Corrosion under insulation - streamlining coating selection for bulk valves

Historically coating selection for bulk valves has taken one of two routes:

• Performance based route involving selection of the coating system based on the valves operating temperature.
• A more simplified approach involving vendor selected coating systems with limited performance in some corrosion situations.

With more and more capital projects seeking to ensure improved coating performance across all items the paradox which must be solved is how to ensure effective corrosion protection without making the coating selection and execution process unduly complicated.

When manufacturing and the difficulties associated with coating application to complex geometries are considered the problem become even more exacerbated. This presentation will focus on:-

• Coating selection: How to achieve simplification and performance
• The impact of applied coating thickness on key operating parameters such as maximum heat resistance and corrosion resistance.
• A comparison of conventional zinc silicate / aluminium silicones versus alternative coating types.

Key parameters required in a protective coating for successful valve coating.

The presentation will focus on work carried out over an 12  month period with a view to creating an improved valve coating system for use within the oil, gas and thermal power industries.