Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI)
The main reason for unexpected downtime
Corrosion under insulation is one of the costliest problems
plaguing industry today. According to one specifier from a
major oil company, CUI problems account for more unexpected
downtime than all other possible causes combined.
It is important to recognize that CUI is a unique problem. A CUI
protective coating in this environment needs to withstand
multiple abuses and also have certain application characteristics
in order to make it a viable solution. This article will address the
issues relevant to the CUI market today.
Properties a CUI coating must have in order to be successful
Resistance to boiling water
People in the industry often question why boiling water resistance in
a coating is necessary to prevent CUI. This issue can be explained
with an example. Think of an un-insulated smoke stack that has a
surface temperature of 177°C (350°F). When rain comes in contact
with the stack, the drops will boil and evaporate on contact.
An insulated piece of equipment can suffer from trapped
moisture in two ways. Moisture can become trapped from
condensation due to thermal cycling of the equipment, which
then becomes trapped under the insulation. The second and
more common reason is rain.
Rainwater will eventually enter weak points in the system and
pour onto the surface under the insulation. The difference, when
compared to an un-insulated stack, is that the water gets trapped
because of the insulation and is not allowed to escape. In the
case of an insulated hot pipe or vessel, the water remains trapped
against a 149°C or 204°C (300°F or 400°F) surface. What occurs
when water surrounds and lies on this hot surface? It boils and will
continue to boil until it stops raining and all the water is boiled off.
Therefore, a coating used to prevent CUI must be resistant to
immersion in boiling water. Almost all the products being used
today are NOT resistant to boiling water. When exposed to boiling
water they will inevitably fail. At this point, corrosion cells will begin
and continue to worsen over time. It is particularly important
to understand that, since surfaces covered by insulation are
out of sight, the damage can progress undetected and lead to
a catastrophe.
The PPG HI-TEMP™ 1027 coating is resistant to intermittent
immersion in boiling water. It is designed to resist the severe
‘real world’ conditions of a continually changing harsh
environment. For example, the PPG HI-TEMP 1027 coating can
withstand the repeated cycle of heat, then thermal shock from
immersion in boiling water, and then back to heat, etc.
Heat, thermal cycling and thermal shock resistance
Coatings designed to prevent CUI must be able to withstand
continuous exposure to elevated temperatures as well as exposure
to thermal cycling and thermal shock. Normal thermal cycling would
be the fluctuation within the temperature range that the equipment
is designed for. Thermal shock is categorized by a dramatic rise or
fall in the temperature which, in some cases, can occur due to the
normal thermal cycling of the equipment. It can occur when a unit
is turned on and off, or when the substrate is exposed to water that
has penetrated the jacketing and the insulation.
Almost all the generic CUI products available today use older
technology and are epoxy based. These include phenolic
systems, novolac systems, phenolic/novolacs, flake-filled
products, etc. It is an inherent characteristic of epoxies to break
down when exposed to prolonged high temperatures and/or
thermal shock. They will inevitably become brittle and crack. Once
cracking begins, water is able to penetrate and corrosion will
begin. Because the piping is under the insulation and not visible,
it can remain unseen for extended periods of time, usually until
the equipment or insulation gets replaced, or when the company
shuts down the plant. Therefore, it is imperative that a CUI coating
has the ability to withstand continuous exposure to elevated
temperatures as well as thermal shock.
The PPG HI-TEMP 1027 coating can withstand continuous
exposure to high heat, severe thermal cycling and thermal
shock ranging from ambient to 650°C (1200°F) with no effect
to the coating.
Direct application to hot steel up to 316°C (600°F)
The ability to apply an elevated temperature coating directly to
hot substrates is an important attribute in the prevention of CUI.
Chemical plants affected by CUI often cannot, or will not, shut
down the equipment due to the enormous loss of revenue during
a shutdown. Therefore, maintenance of equipment to prevent CUI
often cannot wait until a scheduled downtime, which means the
coating must have the ability to be ‘hot applied’.
Most generic CUI materials cannot be applied to hot steel. When
these materials are applied to hot steel there are many different
modes of failure which can occur: bubbling, pin holing, dry spray,
poor adhesion, cracking, delamination, etc.
Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI)
The main reason for unexpected downtime
The PPG HI-TEMP 1027 coating can be applied at both ambient
temperatures and directly to hot operating equipment having
a metal temperature up to 316°C (600°F). This allows workers
to strip the insulation, prepare the surface, apply the PPG
HI-TEMP 1027 coating, and re-insulate without having to shut
down. The major benefit is that there is no effect on production
and therefore no impact on profits.
Application to ambient steel (new construction)
The characteristics of an elevated temperature coating for
application to ambient steel are also of tremendous importance.
The coating should dry quickly, be able to work as the primer
in a primer/topcoat system, and be ready for handling and
transportation as soon as possible. In addition, the coating should
not damage easily and must be resistant to UV rays. Resistance
to UV rays is pertinent because a fabricated pipe or vessel may
be stored onsite for extended periods of time (up to one year or
more) before being installed, during which time it is exposed to
harmful UV light. A coating that is not resistant to UV will begin
to degrade and its effectiveness when put into service will be
reduced, which can lead to premature failure.
As previously mentioned, almost all the generic CUI coatings
available today are epoxy based. Epoxies are not resistant to
UV and will begin to break down before the coated equipment
is even installed.
Another factor to consider is the recoatability of the paint system.
The application of generic epoxies is a two-coat system.
The second coat can only be applied the following day, thereby
potentially increasing the project cost. Epoxybased CUI coatings
also have short recoat windows. Most CUI specifications call
for at least two coats. Once the first coat is applied, the second
coat must be applied before the initial coat fully cures. Recoat
windows for generic CUI systems vary from 1 to 3 days. If the
second coat is applied after the primary coat has cured, inter-
coat delamination may occur, leading to the failure of the system.
Therefore, a coating being used to prevent CUI in a new
construction application must have excellent application
characteristics and must be UV resistant.
The PPG HI-TEMP 1027 coating has excellent application
characteristics for use on ambient steel and has no recoat
window. A coat can be applied in the early morning with a second
coat by mid-afternoon. The material is also completely UV
resistant and will not break down prior to installation.
High film-build capability for application to ambient or hot steel
High film-build coatings are the solution to the problem of CUI. It
is imperative that a coating is able to cover the peaks and valleys
of a badly pitted area of piping.
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A thin-film coating will not provide the coverage necessary to
accomplish this. High film-build coatings allow for the proper
coverage of badly pitted areas as well as for bolts and flanges
under insulation. In difficult to reach spots, where it is hard to
control the film-build, a high film-build coating is required, where
a thin film-build coating would fail.
Therefore, a coating being used to prevent CUI must have high
film-build capability while it is applied to ambient or hot steel.
The PPG HI-TEMP 1027 coating can be built up to 18 mils DFT
while being applied to either ambient steel or hot steel up to
316°C (600°F). At 18 mils DFT it can withstand severe thermal
cycling and thermal shock to 650°C (1200°F).
Simple to use
Since most generic CUI systems are epoxy based and therefore
contain at least two components, they are inherently more difficult
to work with. Many of these systems utilize multiple components,
which require mixing in specific ratios, and can lead to human
error when preparing the coating. Improperly mixed coatings
will lead to failure of the coating. Working with a two-component
product is also slower due to the mixing process and will cost
more time and money when compared to working with a single-
component system. Plus, unused portions of these generic epoxy
systems must be thrown away resulting in a significant amount of
wasted material that drives up costs.
Epoxy-based CUI coatings are more prone to human error,
they accumulate more waste, and are more time consuming
to prepare and apply. Therefore, it makes sense to work with a
simpler product.
The PPG HI-TEMP 1027 coating is a one-component product,
which makes it simple to use. VOC and environmental concerns
Most CUI coatings today are low in VOC content and are safe
for the environment. In conclusion, The PPG HI-TEMP 1027
coating meets all the criteria a CUI coating needs in order to
provide superior performance, ease of application, and increased
revenues, as listed below:
• Withstand boiling water
• Withstand high heat, resistance to thermal cycling and
thermal shock
• Direct application to hot steel up to 316°C (600°F)
• Excellent application characteristics when applied to
ambient steel
• High film-build capability while being applied to ambient
or hot steel
• Simple to use: one component, surface tolerant and open
recoat window
• Low-VOC content and environmentally safe