The utility protects in use, wet pipeline
with an anti-corrosive, water based,
ceramic coating with no VOCs or HAPs
When an electric utility in the
Southeastern United States sought
to protect above ground natural
gas pipeline against corrosion, the
goal was to cost effectively do so
while minimizing downtime and
environmental impact.
Yet in the power and petrochemical
industries, protecting above ground
pipeline from corrosion can be a
challenge, particularly when the
pipeline carries a cooled compressed
gas that draws moisture out of a hot
or humid external environment. This
causes in use pipeline to continuously
drip water, or “sweat”, making
adhering a protective coating to the
exterior of the pipeline virtually
impossible without shutting down
the line.
Traditional organic coatings also
typically require days or even weeks
of facility downtime depending on
the project, due to complex surface
preparation and application as well as
curing times needed between coats.
This can be tremendously expensive
in terms of lost production as well as
shut down and start up costs.
Utilizing such coatings near people
or sensitive areas can also be
problematic because they typically
involve dangerous Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOCs) and Hazardous
Air Pollutants (HAPs), as well as
clean up using harmful turpentine or
mineral spirits.
So, when the electric utility chose
an anti-corrosive coating for about
3,500 feet of power plant pipeline in
a facility, it was very particular about
its selection.
The 30-inch diameter pipeline