EXTERNAL

INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 2 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.

SCOPE ..................................................................................................................................... 3
DESIGN ................................................................................................................................... 3
MATERIALS .......................................................................................................................................... 6
INSTALLATION....................................................................................................................... 8

EXHIBIT "A" INSULATION THICKNESS FOR HEAT CONSERVATION

EXHIBIT "B" INSULATION THICKNESS FOR PERSONNEL PROTECTION

ATTACHMENTS:
GP 14-01-01, July 2005

EXTERNAL INSULATION

EBP 14-01-01-A, March 2005

PERSONNEL PROTECTION CAGES IN PLACE OF

THERMAL INSULATION TO PREVENT CORROSION
UNDER INSULATION.

EBP 14-01-01-B, March 2005

ALUMINIUM FOIL TO PREVENT EXTERNAL SCC ON

INSULATED STAINLESS STEEL PIPING AND
VESSELS.

EBP 19-01-01-B, March 2005

THERMAL SPRAY ALUMINIUM TO PREVENT

CORROSION UNDER INSULATION.

EXTERNAL
INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

I.

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 3 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

SCOPE
A.

This Job Specification defines the requirements for external insulation of piping and
equipment in hot service, for the purpose of saving heat and protection of personnel.
Equipment to be insulated includes vessels, drums, heat exchangers, pumps, turbines
and other components.

B.

The requirements of this Job Specification shall be applied to the SPA Plant of
Singapore Chemical Complex in Jurong Island - Singapore and shall be considered in
addition to the attached EXXONMOBIL CHEMICAL specifications.

C.

The requirements of NACE Standard RP0198 (Latest), The Control of Corrosion

Under Thermal Insulation and Fireproofing Materials shall be complied with.

D.

Requirements regarding the extent of insulation, based on the intended service, shall
be specified on the following project documents:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Engineering Flow Diagrams (P&IDs)

Line Classification Lists
Piping Isometric Drawings
Instrument Piping Details
Vessel and Equipment Insulation Schedule
Other specific documents.

In case of conflict between this Job Specification and the above mentioned
documents, Vendor has to bring this to FWP attention for clarification before to
proceed.

II.

DESIGN
A.

The service or purpose for which insulation is required shall be classified and
identified with the symbols as follows:
1.

HC - Heat Conservation
Insulate to conserve heat inside the equipment/piping.

2.

PP - Personnel Protection
This shall be complied as per para 4.4 of EXXONMOBIL CHEMICAL GP
14-01-01.

B.

The normal operating temperature of the fluid shall be used to determine insulation
requirements, with the following clarifications:

EXTERNAL
INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

1.
2.
3.

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 4 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

Where a vessel has sections operating at different temperatures, each section

may be insulated as required to suit its operating temperature.
For jacketed piping or equipment, the temperature of the fluid in the jacket
shall be used.
Unless indicated for specific cases, conditions such as may occur during startup, shut-down, steam-out, process upset, regeneration etc. need not be
considered in determining insulation requirements. However, when the
surface temperature may exceed 65C, PP shall be considered.

C.

Instrument components subject to flow and/or temperature conditions approximating

those in the piping or equipment to which they are connected shall be insulated to the
same requirements.

D.

Piping returning steam condensate shall be insulated for personnel protection only.

E.

Insulation shall be omitted on the items listed below. However, where personnel
protection is required, the relevant protection system shall be used.
1.

All equipment and piping where heat loss is desired (such as coolers and
condensers). In these cases personnel shield may be considered in lieu of
insulation.

2.

Valve bodies, flanges, flanged fittings and unions except where specified.
Also refer to para 4.3(3) of EXXONMOBIL CHEMICAL GP 14-01-01 for
applicability of insulation of flanged joints.

3.

Piping and equipment which becomes hot intermittently, such as relief valves,
relief systems, vents, drains, pump-out and blowdown systems, steam-out and
purge steam systems.

4.

Strainers and filters, unless specified.

5.

Steam traps.

6.

Bellows portion of expansion joints, hinged joints, and hose assemblies.

7.

Sight flow indicators.

8.

Nameplates on vessels, exchangers, and machinery.

9.

Supports for piping or equipment, except as required for support skirts in

Para. II.J.

10.

Channel cover on shell and tube heat exchangers.

EXTERNAL
INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

11.

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 5 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

Instrument components.

F.

Multiple layer thermal insulation systems are required when the operating system is
above 600 F (315 C) or the required thickness of insulation is greater than 3 (75
mm)

G.

When the valves shall be insulated, the following shall be complied with.
Bodies of flanged valves, including control valves, in insulated lines, shall be
insulated using same insulation thickness as the pipe. Valve bonnets shall not be
insulated.

H.

If the support skirts for vertical vessels are not fireproofed, the insulation on vessels
shall be carried below the tangent line for a distance of 600 mm, but it shall end not
less than 300 mm above support concrete or steel. If the skirt is fireproofed, the
insulation shall extend to the top of the fireproofing and aluminum coated steel,
stainless steel or galvanized steel jacketing shall be used from the top of the
fireproofing to at least 600 mm above the tangent line.

I.

Insulation thickness given in Exhibits A and B and at para. II.A are for heat
conservation and personnel protection.

J.

Insulated piping in pipe racks shall be supported on steel shoes. The height of the
shoe shall be such that the bottom of insulation is above the support upon which the
shoe rests.

K.

Compressors, pumps and other mechanical equipment shall be insulated on an

individual basis with consideration given to the requirements for process access and
equipment maintenance. Equipment Manufacturer shall be informed about insulation
of his equipment.

L.

Insulation shall be protected from the weather, spillage, mechanical wear, or other
damage by a metal jacket. Weatherproofing mastic may be used on irregular surfaces
or on surfaces for which metal jacketing is not practical.

M.

Insulation support rings shall be provided on vertical piping and vessels. The spacing
of the rings shall coincide with the insulation expansion joints. Vertical vessels shall
have minimum of 2 insulation support rings; one at or below the bottom tangent line
and one at the top tangent line, supplied (and welded in place) by vessel Vendor.
Support rings on carbon steel equipment shall be Carbon Steel, on Stainless Steel and
Alloy equipment; supports shall be fabricated using the same material as the
equipment. On vertical pipes, insulation Contractor shall provide positive means for
support the insulation (e.g. support rings firmly clamped to the pipe).
Clamp type support rings shall be manufactured from 5 to 6 mm thick plate and shall
match the piping material. The clamp shall be coated to resist corrosion if the piping

EXTERNAL
INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 6 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

is also coated. Galvanized clamps shall not be permitted on stainless steel, alloys
greater than 9% Chromium or piping which operates above 370C.
N.

Expansion joints in the insulation shall be used to provide for differences in thermal
expansion between the insulation material and the piping or equipment material.
Expansion joints shall be packed with a loose fiber insulation material. On vessels, a
25 mm. wide space packed with loose insulating fiber shall be provided around all
nozzle and manway necks, or any other attachment to the vessel wall. Maximum
spacing for circumferential and longitudinal expansion joints on vessels and piping
shall be as follows:

TEMPERATURE [C]
From
To
65
121
201
316

120
200
315
480

MAX. JOINT SPACING [m]

9.0
4.5
3.5
3.0

On vertical piping and vessels, the expansion joints shall be located under the
insulation support rings.
See also para 4.9 (3) of attached EXXONMOBIL CHEMICAL GP 14-01-01.

III.

MATERIALS
A.

Basic Insulation Material

1.

The materials to be used for hot insulation shall be as follows:

a.

Expanded perlite, type II, in accordance with ASTM C610 Standard

Specification for Expanded Perlite Block and Pipe Thermal
Insulation.
The chemical analysis of the expanded perlite shall be measured in
accordance with ASTM C871 Standard Methods for Chemical
Analysis of Thermal Insulation Materials for Leachable Chloride,
Fluoride, Silicate and Sodium Ions and shall comply with the
requirements of ASTM C795 Standard Specification for Wicking Type Thermal Insulation for Use Over Austenitic Stainless Steel.

EXTERNAL
INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

b.

B.

C.

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 7 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

Cellular glass (Density 120 Kg/ m3 10%) in accordance with the

requirements of ASTM C552 Cellular Glass Block and Pipe Thermal
Insulation.

Metal Jackets
1.

Metal jackets shall be aluminum except where specified at para. III.B.2.

Material grades/ thickness shall be as per clause 4.6 (1) of EXXON MOBIL
CHEMICAL GP 14-01-01.

2.

Metal jacket shall be stainless steel when required as per para 4.6(2) of
EXXON MOBIL CHEMICAL GP 14-01-01.

3.

Insulation jacket components of dissimilar metals subject to galvanic

corrosion shall not be brought into contact with each other.

Non Metallic jackets and coatings

Where specified, non metallic jackets/ coatings may be used for hot service. Refer
clause 4.7 of EXXON MOBIL CHEMICAL GP 14-01-01 for acceptable coating
materials.
Mastic for weatherproofing shall be a breathable asphalt, acrylic, or polyvinyl acetate
type. Mastic shall be weather and fire resistant and capable of withstanding 90C
surface temperatures.

D.

Sealant for flashing applications shall be capable of withstanding operating

temperatures up to 150C.
Foster product 30-45 or equivalent is acceptable.
For higher temperatures, i.e. for the areas where the metal jacketing directly touches a
not insulated protrusion (nozzles, lifting lugs, pressure vessel supports, etc.), the
Contractor shall use an adequate mastic sealant suitable for these higher temperatures.

E.

Accessory and attachment materials for thermal insulation shall be as per clause 5.5
of attached EXXON MOBIL CHEMICAL GP 14-01-01
1.

Bands and seals for securing insulation and jacketing shall be of stainless
steel material.

2.

Sheet metal screws and rivets shall be galvanized steel, stainless steel or
aluminium as specified. Screws shall be self tapping type.

EXTERNAL
INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

3.

IV.

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 8 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

Welding studs, pins, and support clips shall be carbon steel for carbon and
low chromium steel vessels and austenitic stainless steel for austenitic steel
vessels.

F.

On stainless steel and nonferrous piping or equipment the use of blankets with
galvanized netting is not allowed. For this application, use preformed sections,
blocks, slabs etc. without mesh.

G.

All insulating materials shall be noncorrosive to the metal being covered.

INSTALLATION
A.

General
1.

Equipment and piping surfaces shall be cleaned by brushing off all foreign
matter, such as dirt, loose rust, loose scale, plaster, etc., and shall be wiped
clean of oil and water to a dry condition before insulation is installed. Painted
surfaces shall be insulated only after paint has dried.

2.

Insulation shall not be installed over joints (welds, flanges, pipe threads, etc.)
or tracers until required field testing has been completed and all such joints or
tracers are proven tight.

3.

Insulation material shall not be stored in contact with the ground.

4.

Insulation for pumps or turbines where required may be of the removable box
type. The fabricated box shall have the interior surface lined with resilient
type mineral fiber insulation.

5.

Insulation shall be discontinued at flanged connections to permit removal of

the studs. The distance from the end of insulation to back of flange on both
sides of the connection shall be equal to one stud length plus 25 mm. The
ends of insulation shall be beveled at noninsulated flanges. At insulated
flanges, the ends of insulation shall be straight.
In both cases the ends of insulation shall be weatherproofed. Weatherproofing
for process temperatures up to 150C shall be sealant such as Foster 30-45 or
equal. For higher temperatures, aluminum or stainless steel flashing shall be
used.

6.

Voids due to fittings of rigid insulation shall be filled with insulation

manufacturer specified elastometric caulking material suitable for use at the
intended temperature.

EXTERNAL
INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

B.

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 9 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

7.

Single-layer insulation shall be applied with longitudinal joints staggered. In

multiple-layer application, all joints of adjacent layers shall be staggered.
Adjacent insulation sections shall be butted firmly together.

8.

Stiffening rings on equipment shall be covered with same insulation thickness

as the equipment itself.

9.

Dry insulation material which becomes wet prior to or during installation

shall be thoroughly dried before proceeding with its installation.

10.

Insulation material shall be held in place with bands, seals, expansion springs
and clips etc. as per clause 5.5, 6.2 and 6.3 of EXXON MOBIL CHEMICAL
GP 14-01-01.

Weatherproofing
1.

Metal jackets shall be installed in a manner to shed water and shall have a
minimum of 75 mm overlap for horizontal and circumferential seams. Where
jacket surfaces are cut to provide for protrusions, flashing shall be provided
and installed in a manner to keep water from entering behind the jacket.
Orange peel segments of head jackets shall be lapped 75 mm minimum and
shall be sealed with Foster 60-25 mastic or equal. This mastic seal shall also
be used for the vertical seals of all metal jackets (i.e., all longitudinal seams
on vertical piping and equipment and all circumferential seams on horizontal
piping and equipment).

2.

Metal jackets shall be held in place with bands and/or self tapping screws as
specified in 5.5 and 6.8 of EXXON MOBIL CHEMICAL GP 14-01-01.

3.

On vertical piping, vessels and equipment, "S" clips shall be used to keep
jacket sheets from sliding. "S" clips shall be spaced at 300 mm intervals, but
not less than two clips per sheet.

4.

"J" clips shall be used to support the bands on vessels over 3 m in diameter.
The "J" clips shall be attached to the jackets with self-tapping screws and
shall be spaced about 1.8 m apart.

5.

Screws shall be used on longitudinal joints and for securing flashing sheets to
provide weather-tight installations. Spacing of screws shall not exceed 150
mm.

6.

Breather springs, corrugated bands and "S" clips shall be used to hold
jacketing in place on parts which operate at high temperature. Self tapping
screws may only be used where high thermal stresses are not likely to be
encountered.

EXTERNAL
INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 10 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

7.

Jackets attachments shall be designed to hold the jackets in place for the
condition of maximum design (fastest mile) wind velocity.

8.

Insulation Contractor shall temporarily protect insulation material against

wetting when it will remain exposed to the weather, for any lenght of time
and for any reason, before final jacketing protection is installed.

9.

Vessel and machinery nameplates and code inspection plates shall not be
covered with insulation. Insulation shall be beveled away from such markings
and sealed against water entry.

EXTERNAL
INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 11 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

EXHIBIT "A"
INSULATION THICKNESS FOR HEAT CONSERVATION
PIPE SIZE
(INCHES)

INSULATION THICKNESS mm WITHIN OPERRATING TEMPERATURE RANGE C BELOW

20-60

61-100

101-150

151-200

201-250

251-300

301-350

351-430

25

25

25

50

50

50

65

65

25

25

40

50

50

65

65

75

25

40

40

50

50

65

75

75

25

40

40

50

65

75

75

75

40

40

50

65

65

75

75

75

40

40

50

65

75

90

90

90

40

40

50

75

90

90

90

90

40

40

50

75

90

90

90

100

40

50

65

75

90

100

115

115

10

50

50

65

90

90

100

115

125

12

50

50

65

90

90

100

115

125

14

50

50

65

90

100

100

115

125

16

50

50

65

90

100

100

115

125

18

50

50

65

90

100

100

115

125

20

50

50

65

90

100

100

115

125

24

50

50

65

90

100

100

115

125

Equipment

50

50

65

90

100

100

115

125

Flat Surfaces

50

50

65

90

100

100

115

125

NOTE:
1. The table provides insulation thickness for heat conservation based on Expanded
Perlite/Cellular Glass. The use of alternative insulation materials can be submmited
to Owners approval. Thermal conductivity at mean temperature should be within
10% of the design thermal conductivity (Kdes) of insulation material the tables are
based on. If the thermal conductivity of a proposed insulation material deviates more
than 10% from the design thermal conductivity, insulation thickness shall be
calculated to provide equal or greater thermal resistance than that using the specified
thickness.
2. Insulation design should be based on avoiding corrosion under insulation. Insulation
details need owners approval.
3. Where flanges are insulated, they will have quick removal-insulation to facilitate
maintenance or process access.

EXTERNAL
INSULATION
FOR HOT
SERVICE

2572-8430-SP-0001
PAGE 12 OF 12
REV. O1
DSN 6387

FWP SPT PROJECT

PROJECT SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

EXHIBIT "B"
I. INSULATION THICKNESS FOR PERSONNEL PROTECTION

PIPE SIZE
(INCHES)

INSULATION THICKNESS mm WITHIN OPERRATING TEMPERATURE RANGE C BELOW

5-149
(Note1)

150-200

201-250

251-300

301-350

351-400

25

40

40

40

50

25

40

40

50

50

40

40

40

50

50

40

40

40

50

50

40

50

50

50

65

40

50

50

50

65

40

50

50

50

65

40

50

50

50

65

40

50

50

65

75

10

40

50

50

65

75

12

40

50

65

75

75

14

40

50

65

75

90

16

40

50

65

75

90

18

40

50

65

75

90

20

40

50

65

75

90

24

40

50

65

75

90

Equipment

40

50

65

75

90

Flat Surfaces

40

50

65

75

90

NOTE:
1. Provide physical barriers such as caging, guards, shields or railing in lieu of thermal insulation
as per EBP 14-01-01. Also refer clause 4.4 of GP 14-01-01.
2. Thicknesses are based on Expande Perlite/Cellular Glass.
3. Where flanges are insulated, they will have quick removal-insulation to facilitate maintenance
or process access.