe sizes and diameters. It has significantly higher temperature ranges than the high-performance powder coat, with a +/- differential of about 25 degrees Celsius.
Due to its excellent temperature values, FBE coating will also be durable under extreme heat and pressure, making it suitable for waterworks aside from oil & gas. Due to the excellent bonding that FBE provides, it also offers long-term corrosion resistance protection to the pipe. Even after prolonged use for fluid conveyance and transmission, the coating will be effective at slowing down degradation and minimizing the damage on the pipes.
Galvanizing or galvanization is one of the most popular types of steel pipe coating. Even when the metal itself has a number of excellent properties when it comes to corrosion resistance and tensile strength, it needs to be further coated with zinc for a better finish.
Galvanizing can be done in a number of ways, depending on the availability of the method. The most popular technique, however, is hot-dip or batch dip galvanizing which involves a submersion of a steel pipe into a bath of molten zinc. A metallurgical reaction formed by the steel pipe alloy and the zinc creates a finish on the metal’s surface that provides a corrosion-resistant quality never present on the pipe before.
One other advantage of galvanizing is the cost benefits. As the process is simple and doesn’t require too many secondary operations and post-processing, it has been the go-to choice for many manufacturers and industries.
Steel pipe coating types can be classified according to the material, method, and purpose of use. Pipes that are built for service in petrochemical refineries, oil & gas, and water transmission require durable coatings, making the high density polyethylene, FBE, and HPPC good choices. For smaller pipes that will be used structurally, on the other hand, galvanizing is a more practical solution.
Bare steel pipes do have their fair share of positive qualities, but in order for them to be usable in various industries, they need a protective layer of coating. As demands for more durable pipes grow, there is no doubt that coating providers will eventually develop other more coatings that can meet industry requirements.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Tirico.
Oil and gas pipelines are an essential part of the energy infrastructure, and their coatings must meet a multitude of standards: Preserve the equipment, protect from corrosion, follow federal regulations — and be quick to apply for fast-moving pipeline owners.
For the three major types of pipeline locations — below-ground buried systems, above-ground pump stations and underwater pipelines — there are tried-and-true coating systems used for their ease and efficiency. Outlined below are the preferred coating system for each pipeline environment and how they meet the high standards of pipeline owners and inspectors.
Depending on the materials a pipeline is transporting (process oil, crude oil, dry gas, wet gas, or sour gas), there are various requirements required for corrosion protection. In the U.S., the Department of Transportation’s Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issues minimum standards that pipeline owners are required to meet. In Canada, pipelines are regulated by provincial jurisdiction, or by the National Energy Board (NEB) if they cross provincial borders. Pipeline owners and coatings contractors are both responsible for selecting pipeline coatings that meet the necessary regulations.
The minimum surface preparation standard for the oil and gas pipeline body is SSPC-SP 10 Near-White Blast Cleaning with SSPC-SP 11 Bare Metal Power Tool Cleaning for the ends of the pipeline where the joint coatings are applied. All coatings for the body of the pipeline are shop-applied by automation. The same goes for field-applied joint coatings, except when rough terrain or close quarters prevents the use of automatic units and manual spray coating must be used.
Buried systems
For buried systems (the majority of most oil and gas pipelines), the almost-universal standard pipeline coating is fusion bond epoxy (FBE) powder systems. FBE has become the standard because it is easy to apply, is affordable, works well with cathodic protection and is tough enough to withstand transportation from the shop to the truck to the field. A section at each end of the pipe is left for the field-applied joint coatings: Either a three-layer shrink wrap or a high performance 100% solids liquid-applied epoxy. The drawback of the epoxy is the cure time, which isn’t ideal for fast-moving pipeline projects.
As buried systems are in an immersive environment (i.e. surrounded by water), cathodic protection is a must and is always used in conjunction with the FBE system. You wouldn’t be able to license a pipeline without cathodic protection. The coating system and the cathodic protection have a synergistic relationship: As the coating deteriorates with age and develops holidays, the cathodic protection takes over and ensures continued corrosion protection for the pipeline.
Pump stations and compressor stations
For the above-ground pump stations and compressor stations where pressure is reintroduced into the pipeline to maintain flow, pipeline coatings that protect against atmospheric conditions (wind, rain, UV, infrared) are the standard. This is typically an inorganic zinc primer, an intermediate coat of epoxy, then a topcoat of polyurethane for color and gloss retention. Joint coatings are field applied with the same coating system as the body of the pipeline. Cathodic protection isn’t used on the above-ground sections of the pipeline.
Underwater pipelines
Though seemingly different from buried pipeline systems, underwater pipelines are actually in quite a similar environment, as they are both immersive. These pipelines are either pre-coated with three layers of FBE or applied with coal tar urethane on site. The choice between these two is based on the personal preference of the pipeline owner, though coal tar urethane’s health and safety concerns have seen it fall out of favor in recent years.
As with buried pipelines, underwater pipeline coatings are used in conjunction with sacrificial cathodic protection. One additional element that’s added to underwater pipelines is concrete weight coatings — some poured and laid on site, some pre-cast — to ensure the pipeline stays at the desired depth and doesn’t float out of the water.
As with the exterior of most pipelines, corrosion is a risk factor for the interior of oil and gas pipelines. Robotic internal field joint coating companies exist all around the world. Their processes may be slightly different; however, each company is able to perform a quality product. When the owner and the welding contractor are aligned with the coating company, the highest quality coating outcome is achievable for the pipeline owner.
Other methods for preventing internal corrosion exist, such as engaging with a metallurgist to select a type of steel pipe that best interacts with the material. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages that should be discussed between the pipeline owner and the coatings contractor.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Fbe Coating Steel Pipe.