TITLE - CORROSION CONTROL THROUGH COATINGS IN GAS INDUSTRY

Abstract:

Coating is one of the most effective ways to stop the penetration of corrosion and guarantee
the extended life of kilometres of pipelines installed all over the world. The cost of coating
represents not more than 5% of total cost of pipe coated. This paper presents study for the
control of external corrosion on gas transmission pipelines. Coating provides a major control
over corrosion in steel pipelines. Since eighties coating like Polyolefin’s (PO’s) i.e.
Polyethylene (PE) Polymer and Polypropylene (PP) polymer coatings, Fusion Bonded Epoxy
resin (FBE) have evolved in industrial coating process making pipelines more secure to
external corrosions. Similarly, on field coating methods like HTLP80, DIRAX Wrap around
Sleeves, PERP 80 and Cold Applied Tapes have emerged as field joint coating methods.
But application of onsite coating has always been a major concern to check corrosion at pipe
welds keeping the mechanical properties (impact resistance, penetration resistance, etc.)
and/or heat resistance properties in-line with industrial coatings.

Introduction

When we talk about pipeline coating, we thing it primarily as a barrier to corrosion. But
coatings play a much more major role than just blocking the moisture. A few of the functions
are [1]

 Separating the pipeline from corrosive chemicals, gases, and microbiologically influenced
corrosion (MIC).
 Reducing the amount of cathodic protection current required for corrosion mitigation.
 Protecting piping against Corrosion under Insulation (CUI).
 Reflection of thermal radiation and insulation of the pipe contents from heat loss or heat
gain.
 Reducing the friction between the liquid media and the pipe wall.
 Resisting abrasion and impact during transportation and burial.
 Controlling pipe buoyancy in offshore applications.
 Reducing or preventing deposit build-up, thus boosting production rates.

In Pipeline once the leaks occur, the line is forced to have a shut-down for necessary repair
work which is hazardous as well as expensive. The process of repair has to be repeated every
time a leak open and a time comes when it is necessary to replace the old pipeline with a new
one which require heavy capital expenditure. If the problem can be controlled and the rate of
corrosion minimised, MGL will be benefitted by having a fewer shut-down, elimination of
expensive and dangerous repair work, greater productivity, and longer life of the pipelines
requiring no replacement for an extended period [2].

Mild steel pipelines carrying natural gas for domestic and industrial use are prone to different
constituents of the gas of the gas from inside and different constituents from outside. Majorly
the pipes used Steel pipes used for laying are coated with FBE and 3LPE coatings from
industry with a clearance of 150 mm at both the ends of the pipe , left out for joining the pipe
ends. As the major portions of the pipes are coated and pretested with high accuracy within
industry premises by calibrated instruments under controlled industrial conditions, there are
very less chances of defect in the pipe coating.

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 TITLE - CORROSION CONTROL THROUGH COATINGS IN GAS INDUSTRY

But during on-field coating of pipes, where there are always constraints in space, coating
equipment’s, weather conditions (which cannot be controlled), it makes perfect coating a
major challenge to be met.

A few coating process applied on the field in Mahanager Gas Limited (MGL) are Heat
Shrinkable Wrap-around Sleeve (HTLP 80), PERP 80 (coating repair patch), Cold applied
Tape, DIRAX Wrap around Sleeve.

Pipeline Coating

Older Technology

Since forties there have been many new developments in coating industry which has provided
many ways to protect our pipelines against corrosion.

As seen in Fig. 1 the real like cycle perspective of coating can be viewed, where bituminous
or Tar based coatings, which has the virtues of being sticky, water repellent and available.
These methods are cheap and effective until seventies [1].

Fig 1. Evolution of Pipe mainline Coatings [3]

These coating processes have been surpassed over by new, advanced coating methods with
high mechanical properties.

Coal Tar Enamel (CTE): It is one of the oldest polymer based coating produced from
plasticization of coal tar pitch, cola and distillates. Inert filters are added to provide the
desired properties of the system. Over the years this coating has been used in conjunction
with a primer, a fibre glass or mineral felt reinforcement, and an outer wrap. [1,4]

A few coating process applied on the field in Mahanager Gas Limited (MGL) are Heat
Shrinkable Wrap-around Sleeve (HTLP 80), PERP 80 (coating repair patch), Cold applied
Tape, DIRAX Wrap around Sleeve.

New Technology:

Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coatings (FBE): It is also known as Powder coating. FBE in plant is
applied by the electrostatic application of micron sized thermosetting powders onto heated
steel. The FBE powders melt and flow between 180 and 250 0C and form a smooth, glossy
film typically 300 - 600 µm (12 - 24 mils) thick on the steel surface. As the cross-linking

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 TITLE - CORROSION CONTROL THROUGH COATINGS IN GAS INDUSTRY

reactions proceed, the film gels and ultimately cures. The whole process can take place in
under a minute.
A few positive properties of FBE are:
 An excellent adhesion property to steel.
 An excellent corrosion barrier.
 High Operating temperature (⁓ 150 to 200 0C)
 Low thickness
 Due to low thickness provides sufficient CP current to protect the underlying steel
 Easy repair process.
Sometimes, two layers coatings are specified (e.g.; Dual Layer FBE). The secondary
layer may be for abrasion resistance, a friction surface, a thermal or impact
barrier, a UV barrier for increased corrosion resistance, and so on. The second layer
need not necessarily be the same as the first layer and could be polyurethane, polyester,
or some other coating. The common specifications that guide the applications include CSA
Z245.20, ISO 21809-2, API RP 5L9, and NACE SP0394. [1]

Fig 2. Auto application of FBE Powder [1] Fig 3. Manual application of FBE Powder
(Fig. Courtesy- http://vippesaro.com/services/fbe-fusion-bonded-
epoxy/)

Polyolefin’s (PO’s): PE and polypropylene (PP) are both examples of polyolefin’s (POs).
POs are specified almost as often as FBE for the protection of steel pipe.

PE is impermeable to water but has poor gouge resistance. PP has superior resistance to
impact, indentation, abrasion and soil stress, excellent chemical resistance, and low water
vapour transmission. PP is also resistant to higher operating temperatures than PE.

CSA Z245.21 is one of the more widely used specifications. Repair is by melt sticks or repair
patches. There are instances where it can be used on GWs, but heat shrink sleeves (HSSs) are
more typical. It is not practical for valves [1].

2-layer PO’s: PO’s can be used in 2-layer PO’s i.e. 2 Layer PE or 2 Layer PP coatings where
1st layer consists of Mastic based adhesive or Copolymer adhesives (as POs are nonpolar and
do not bond well to steel [11]) and 2 nd layer PE or PP Coating material. A comparison on
properties of Mastic based adhesives and Co-polymer based adhesives is shown in Table 1.

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 TITLE - CORROSION CONTROL THROUGH COATINGS IN GAS INDUSTRY

Table 1 [1]
Mastic based Copolymer
Properties
adhesives adhesives
Cathodic Disbondment (CD) resistance. Good Poor
Shear strength Low Good
Peel strength Low Good
Application Low Temperature Low Temperature

3-layer PO’s: 3LPE Coated Pipes consist of 3 layers for pipeline coating.
Layer 1 consists of Fusion Bonded Epoxy. This later provides protection against corrosion
and is fusion bonded with the blasted steel surface.
Layer 2 is a copolymer adhesive which has excellent chemical bonding to the inner layer and
the top layer of polyethylene.
Layer 3 is the layer of polyethylene used for protection against any physical damage of the
pipes.
The 3 layer polyethylene (3LPE) coated pipes are the preferred choice for transmission of oil
and gas around the world. It can withstand varied temperatures and environments ranging
from dessert dry lands to deep underwater regions. 3LPE coated steel pipes are used for
transportation of drinking water, oil and gas and other fluids. The 3LPE coated pipes can be
used in the high temperatures as high as 600C to 800C.
Features of 3LPE coated pipes:
1. Excellent chemical and corrosion resistance preventing steel pipes from any damage.
2. Resistance to cathodic disbondment
3. The external layer of polyethylene prevents any physical damages to either the pipes or the
fusion bonded epoxy during handling
4. The 3LPE coated pipes have high performance characteristics and an extended life cycle

Fig 4. 3LPE inline coating process [1]

Heat Shrinkable Wrap-around Sleeve: An Heat Shrinkable Wrap around Sleeve (HSS) is
a radiation cross-linked PO sheet with usually some form of adhesive backing [1]. Here at
Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) we use HTLP80 for field joint coating of steel pipelines.
HTLP80 is one of the most widely used girth weld protection system for three-layer coated
pipes. The three-layer system in HTLP80 consists of:
First layer: Liquid epoxy, solvent-free two-component.
Second layer: High shear strength copolymer adhesive.

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 TITLE - CORROSION CONTROL THROUGH COATINGS IN GAS INDUSTRY

Third layer: Radiation cross-linked, high density polyethylene with PCI (Permanent Change
Indicator)
The HTLP80 system is a wrap-around heat-shrinkable sleeve which replicates the structure
and performance of mill-applied three-layer PE coatings. HTLP80 also has excellent
compatibility and has been extensively used on many other mill-applied coatings. By far the
majority of the girth welds worldwide on three-layer coated pipes, diameters up to 100"
(DN2500), have been coated with HTLP80.
During installation, the epoxy is applied to the prepared pipe surface and the heat-shrinkable
sleeve is immediately wrapped around the joint over the wet epoxy. Heat is then applied to
the sleeve which shrinks to form a tight fit around the joint.

While curing, the epoxy forms strong mechanical and chemical bonds to the pipe surface &
to the copolymer adhesive layer. The radiation cross-linked outer layer forms a tough barrier
against mechanical damage and moisture transmission [5].

HTLP80 field coating features/benefits [5]

 Fully resistant to shear forces induced by soil and thermal movements
 The HTLP is tough & lasts as long a 3-layer, mill-applied coating.
 Sleeve applied over wet epoxy-allowing formation of strong mechanical & chemical
bonds
 Allows fast application, combined with high performance.
 Superior cathodic disbondment and hot water immersion resistance
 Offers the optimum barrier protection against corrosion.
 Fully reconstructs the coating of three-layer coated pipes
 Thus, the HTLP allows the pipeline to have a virtually monolithic coating system.
 Dimpled backing provides a “permanent change" indicator for application of heat
 Ensures correct application heat & allows easy post-heat inspection.
 Reliable inspectability at any time.

A few properties of HTLP80 are listed below. Other Properties like Mechanical properties,
Adhesive properties, Sleeve properties, etc. can be taken a glace in the Datasheet of HTLP80
[5].
Table 2 - HTLP80 Properties [5]
Sr. No. Description Property
1 Max operating temperature 85°C (185°F)
2 Compatible line coatings PE, FBE, Coal Tar, DFBE
3 Min preheat temperature 70°C
4 Recommended pipe preparation SA 2½
5 Soil stress restrictions None
6 Performance EN 12068
7 Class C60 UV / C80 UV

Application Procedure: The application process involves the process of

(a) Surface Preparation - For coating to make a proper bond between steel surfaces and
sleeve the surface should be removed from any moisture which can be accomplished by using
wire brush, compressed air blast or by torching the metal surface. Simultaneously the
humidity and the temperature of steel surface should be checked. The humidity should be
below 85% and the steel surface should be above 50 0C above dew point before commencing
for grit blasting. The metal surface should be grit blasted to a surface cleanliness of Sa 2½

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 TITLE - CORROSION CONTROL THROUGH COATINGS IN GAS INDUSTRY

grade and surface roughness profile to 50 – 70 microns. Once the above parameters are
achieved the surface is ready to be coated.
(b) Primer Application – Take part A and Part B of epoxy primer in a container in the ratio of
3:1 (or as per manufacturer’s recommendations) and quantity as per requirement. Mix the
solution thoroughly for the next 30 seconds till it’s ready for use. Simultaneously with the
mixing, preheat the bare pipe surface to 70 - 80 0C. Once temperature of pipe is achieved and
mixing of primer is completed apply the mix on the heated surface uniformly.
(c) Sleeve Application – On application of epoxy primer mix, the HSS is wrapped around the
surface in 10 or 2 O’ Clock position with the edge of the undergoing sleeve overlapping the
pipe coating by minimum 50mm. Once the same is wrapped it should be pressed hard to the
surface of pipe making sure no air entrapment. On this the HSS should be heated by a
suitable gas torch uniformly, smoothly and in a circular manner to get the sleeve tightened
around the pipe surface. During the process any air pockets or wrinkles should be removed
using a roller.

DIRAX Wrap around Sleeve: This coating is same as that of the Heat Shrinkable Wrap-
around Sleeve (HTLP80). The DIRAX system is a wrap-around heat-shrinkable sleeve
reinforced with fiberglass. It is designed to protect girth welds against corrosion and is the
optimum joint protection or PE and FBE coated pipes used in directional drilling
applications. The reinforcement gives the backing greater wear resistance.
It consists of the same 3 layer HSS system, but an addition layer of coating is applied on i.e.
Wear Cone as extra protection against pull-through forces, of the same construction as the
main sleeve.

DIRAX wrap around service field coating features/benefits:

 Highly resistant to shear and peel forces induced by soil and thermal movements
 DIRAX offers abrasion and wear resistance at pull-through comparable to mill
coatings. Provides a monolithic coating system.
 Wear cone protects leading edge of sleeve against pull-through forces. Provides
additional strength and security and increases reliability.
 Sleeve applied over wet epoxy. There are no curing or waiting times for the formation
of strong mechanical & chemical bonds.
 Superior cathodic disbondment and hot water immersion resistance offering the
optimum barrier protection against corrosion.
 Pre-attached closure patch.
 Low preheat requirements.
A few other properties of DIRAX wrap around sleeve like Mechanical properties, Adhesive
properties, Sleeve properties, Application temperature, etc. can be taken a glace in the
Datasheet of DIRAX wrap around sleeve [6].

Fig. 5-Field Grit Blasting Fig 6-Joint after surface Fig.7-HTLP80 Applied Fig.8-DIRAX Wrap
(Fig. Courtesy -http://joyce-road. preparation (Fig. Courtesy – Joint [11] around sleeve (Fig.
blogspot.in/2012/03/pipeline- Mahanagar Gas Limited) Courtesy –Mahanagar Gas
construction_10) Limited)

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PERP 80 (Coating Repair Patch)

PERP is a heat-applied patch which, in combination with mastic filler, offers an economically
effective and high quality repair system for factory PE pipe coatings damaged mechanically
during transportation, storage and laying of pipes.
PERP is a combination of 2-layer or 3 layer system.
First (optional) layer: Liquid epoxy, solvent-free two-component.
Second layer: Copolymer adhesive.
Third layer: Radiation-cross-linked, high density polyethylene (unexpanded).
PERP, PERP80 and are designed to repair the damaged areas on line coatings, mainly 2 or 3
layer PE. PERP60E is designed to repair the damaged areas on PE coated pipes used in high
shear applications, such as directional drilling.
Epoxy primer is additionally used when a 3-layer coating is required.
Installation of PERP is done with standard gas torches. To repair a damaged area, installers
round out, roughen, clean and preheat the area and apply the filler tape to fill out the holiday.
PERP, cut to size, is positioned onto the treated area and heated. During heating, the adhesive
softens and flows to form a tight bond with the substrate. The bond strength builds up during
cool-down and is fully retained after job completion (Figure 9) [7].

Fig.9- PERP Repair Patch

(Fig. Courtesy –Mahanagar Gas Limited)

Cold Applied Tapes: The ever expanding network of buried pipelines has led to the
development of a specific system for the protection from the corrosivity of the soil and the
stray currents. Cold Applied Tapes are applied both in our shops and in the field, to any size
of pipe and kind of special pieces.
The system is usually based on two layers plus an adhesive primer applied over a blasted
surface (optional).
The inner tape is designed for the corrosion protection and made of a support layer of
low/high density polyethylene on top of which a butyl and synthetic rubber adhesive has been
laminated.
The outer tape is designed for the mechanical protection and made of a support layer of high
density polyethylene on top of which a pressure sensitive adhesive has been laminated.
The above tapes are wrapped with 1”or 50% overlapping in order to obtain a uniform holiday
free protection [8].
In addition to heat shrink sleeves, cold applied tapes wrapped on fittings such as elbows,
Tees, Reducers etc., are used for buried application.

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 TITLE - CORROSION CONTROL THROUGH COATINGS IN GAS INDUSTRY

Fig. 11-After application of Outer layer

Fig. 10-Inner layer of Cold applied Tape
(Fig. Courtesy –Mahanagar Gas Limited) of Cold applied Tape
(Fig. Courtesy –Mahanagar Gas Limited)
Field Inspection Techniques:
The major techniques used in field for coating inspections are
1. Bare Steel Surface cleanliness.
2. Surface roughness
3. Holiday (Continuity) Test
Surface Cleanliness: A precision Nickel comparator plates are used which conforms to
International Standard ISO 8503 for grit blast surface roughness comparison measurement.
When steel has been blast cleaned, the surface consists of random irregularities with peaks
and valleys that are not easily characterized. It is recommended that the profile should be
identified as angular (grit blast) and should be graded as Fine, Medium or Coarse with each
grade being defined by limits specified in ISO 8503, these characteristics are considered to
give sufficient distinguishing features for most painting requirements (Fig.12).[9]
Easy to use, place the surface roughness comparator against an area of the test surface,
compare in turn the four sectors of the four sectors of the comparator against the test surface
using the X7 magnifier, placed so that the test surface is viewed. There are two types of
comparators i.e. Shot blasting and grit blasting, specially designed to check the roughness of
steel surfaces which have been blast cleaned to cleanliness grades SA 2.5 before painting.
Both surface roughness comparators conform to ISO 8503.
Simultaneously with a segment of the comparator, the nearest profile to the comparator
determines the grade of grit blasting comparator or shot blasting comparator. The different
grades are defined as follows. Fine grade profiles equal to segment 1 and up to but excluding
segment 2, Medium grade profiles equal to segment 1 and up to but excluding segment 3 and
Coarse grade profiles equal to segment 3 and up to but excluding segment 4 [9].

2
1
Fig. 12- Surface Comparator (Fig. Courtesy –https://paint-test-equipment.co.uk 1 & Mahanagar Gas Limited 2 )

Surface Roughness: Press-O-Film (POF) consists of a layer of crushable plastic microfoam

coated onto a polyester film of highly uniform thickness. When compressed against a
roughened material, Press-O-Film accurately replicates details of its surface roughness (Fig.
13, 14 &15). [10]

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 TITLE - CORROSION CONTROL THROUGH COATINGS IN GAS INDUSTRY

The impression can be studied in several ways:

1. A simple micrometric dial thickness gage can be applied to the replica for field
measurement of the average maximum peak-to-valley roughness, or "profile," of a
replicated surface, or,
2. A digital thickness gauge such can be used as field-measure profile and bridge the gap
between tape grades by incorporating automatic linearization.
3. An optical profiling interferometer or confocal microscope can be used in laboratory
settings to produce maps of the replica's surface topography. This is most appropriate
to study of subtle features at the microinch (25 nanometer) level. [10]

Fig.13- Press O Film (Fig Courtesy - www.gardco.com)

Holiday (Continuity) Test:
Holiday test or a Continuity test is one of the non-destructive test method applied on
protective coatings to detect unacceptable discontinuities such as pinholes and voids. The test
involves checking of an electric circuit to see if current flows to complete the electrical
circuit. A Holiday test or Continuity test is performed by applying high voltage-25 KVa
(connected in series with an LED or noise-producing component such as a piezoelectric
speaker) across the chosen path. If the electrical flow is detected then the test area is termed
as conductive indicating presence of discontinuities such as pinholes and voids (Figure 16).

Fig.14-Imprinting of Press O’ Film Fig.15- Dial Gauge with Anvil for Fig. 16- Holiday Inspection
(POF) (Fig Courtesy - www.gardco.com) reading POF (Fig Courtesy - (Fig. Courtesy –Mahanagar Gas Limited )
www.gardco.com)

CONCLUSION:

There has been a lot more of change happened since the first pipeline was used for transmission of gas
pipelines. Coating which has always played a major role to prevent corrosion in steel pipeline has run
for a long journey from 1940’s, from coal tar to the modern day PO coatings. From on field joint
coatings which was a concern in earlier days having almost same mechanical and heat resisting
properties, but has developed a lot to prevent corrosion. Even after all this developments pipelines are
still getting corroded and much more are required to be developed so that life of gas transmission
pipelines can have safe and extended life.

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REFERENCE:

[1] TODD BYRNES. PIPELINE COATINGS. IN-TRENDS IN OIL AND GAS CORROSION RESEARCH AND
TECHNOLOGIES. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-101105-8.00024-3
[2] S GURUVIAH, V CHANDRASEKARAN, V GANESA SARMA AND E NALlNl. IN-EVALUATION OF
PROTECTIVE COATINGS FOR GAS PIPELINES. Bulletin of Electrochemistry (1) 1985, 29-3 1
[3] IN-PIPELINE COATING SOLUTIONS-Technical Literature_2010. SHAW PIPE, A SHAWCOR COMPANY
[4] JOURNAL OF PROTECTIVE COATINGS AND LININGS, PROTECTING AND MAINTAINING
TRANSMISSION PIPELINE, TECHNOLOGY PUBLISHING COMPANY, PITTSBURGH, 2012.
[5] HTLP DATA SHEET
[6] DIRAX DATA SHEET
[7] http://raychemrpg.com
[8] http://www.donelli.it
[9] http://www.caltechindia.com
[10] http://www.testextape.com
[11] PIPE COPATING. http://www.jfe-steel.co.jp/en/

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