Painting & Coating Industry (PCI) logo Powder coating summit logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • MATERIALS
  • TECHNOLOGIES
  • RESOURCES
  • EVENTS
  • DIRECTORIES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • CONTACT
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Latest News
  • Market Trends & Reports
  • Price Alerts
  • Subscribe to eNewsletters
  • Global Top 10/ PCI 25
  • Weekly Featured Article
  • COATLE Word Game
  • PRODUCTS
  • Product News
  • Must See Products and Services
  • MATERIALS
  • Additives
  • Resins/Polymers
  • Pigments
  • Equipment
  • Distributors
  • TECHNOLOGIES
  • Adhesives
  • Architectural Coatings
  • FINISHING
  • Industrial Coatings
  • Nanotechnology
  • Powder Coatings
  • Solventborne
  • Special Purpose Coatings
  • Sustainability
  • UV Coatings
  • Waterborne
  • FINISHING
  • Finishing News
  • Finishing Technologies
  • Finishing Equipment
  • Finishing Today
  • RESOURCES
  • Columns
  • Blogs
  • Coatings Supplier Handbook
  • Podcasts and Videos
  • PCI Store
  • Classifieds
  • eBooks
  • Sponsor Insights
  • White Papers
  • COATLE Word Game
  • Columns
  • Ask Joe Powder
  • Did you know?
  • Distribution Dive
  • Focus on Canada
  • Formulating With Mike
  • Innovation Insights
  • Moody's Coatings Conundrums
  • Powder Coating Perspectives
  • Target the Market
  • TiO2 Insider
  • Blogs
  • Editor's Viewpoint
  • Industry Insights
  • Podcasts and Videos
  • COAT-IT! Podcast
  • Videos/PCI TV
  • EVENTS
  • Coatings Trends & Technologies Summit
  • Paint and Coatings Academy
  • Webinars
  • Calendar of Events
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • DIRECTORIES
  • Buyer's Guide
  • Equipment Directory
  • Materials Directory
  • EMAGAZINE
  • Current Issue
  • eMagazine Archive
  • China Issue Archive
  • Editorial Advisory Board
  • CONTACT
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to eMagazine
  • Subscribe to eNewsletters
Painting & Coating Industry (PCI) logo Powder coating summit logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Painting & Coating Industry (PCI) logo Powder coating summit logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • Market Trends & Reports
    • Price Alerts
    • Subscribe to eNewsletters
    • Global Top 10/ PCI 25
    • Weekly Featured Article
    • COATLE Word Game
  • PRODUCTS
    • Product News
    • Must See Products and Services
  • MATERIALS
    • Additives
    • Resins/Polymers
    • Pigments
    • Equipment
    • Distributors
  • TECHNOLOGIES
    • Adhesives
    • Architectural Coatings
    • FINISHING
      • Finishing News
      • Finishing Technologies
      • Finishing Equipment
      • Finishing Today
    • Industrial Coatings
    • Nanotechnology
    • Powder Coatings
    • Solventborne
    • Special Purpose Coatings
    • Sustainability
    • UV Coatings
    • Waterborne
  • RESOURCES
    • Columns
      • Ask Joe Powder
      • Did you know?
      • Distribution Dive
      • Focus on Canada
      • Formulating With Mike
      • Innovation Insights
      • Moody's Coatings Conundrums
      • Powder Coating Perspectives
      • Target the Market
      • TiO2 Insider
    • Blogs
      • Editor's Viewpoint
      • Industry Insights
    • Coatings Supplier Handbook
    • Podcasts and Videos
      • COAT-IT! Podcast
      • Videos/PCI TV
    • PCI Store
    • Classifieds
    • eBooks
    • Sponsor Insights
    • White Papers
    • COATLE Word Game
  • EVENTS
    • Coatings Trends & Technologies Summit
    • Paint and Coatings Academy
    • Webinars
    • Calendar of Events
    • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Buyer's Guide
    • Equipment Directory
    • Materials Directory
  • EMAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • eMagazine Archive
    • China Issue Archive
    • Editorial Advisory Board
  • CONTACT
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe to eMagazine
    • Subscribe to eNewsletters
  • SIGN UP!
Industrial Coatings

Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities

By Del Williams, Technical Writer, Torrance, California
Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities
Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities
Severely corroded tank before EonCoat is applied.
Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities
EonCoat application on tank.
Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities
Storage container application process.
Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities
Storage container completed
Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities
Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities
Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities
Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities
Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities
November 9, 2018

Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) is the root cause of many of the global petrochemical industry’s most serious problems, including forced shutdowns, lost production, early repair and replacement, as well as safety and environmental consequences that can cost millions of dollars per incident.

CUI, which involves the corrosion of vessels or piping beneath insulation due to water penetration, is insidious because it can remain undetected until the insulation is removed for inspection or leaks occur. Water penetration can result from many causes, including monsoons, rain, flooding, wash downs and sprinkler systems, as well as exposure to steam, humidity, or frequent condensation and evaporation of atmospheric moisture.

From upstream wells, risers, drilling rigs or offshore platforms, to midstream pipelines, storage and liquefied natural gas terminals, to downstream refineries, fighting CUI and major corrosion has been an uphill battle and a major cost in the operation of oil and gas facilities, according to NACE International’s “International Measures of Prevention, Application and Economics of Corrosion Technology (IMPACT)” study.

Fortunately, even when traditional coatings have allowed CUI and corrosion to occur, a new approach can stop the corrosion to dramatically extend facility and equipment life in oil and gas industry applications.

 

Stopping Existing Corrosion and CUI

Traditional corrosion protection typically involves applying polymer paints and rubber-type coatings. Such methods create a physical barrier to keep corrosion promoters such as water and oxygen away from steel substrates. However, this only works until the paint is scratched, chipped or breached, and corrosion promoters enter the gap between the substrate and coating. Then the coating can act like a greenhouse – trapping water, oxygen and other corrosion promoters – which allows the corrosion to spread.

Some of the world’s largest petrochemical companies, including China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, however, are finding success with a new approach toward stopping CUI and corrosion.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, commonly known as Sinopec Corp., is one of the largest integrated energy and chemical companies in the world, with upstream, midstream and downstream operations. In Sinopec’s Jianghan Oilfield projects, located in China’s Jianghan Plain in Hubei province, there are numerous facilities for oil and gas extraction, transport and storage.

However, with Hubei’s sub-tropical monsoon climate, CUI and corrosion are serious issues that shorten equipment life and require excessive maintenance. In this environment, traditional coatings have been ineffective, and stopping corrosion that is already underway is often the last resort.

To extend production and the service life of assets already experiencing serious CUI or major corrosion, on two sample projects Sinopec turned to EonCoat, a spray-applied inorganic coating from the Raleigh, North Carolina-based company of the same name. EonCoat represents a new category of tough, chemically bonded phosphate ceramics (CBPCs) that can stop the corrosion, ease application and reduce production downtime even in very wet, humid, monsoon-prone conditions.

In contrast to traditional polymer coatings that sit on top of the substrate, the corrosion-resistant CBPC coating bonds through a chemical reaction with the substrate, and slight surface oxidation actually improves the reaction. The surface of steel is passivated as an alloy layer is formed. This makes it impossible for corrosion promoters like oxygen and humidity to get behind the coating the way they can with ordinary paints.

Although traditional polymer coatings mechanically bond to substrates that have been extensively prepared, if gouged, moisture and oxygen will migrate under the coating’s film from all sides of the gouge.

By contrast, the same damage to the ceramic-coated substrate will not spread corrosion because the carbon steel’s surface has been chemically transformed into an alloy of stable oxides. Once the steel’s surface is stable (the way noble metals like gold and silver are stable), it will no longer react with the environment and therefore cannot corrode.

Visible in scanning electron microscope photography, EonCoat does not leave a gap between the steel and the coating because the bond is chemical rather than mechanical. Since there is no gap, even if moisture was to get through to the steel due to a gouge, there is nowhere for the moisture to travel. This effectively stops atmospheric corrosion and CUI on carbon steel assets.

The corrosion barrier is covered by a ceramic layer that further resists corrosion, water, fire, abrasion, impact, chemicals and temperatures up to 400 °F. Beyond this, the ceramic serves a unique role that helps to end the costly maintenance cycle of replacing typical barrier-type coatings every few years.

“CUI is the silent killer,” explains Merrick Alpert,” President of EonCoat. “The insulation creates a terrarium on the steel in which corrosion is guaranteed to occur if traditional coatings are used. And the insulation then hides the corrosion from being detected until it’s too late.”

Sinopec’s first sample project using the CBPC coating involved addressing CUI on a 500-cubic-meter petroleum storage tank in an oil-extraction facility in the Jianghan Oilfield.

While the storage tank’s original coatings were wrapped beneath a mineral wool insulating layer, due to rain, condensation and moisture invasion through the damaged insulating layer, these coatings had failed, allowing CUI in a number of areas.

After peeling off the insulating layer, the metal surface underneath was prepared by sandblasting, then the CBPC coating was applied. The application has effectively stopped the CUI issue and is expected to extend the storage tank’s functional life for years to come.

After the success of the first project, Sinopec opted to utilize the CBPC coating to address serious corrosion on a container-type water injection pumping station in another Jianghan Oilfield facility. Because of the pumping station’s outdoor location with very high saline alkali content soil, along with a very humid container environment, shutdown for corrosion maintenance was typically required every three years.

A traditional three-coat system was routinely used to maintain corrosion protection for the pumping station, so coating application took at least three days to allow drying time for each layer. Including surface preparation, total required maintenance downtime was at least seven days, which hindered production.

One of the greatest benefits of the CBPC coating, however, is the quick return to service that minimizes facility downtime. The time saved on an anti-corrosion coating project with the ceramic coating comes both from simplified surface preparation and expedited curing time.

With a typical corrosion coating, near white metal blast cleaning (NACE 2 / SSPC-SP 10) is required to prepare the surface. But with the ceramic coating, only a NACE 3 / SSPC-SP 6 commercial blast is typically necessary.

With traditional coatings, extensive surface preparation is required and done a little at a time to avoid surface oxidation, commonly known as ‘flash rust’, which then requires re-blasting. But with the CBPC coating, the flash rust is actually desirable. There is no need to ‘hold the blast’. The reason for this unique CBPC characteristic is due to the presence of iron in the rust, which helps to create the magnesium iron phosphate alloy layer. It is this alloy layer that allows CBPCs to so effectively protect carbon steel from corrosion.

In contrast, a corrosion-resistant coating for carbon steel utilizing the ceramic coating in a single coat requires almost no curing time. Return to service can be achieved in as little as one hour, which can potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars per day in reduced oil and gas facility downtime.

Because of these unique properties, total coating application including surface preparation of the Sinopec pumping station will take two days, and the asset can be put into service immediately.

With CUI and corrosion a perennial problem for oil and gas facilities with massive carbon steel structures, utilizing CBPC coatings that can control corrosion for decades and reduce downtime will only help the bottom line. 

 

For more information, call 754/222.4919 or visit www.eoncoat.com.

KEYWORDS: Ceramic Coatings Corrosion Under Insulation Coatings

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California. He writes about health, business, technology and educational issues.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • pci1022-Kinaltek-Lead-1170.jpg

    A Novel Pigment Production Technology

    Following an extensive R&D program that demonstrated...
    Paint and Coating Pigments
    By: Jawad Haidar and Nitin Soni
  • pci global top 10

    2025 Global Top 10: Top Paint and Coatings Companies

    The following is PCI’s annual ranking of the top 10...
    Global Top 10 and PCI 25
    By: Courtney Bassett
  • 2025 pci 25

    2025 PCI 25: Top Paint and Coatings Companies

    PCI's annual ranking of the top 25 North American paint...
    Global Top 10 and PCI 25
    By: Courtney Bassett
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

The Coatings Minute: Your Inside Look at PCInnovations

The Coatings Minute: Your Inside Look at PCInnovations

The Coatings Minute: Print Returns with PCI’s New Showcase Issue

The Coatings Minute: Print Returns with PCI’s New Showcase Issue

CTT Registration Now Open

CTT Registration Now Open

The Coatings Minute: Your Guide to the 2025 Coatings Supplier Handbook

The Coatings Minute: Your Guide to the 2025 Coatings Supplier Handbook

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the PCI audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of PCI or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Modern arapartment complex painted in bright colors.
    Sponsored byEPS - Engineered Polymer Solutions

    Architectural Polymers Leading the Way in Coatings Innovation

  • paint sprayer in a workshop
    Sponsored byallnex

    Enabling Performance and Compliance: allnex Introduces a New Line of VOC Exempt Solvent-Borne Resins

Popular Stories

No. 7 BASF Coatings

BASF Comments on Potential Sale of Coatings Business

No. 3 AkzoNobel

AkzoNobel’s $1.4B Divestment Signals Strategy Shift

PCI voices from the top

eBook | PCI Voices from the Top



PCI Buyers Guide

Submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) to suppliers of your choice with details on what you need with a click of a button

Start your RFP

Browse our Buyers Guide for manufacturers and distributors of all types of coatings products and much more!

Find Suppliers

Events

September 3, 2025

Coatings Trends & Technologies Summit

The Coatings Trends & Technologies (CTT) Summit is an annual conference for both liquid and powder coatings formulators and manufacturers to discuss innovations in coatings technology. This event combines high-quality technical presentations, a resource-rich exhibit hall, and dedicated networking opportunities to connect scientific minds, foster innovation, and cultivate game-changing new ideas!

January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Longest-running laboratory experiment

What is the longest-running laboratory experiment?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

CTT Summit Short Courses (Live 9/3/25)

Coatings Trends & Technologies Summit is expanding its offerings with four short courses. These short courses will offer an extensive day of interactive learning.

See More Products
pci voices from the top ebook

PCI CASE EBOOK

Related Articles

  • Stopping Corrosion in Mine, Quarry and Aggregate Processing Structures

    Stopping Corrosion in Mine, Quarry and Aggregate Processing Structures

    See More
  • Industrial Coatings

    High-Temperature-Resistant Coating Combats Costly Corrosion Under Insulation

    See More
  • Finished application of Belzona 5871.jpg

    Belzona Provides Thermal Insulation Solution for Fortune 500 Oil and Gas Company

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • corrosion of linings.jpg

    Corrosion of Linings & Coatings: Cathodic and Inhibitor Protection and Corrosion Monitoring

  • intelligent.jpg

    Intelligent Coatings for Corrosion Control 1st Edition

  • corrosion.jpg

    Corrosion Control Through Organic Coatings 2nd Edition

See More Products
×
Severely corroded tank before EonCoat is applied.
EonCoat application on tank.
Storage container application process.
Storage container completed

Keep the info flowing with our eNewsletters!

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey & Sample
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Youtube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Painting & Coating Industry (PCI) logo Powder coating summit logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Painting & Coating Industry (PCI) logo Powder coating summit logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • Market Trends & Reports
    • Price Alerts
    • Subscribe to eNewsletters
    • Global Top 10/ PCI 25
    • Weekly Featured Article
    • COATLE Word Game
  • PRODUCTS
    • Product News
    • Must See Products and Services
  • MATERIALS
    • Additives
    • Resins/Polymers
    • Pigments
    • Equipment
    • Distributors
  • TECHNOLOGIES
    • Adhesives
    • Architectural Coatings
    • FINISHING
      • Finishing News
      • Finishing Technologies
      • Finishing Equipment
      • Finishing Today
    • Industrial Coatings
    • Nanotechnology
    • Powder Coatings
    • Solventborne
    • Special Purpose Coatings
    • Sustainability
    • UV Coatings
    • Waterborne
  • RESOURCES
    • Columns
      • Ask Joe Powder
      • Did you know?
      • Distribution Dive
      • Focus on Canada
      • Formulating With Mike
      • Innovation Insights
      • Moody's Coatings Conundrums
      • Powder Coating Perspectives
      • Target the Market
      • TiO2 Insider
    • Blogs
      • Editor's Viewpoint
      • Industry Insights
    • Coatings Supplier Handbook
    • Podcasts and Videos
      • COAT-IT! Podcast
      • Videos/PCI TV
    • PCI Store
    • Classifieds
    • eBooks
    • Sponsor Insights
    • White Papers
    • COATLE Word Game
  • EVENTS
    • Coatings Trends & Technologies Summit
    • Paint and Coatings Academy
    • Webinars
    • Calendar of Events
    • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Buyer's Guide
    • Equipment Directory
    • Materials Directory
  • EMAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • eMagazine Archive
    • China Issue Archive
    • Editorial Advisory Board
  • CONTACT
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe to eMagazine
    • Subscribe to eNewsletters
  • SIGN UP!