cyclical salt spray test with no rust, no flaking and
no loss of adhesion. Additionally, the product
maintained insulating performance when subject
to artificial seawater spray.
Third-party testing on the pigmented version of
this TIC product produced the following results:
? ASTM B117: 750 hrs passed with no corrosion and
no loss of adhesion.
? Temperature cycling from hot to cold and back
again can cause issues with thermal contraction
stress and components like valves or fittings
becoming loose. Carbon steel expands
approximately 0.75 in. per 100 ft for every 100°F
temperature change. Stainless steel expands
approximately 1.125 in. per 100 ft for every 100°F
temperature change.
On some piping, expansion loops or offsets are
used to give a pipeline more ‘give and take’, but this is
not always an optimum solution. This is another area
where TICs that are flexible enough to handle
expansion and contraction can assist in reducing the
effects of thermal stress by reducing surface
temperature extremes.
Summer weather challenges
Summer brings soaring temperatures and while this
may not be as challenging for products that are
compatible with being stored at warmer temperatures,
it can be the worst season for products that need to
be stored at cool temperatures. Typical summer
challenges include heat gain/evaporation and
condensation.
Heat gain causing evaporation is costly, meaning
that petrochemical storage becomes complicated
during the summer. According to an IOP Science
report, approximately 50% of operational losses in
the chemical and petroleum industry are due to
evaporative losses.2
Thermal insulation is key to keeping cool products
from heating up to their evaporation limit. While
there are many choices for this, TICs are one of the
most durable.
Case study
A petrochemical facility in the Middle East needed to
significantly reduce evaporation of methanol inside
storage tanks set in a hot environment. The company
found a solution with a TIC.
During the warmest months, the ambient
temperature in the region was as high as 55°C (131°F).
When the methanol reached temperatures in excess
of 33°C (91°F), it began to evaporate.
Traditional fibrous insulation with cladding was
not suitable due to the high humidity in the region.
The company also wanted to prevent corrosion of the
tanks, which was caused by the mineral wool. Three
coats of the TIC solution were applied on the exterior
of the tanks (approximately 300 µm wet film
thickness). The coating provided the petrochemical
facility with an effective thin film solution that was
highly durable and performed perfectly in the
demanding environment. It stopped the evaporation
of the methanol and offered long-term corrosion
prevention.
Condensation of chilled tanks and lines for LNG
and other cold products can often get worse in the
summer, when dew point differentials are higher.
Condensation can cause safety issues when water
drips on walkways or electronics. It can also
exacerbate corrosion. TICs can be effective up to a
point for controlling condensation as they can
typically prevent corrosion if the surface temperature
is within approximately 18°F (10°C) of the dew point
temperature.
For temperatures that are much further below the
dew point, a hygrotherm device can be used. These
are heating systems with temperature and humidity
controls that turn on heat in the event of high relative
humidity and/or low ambient air temperatures.
Winter weather challenges
Winter temperatures have their own set of unique
challenges for both keeping product heated to avoid
flow issues and combating ice formation on
Figure 3. Older types of insulation cause CUI, which
newer insulation coating technologies were designed
to eliminate.
Figure 4. Exhaust pipes at a municipal water
treatment facility were coated with a heavy duty TIC
by Synavax to save energy and reduce the heat that
they were radiating into the building.
Autumn 2018 52
