As any refining or petrochemical plant manager knows, corrosion can occur on insulated piping at any facility, and is particularly difficult to prevent, track, and mitigate. Corrosion under insulation (CUI) has been a major challenge for the petrochemical and refining industries since the first pipelines were insulated with wrappings. As a global issue, CUI directly contributes to health, safety, and environmental (HSE) issues, lost production, and increased maintenance costs. Coating has been the typical CUI mitigation method for over 40 years and while effective, its protective life under insulation is limited and recoating of existing piping systems is rarely done. There are a number of effective, long-life CUI prevention methods currently available, including stainless-steel, protective cages, organic coating, aluminum wrapping of austenitic stainless steel pipe, and thermal spray aluminum, so facility managers must choose among them for the best fit for purpose solution.
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