MITIGATING CORROSION UNDER INSULATION IN A GAS PROCESSING FACILITY 10 YEARS ON

摘要

As is often the case when developing new technologies the first adopters are those who have a specific problem for which they are seeking a solution.This was the case in 2005 with a new,at the time,high temperature protective coating designed for use beneath insulation and in highly aggressive cyclic temperature enviromnents between 40°C(104°F)to 260°C(500°F).The facility in question is a gas processing plan in South Australia and they had significant issues with corrosion on their propane treater units.This paper will review the circumstances of the application in 2005,detailing the corrosion mechanisms at work and the justification behind the selection of the largely unproven new coating technology.It will then review the performance of the material over the course of its ten year service life concluding with a detailed review of its current condition.The paper will then move to the wider topic of coating development and specification,referencing this experience and posing the question’how can new coating technologies be successfully developed and launched into a such a conservative market?',especially given the importance placed by customers around long term proof of in service performance.