Alocit Australasia talk for Jubilee Conference

SETTING NEW STANDARDS

Introduction

Increasingly, products and services have to meet recognised standards in order to take their place in the modern world.

And, since we now recognise that selling sweets laced with opium, or train sets with 240-volt live rails was probably

misguided, it is generally accepted that such controls are a ‘good thing’ and a necessary part of commerce.

Standards work on many levels; they govern the toxicity of products released into the environment and the quality of the

food that we eat. Internationally, they allow companies and governments to work with common goals and materials and, in

their most basic form, they govern such things as surface preparation and the size of the blast media we use.

They are also used to differentiate between products. Standards for a given product type, for example, allow an Engineer to

judge what is best for his project, what level of protection he can expect, how long the work will take, how long it will last

– all based on known criteria, published standards and his own experience.

But, what if the same Engineer knows he has a problem to solve and is offered a solution which he has not come across

before and for which no relative standards exist, how can he compare chalk with cheese – what criteria should be used in

such a situation?

Enviropeel is a new system, offering solutions in some quite intractable areas - but merely offering an attractive solution is

not enough. This paper examines the process of introducing a new class of product, how existing criteria can be adapted to

measure its qualities against those that have preceded it and how new standards can be set that meet the needs of the

engineers and managers that want to use it.

Measuring Up

Comparing like with like

Enviropeel is a corrosion-inhibiting sprayable thermoplastic polymer (CIST) and, because CIST application is a new way

of providing protection, it has to be compared with other solutions to see how it measures up. If we look at the

application’s original target substrate, a bolted system like a flange, there are a number of products offering a cure for its

ailments. Bolt caps, flange protectors, tape wraps, shrink wraps - it’s a long list, because flanges have a lot of problems, but

the majority only offer partial solutions, so, while one component may be protected, other parts are left to rot away.

pic rusting multi-flange system with bolt caps

Traditional coating solutions may offer temporary respite but require constant maintenance and can never work where

corrosion already exists within a working system. Tape wraps do offer a whole system approach, but problems of

accessibility and disposal make them impractical for multi-flange systems.

In order for comparisons to be made between such disparate solutions, some form of protection standard which could be

applied to each system would have to be devised.

Engineers want measurable solutions, a graph that defines, for example, film thickness against longevity, with predictable

results. And they don’t want to be caught up in a ‘hardware/software’ argument - or in the case of protective coatings,

preparation and application v. product performance. Equally, a manufacturer making assertions about product performance

has to be able to measure that performance against standards that customers will understand. So how, if a product is not

obviously the same as other products in the market, can a rational assessment be made?

Testing under standard conditions, ASTM testing for example, is one way of pointing to performance specifics. During the

development of Enviropeel, the material was tested in many ways, its reaction to UV (ASTM G53-96), film integrity

Test piece from 3000 hour ASTM B117 showing protected and unprotected areas

(ASTM G62-87), hot salt fog testing (ASTM B117-97) cryogenic testing, immersion testing - it’s another long list - but no

matter how long the list, tests like these are only indicators, there is no ASTM test for the performance of sprayable

thermoplastics against corrosion - at least, not yet!

Standards - a blessing or a curse?

For a manufacturer, testing standards are both a blessing and a curse. As a Group, Alocit has had considerable experience

in America with lists of required tests for approval of its coatings by the US Navy. For bilge coatings, which come under

Performance Specification Mil PRF 23236C, there are 19 classes, 8 types and 4 grades to choose from and you can see

how many ASTM tests this involves.

23236 ASTM test list

The curse is the number of tests that need to be undertaken, the blessing is that, once you have ticked all the boxes, you’re

approved. The number of tests may explain why an Alocit coating is one of only two approved for use in bilge areas –

getting all the boxes ticked is a long and expensive process.

Yet, even after all this, the real test comes when the product is used. In the case of the coating above, reports from

applicators and inspectors speak of ease of use, low odour and excellent performance characteristics - but there are few

objective tests for these - this is where experience has a key role to play in product selection and it is measuring such

performance characteristics in an objective way that I will come to later with regard to Enviropeel.

There are some advantages if you have a product that doesn’t fit into a standard category. For Enviropeel, the fact that

there is no Performance Specification in which it has to fit has meant that, when the US Coastguard, who closely follow

Navy specifications, saw that it was a product which had a lot to offer them, they were free to try it anywhere they saw a

potential benefit. Once the system had satisfied their strict environmental criteria, applications could go ahead.

Bolt caps on the USCG Cutter Healey

Nevertheless, we were fortunate that the Coastguard immediately understood the potential of a sprayable thermoplastic

and, because they had a serious problem for which they had no other solution, they were willing to experiment. In the

mining industry, here in Australia, a similar willingness to think outside the box has seen, over the past three years,

progress from application on small stored items to the specification of Enviropeel for conveyor bearing protection by BHP

Billiton and widespread adoption of the system by other companies.

But a manufacturer cannot rely on the vision of others to develop its business, customers want facts, history and, above all,

guarantees that what they choose will give them a return on their investment. It used to be said that nobody would lose

their job for specifying IBM, implying that there are risks in trying something new, and we operate in an environment that

is increasingly risk-averse. So, it is in a company’s interest to show that, far from taking a risk, there are great benefits to

be gained from using its products and part of this process, at least as far as Enviropeel is concerned, is to create a ‘box’ into

which it can be put, a definable, measurable category that meets the needs of conservative consultants and specifiers.

New Standards

The key difference between the solution offered by a corrosion-inhibiting sprayable thermoplastic and other solutions for

problems in bolted systems is its multi-functionality.

Bulleted list system properties

It is the whole system approach, together with the dual, active/passive performance, that sets the new standard for bolted

system protection. The fact that it is a new approach was recognised by DNV in 2001 when they contacted Enviropeel

about becoming part of their long-term bolting materials testing programme. This programme, testing for which started in

2003, is to be over 10 years and is with the participation of DNV, ConocoPhilips, BP, Enviropeel and Nexans.

Surprisingly enough, at least to me, although there are all sorts of standards for bolt materials and coatings, the prime

motivation for the programme was that the performance of bolted systems has been subject to very little systematic

research, although some work has been done on bolting materials and coatings. In many cases, design engineers have had

to rely on a manufacturers’ claims for bolt performance statistics without a full understanding of how a system using such

fastening materials would react in all environments. For example, an oil company with excellent results using PTFE on a

phosphate primer in the Middle East, found that this coating system was ineffective in the North Sea.

It was felt by DNV that, although the main focus of the programme was to test bolting materials for optimum performance

in marine conditions, so many failures were occurring that it was also important to seek remedies in situations where

corrosion had already taken place, and be able to provide on-site protection for existing systems where problems were

likely to occur; hence the inclusion of Enviropeel in the programme.

Test piece rack

Special test pieces were designed and two exposure sites were designated, one splash zone site in North Carolina and the

other at Bergen in Norway.

Splash zone exposure site

Inspection is programmed at regular intervals, with removal and testing of any failing samples. After 18 months, samples

in the North Carolina splash zone were performing so badly that all but two were removed.

Bolt and nut failure after only 18 months

The fact that one of the two surviving systems was our thermoplastic coating was very satisfying for us but it may be of

more overall significance that, despite a two year search and input from manufacturers and professional engineers, nearly

all the systems failed after less than two years in splash zone conditions.

Back to basics

These findings confirmed the Company’s belief, that a new approach to corrosion protection and standard setting is

required, one based on system performance rather than that of individual components. Of course, even the simplest flange

is subject to a complex range of forces and it would be a very complex design calculation that allowed for all the material,

component and environmental factors - as well as the accountants’ bottom line.

How much better it would be if such a system could be designed on the basis of system requirements without taking into

account environmental factors?

There are, of course, more reasons than just corrosion for flange failure. The most common cause for failure in bolts is

fatigue cracking – and this can be as a result of a number of factors, wrong preloading, poor connection design or improper

assembly. Corrosion fatigue, hydrogen embrittlement, stress corrosion cracking – it’s another long list but, no matter how

much we would like to have a panacea for every possible situation, it is certainly beyond the scope of a coating, applied

after manufacture and assembly, to be able to address all these problems!

Yet, if we examine a number of the factors involved, we can see that the effects of corrosion have to be taken into

consideration at all levels. An assembly of separate components, which would almost certainly be of different materials,

would be prone to galvanic corrosion. Thus the bolt material would need to have a free corrosion potential that is more

positive than the base material of the flange, otherwise the corrosion effect on the much smaller surface area of the bolt

would be severe.

Typical corrosion on flange bolts

In fact, in the offshore industry, despite awareness of the importance of compatible materials, there has been increased use

of corrosion resistant alloys in piping systems but, because compatible bolt materials are often unavailable, low alloy steel

[ASTM A193 B7] bolts are in common use. Severe, rapid corrosion of a B7 bolt will result unless isolating sleeves can be

installed and constant vigilance is required in a system where such incompatibilities exist.

This table shows a typical group of candidate bolting materials and the likely corrosion effect that would result from their

use.

Bolt material diagram

If galvanic corrosion is the most likely mechanism for the acceleration of damaging corrosion in bolted systems, other

factors also exist. Pitting, crevice corrosion and stress corrosion cracking all need to be taken into account, even for

corrosion resistant alloys, and, where coating systems are used to protect low alloy materials, damage to the coating from

stress in use or during assembly is common.

Corrosion affects the system in two ways: Primary safety risk, by reducing the load-bearing ability of the bolt and hence

the integrity of the system - with high potential for human, environmental and economic damage, and secondary economic

risk from the economic and production consequences of seized bolts and the need to cut them out.

Thus, eliminating corrosion as a factor in the consideration for bolted system survival would be a significant breakthrough

in both safety and economics and, if such a breakthrough was concomitant with a reduction in environmental impact, it

would seem an extremely worthwhile objective. Yet the introduction of sprayable thermoplastics appears to offer just such

a combination and it is quantifying the value of this approach that is of such importance for its general acceptance.

Setting the standard

The Company has adopted a multi-channel approach to the issue of parameters for the performance of its thermoplastic

coating system:

Bulleted Graphic multi-channel headings

ASTM and other testing of specific qualities and functions

A wide variety of testing has been undertaken to establish the suitability of materials and equipment as mentioned earlier.

Testing continues as specific requirements come to light and, as the Company adopts a policy of continuous development,

new material developments are being tested all the time.

Long-term testing with world leading authorities, such as DNV

We are currently in the third year of the ten-year testing process with very satisfactory results so far. As the programme

develops, bolted test pieces that have failed with their original coating are to be coated in CISTP and returned to the test

zones to test the system’s ability to arrest corrosion once it has occurred – a key element in providing a solution for world-

wide problems with flanges, valves and other bolted systems as well as providing insight into its performance in other

areas, such as for stored, stand-by and transit protection.

Long-term application programmes

The Company has adopted a strategy of seeking long-term application programmes in specific target areas in order to audit

progress and provide background data on all aspects of CIST applications. A key motivator in the early stages of product

development was to provide a long-term ability to preserve steel structures of all kinds with a system that could be applied

as a short-term reactive remedy but which would also form part of a long-term pro-active asset maintenance programme.

Working on the joint Chevron/Conoco platform, the Britannia, in the North Sea, both in terms of application for the last

three years and Applicator development for more than a year prior to the first applications, has allowed an unparalleled

continuity of development. As with the US Coastguard, Britannia had a particular problem that they needed to solve and

were prepared to look at innovative solutions because everything they had tried had failed.

In Britannia’s case, manufacturing faults on bolts supplied for the construction of the pipeline infrastructure had caused

them to fail in as little as six months. With a particular problem on the smaller flanges and valves because of the

disproportional effect of corrosion on low-diameter connections, a rolling programme of applications was started on all

bolted connectors on 4 inch nominal pipes and below.

Application on Britannia after two years

At first the Britannia operators kept a watching brief to see if Enviropeel lived up to its claims. After the first year,

everybody was very happy with what had been accomplished and when, during the second year of the project, some

applications from the previous year were stripped off and the substrates examined, it was clear that coating performance

was excellent.

Although the Britannia project had not arisen out of the connection with the DNV bolting programme, because

ConocoPhilips were involved operationally on the platform and as committee members in the bolting tests, it was decided

that a review of the practical experience on the platform could be usefully included in the long-term tests.

Data collection from Enviropeel applications, in the form of daily reports and photography, where permissible, had always

formed part of the Company’s asset-maintenance strategy. With advice from DNV, the system was refined and now

individual applications are tagged, timed and dated with operational and weather data for every one, with photography of

every stage of application on representative samples for each day.

Pic report sheet and tag

Data recording of this type now forms part of every Enviropeel application

Programme development for recognised standard for sprayable thermoplastics

As indicated earlier, it is the Company’s intention to provide a functional standard for CIST applications that can be

accepted internationally. A joint DNV/Enviropeel programme is currently being developed to provide performance

benchmarks for consultants and engineers based on standardised tests with bolted systems, these should be available in

2006.

Application development with major companies and organisations

Much of the focus of this presentation has been on bolted system protection because of the particular problems that such

systems present. But the Company philosophy of providing flexible ‘whole system protection’, whether it be for flanges

offshore, stored engineering products or standby equipment, has lead to unexpected developments.

Working with BHP Billiton and Dampier Salt in Western Australia, Robil Engineering, who pioneered the use of

Enviropeel in Australia, have been able to establish the remarkable ability of CIST to not only prevent corrosion but also

the ingress of contaminants and abrasives into rotating systems such as bearings. Following a three-year testing programme

Enviropeel has been specified for the protection of conveyor bearings at BHP Billiton and Dampier, who are part of the

Rio Tinto Group. During the test period stored equipment failures were reduced from 40+ % to zero and conveyor

bearings, which had been averaging 9 months between failures, are now expected to last more than three years, with no

bearing failures reported since CIST applications began.

Table of BHP/Dampier test results

In fact the Robil results were so outstanding that they won the Engineers Australia 2005 Small Company Project

Engineering Excellence award!

Conclusion

Enviropeel and its corrosion-inhibiting sprayable thermoplastic system is well on its way to establishing that taking a

broader view and working to protect a system as a whole rather than a sum of its parts is a worthwhile objective. That

specific criteria need to be met is understood, but the adoption of a more integrated, holistic approach offers significant

advantages where one solution can be shown to be effective for a variety of problems. Prolonging system life cycles

already provides sound economic justification for the use of systems like CIST but significant reductions in hazard to

personnel, as well as increased environmental safety should make it a priority.

Tim Davison

Alocit Australasia Limited

112 Stirling Highway

Nth Fremantle

WA 6159

Tel: 08 943 33339

Fax: 08 94332336