INSULATION PROCEDURE Doc No: STS/QAC/SOP/13

Rev No: 00
Date Rev: 17 Dec 2008
Page No: 1 of 9

REVISION HISTORY

Rev Originator Description Of Amendments Date

00 Farid New Document 17.12.2008

Designation Name Signature

Originator Mechanical Eng Mohd Farid Abu Bakar

Reviewed

Approved

Controlled document: No part of this document may be printed or reproduced for external purposes
without the written permission of the management appointee of Science-Tech Solutions Sdn Bhd.

SCIENCE-TECH SOLUTIONS SDN BHD

 INSULATION PROCEDURE Doc No: STS/QAC/SOP/13
Rev No: 00
Date Rev: 17 Dec 2008
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1.0 PURPOSE

The procedure and specification gives the minimum requirements for the thermal and personnel
protection insulation. Insulation which has been removed on the Equipment Isolation Sheet (EIS),
Piping Defect, Corrosion under Insulation (CUI), Positive Material Identification (PMI) shall be
reinstate with good condition to ensure temperature could maintain efficient operation during start
up.

2.0 SCOPE

This scope covers the removal and installation of insulation on piping, pressure vessel, and
equipment operating in hot service or cold service.

3.0 TERMS, ABBREVIATION AND DEFINITION

No TERMS
1 STS
2 CLIENT
3 AISI
4 ASTM
5 P&ID
6 CUI
7 PMI
8 EIS
DEFINITION
Science-Tech Solutions Sdn Bhd
STS's Customer
American Iron and Steel Institute
American Society for Testing and Materials
Piping & Instrument Diagram
Corrosion under Insulation
Positive Material Identification
Equipment Isolation Sheet

4.0 REFERENCES CODE AND STANDARD

PTS 15.13.01 - Thermal Insulation (Amendments/Supplements to the Cini

Manual), November 2015
PTS 15.13.02 - Acoustic Insulation for Piping, December 2016
ASTM C552 - Cellular Glass Block and Pipe Thermal Insulation
ASTM C303 - Test method for Density of Pre formed Block-Type
Thermal Insulation
ASTM C177 - Test method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measurement
ASTM C547 - Mineral Fibre Pre formed Pipe Insulation

ASTM C592 - Mineral Fibre Blanket Insulation and Blanket Type Pipe
insulation
ASTM C591 - Un-faced Preformed Rigid Cellular Polyurethane Thermal
Insulation
ASTM C518 - Test Method for Steady-State Heat Transmission Properties
ASTM D1621 - Test Method for Compressive Properties of Rigid Cellular
Plastics
ASTM E84 - Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building
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Materials
ASTM D2856 - Test Method for Open Cell Content of Rigid Cellular Plastics
ASTM C335 - Test Method for Steady-State Heat Transfer Properties
ASTM D2126 - Test Method for response of Rigid Cellular Plastics to
Thermal & Humid Aging

5.0 PROCEDURE

5.1 Classifications

The line class and the Piping & Instrument Diagrams (P&ID) shall indicate the thickness
and insulation classification required. See example of Line No below:

8” – P12001 – A1A1 – IH

INSULATION

IH: Hot

IC: Cold

PP: Personnel Protection

The following insulation classifications are described in this Specification:

 IC Low temperature insulation designated for processes with

operating temperatures below 21⁰C where heat gain is undesirable, or
for the prevention of condensation on pipes and equipment with
operating temperatures below 27⁰C.

 IH Heat conservation insulation designated for all processes

(except heat transfer fluids) with operating temperatures at or above 25⁰C.
 PP Personal protection insulation designated for equipment and
vessels with operating temperatures in excess of 54⁰C or below 10⁰C.

5.2 General Requirement

5.2.1 General

Piping and equipment shall be insulated according to the insulation classification,

operating temperature and insulation thickness stated in the P&ID and data sheets.

All insulation shall be covered with weather protection designed and installed to
prevent ingress of water during normal operation throughout the design life.
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5.2.2 Removable insulation of flanges and valves

5.2.1.1 Removable insulation for flanges and valves, like tailor made
jackets or pre formed insulation boxes, shall be suitable for quick
removal and reinstallation. All tailor made jackets shall fit the actual
valve/flange/equipment and secure adequate overlap to incoming
insulated pipes.
5.2.1.2 Removable insulation covers/boxes shall be provided for
required insulation items.
5.2.1.3 The covers/boxes shall be made in halves from metal sheet, lined
with rigid insulation slabs and secured by hinges and toggle clips, self
trapping screw or strapping band. The insulation lining shall be fixed
by, for instance hooks of metal strips riveted to the inside of the metal
cover. Overlapping edges of the box shall be furrowed and be installed
so as to shed water.
5.2.1.4 The thickness is shall not be equal to the piping but minimum is
25mm.
5.2.1.5 PVC foil, rockwool blanket, foam glass, ceramic or mineral wool
shall be sealed off with tape, wrapped around the valve, flange or
manhole to avoid adhesion of the foam, drainage or leakage.

5.2.3 Fitting and Intricate Shapes

5.2.3.1 The insulation thickness and type shall be equal for fitting as be
applied to adjacent or equivalent sized piping or equipment.
5.2.3.2 The installation shall be maximized with as few voids as possible
with the joint are tightly fitted together and staggered if practical.
5.2.3.3 The fitting, such as: elbow, reducers, tees, branch connection and
intricate shapes, shall be insulated and executed in a similar process as
for piping and covered with metal jacketing.

5.2.4 Equipment

5.2.4.1 All joint of insulation blanket shall be closely fit to the contour
of equipment.
5.2.4.2 Preformed insulation blanket for vessels heads shall be closely
fit the contour of the head and be secured by stainless steel band
attached to a floating ring on the top and to a circumference band with a
maximum 300mm centers at the tangent line of the vessel head.
5.2.4.3 Lags with beveled side may be applied and secured with
strapping bands at intervals of 500mm. The bands shall be equipped
with extension element where necessary due to equipment expansion.
5.2.4.4 The size of fastening material shall be: 13mm x 0.5mmT
Stainless Steel Band.

5.2.5 Rotary
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5.2.5.1 Pumps and compressor are normally not insulated. Protective

fencing maybe considered for personnel protection, type caging.
5.2.5.2 If insulation is necessary e.g. for steam and gas turbines, boiler
feed water pumps it shall be done by one of the following methods.
 Apply insulation mattress over the housing, stitched together
with binding wire covered with stainless steel cladding.
 A metal reinforced with angle iron and filled with loose
insulation materials. This insulation reinforce metal box shall not
be applied when pumping flammable liquids if absorbed by the
insulation it can catch fire. The specific support pins for
insulation blanket on horizontal equipment shall be follows.

5.2.6 Covers
5.2.6.1 All covers e.g. of heat exchangers and manholes, liable to
required removal shall be provided with a box of metal sheets, lined
with insulation slabs having a minimum thickness of 50% of that of the
vessels insulation.
5.2.6.2 Each box shall be made of one or more pieces, each pieces being
of such size and shape that two persons can easily handle it. Securing in
position shall be done by toggle dip.

5.3 Materials

5.3.1 General

Insulation concept shall be non combustible, non-toxic and water tight/water

repellent. The materials shall not release toxic or corrosive gases when exposed to
fire. No asbestos or asbestos products shall be used. No lead or lead products shall
be used unless accepted by company. These requirements are not applicable to pre-
insulated pipe systems. All insulation materials shall have a neutral pH value.

5.3.2 Cellular Glass

Cellular glass shall have the following properties:

i. Conform to ASTM C552 and be suitable for temperatures from –260⁰C

to 430⁰C.
ii. The density shall be within 125 kg/m3 +/- 10 % as per ASTM C303.
iii. Thermal conductivity, not greater than 0.0039 W/mK as per ASTM C177.
iv. Average compressive strength per ASTM C165: 490 kPa
Water vapour transmission: Zero
Linear expansion coefficient: 8.5 x 10-6/⁰C

5.3.3 Mineral Wool

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Mineral wool shall be manufactured with a phenol binder. The specific flow
resistance for the mineral wool shall be minimum 2.0 x 10 4 Pa s/m 2 .The density
shall be within 90-120 kg/m3
5.3.4 Sealers, Tape

Joint sealers and tape shall be permanently flexible through a relevant temperature
range and shall be capable of withstanding repeated expansion and contraction.

5.3.5 Metallic Jacketing

Metallic jacketing shall be stainless steel or sea water resistant Al-alloy. For fire
protection the jacketing material shall be stainless steel.

5.3.5.1 Stainless Steel

i. Stainless steel metal jacketing shall be type AISI 316, 2B finish.
ii. Stainless steel sheets for pipes and vessels up to DN 450 shall have a
thickness of 0.5 mm. For dimensions above DN 450 the thickness
shall be 0.7 mm.

5.3.5.2 Aluminium Alloy

i. Aluminium alloy jacketing shall be type A1Mn1 (AA 3103) or
equal.
ii. Aluminium sheets for pipes and vessels up to DN 450 shall have a
thickness of 0.7 mm. For dimensions above DN 450 the thickness
shall be 0.9 mm.

6.0 HOT SERVICE INSULATION (Class IH)

6.1 The following materials shall be used for piping and equipment insulation for Class IH:

i. For equipment and piping which is to be operated intermittently or continuously

at temperatures not exceeding 100⁰C, the insulation may be rigid urethane
foam.
ii. For equipment operated intermittently or continuously above 100⁰C, the
insulation may be calcium silicate. Calcium silicate insulation which contains
asbestos filler shall not be acceptable.
iii. For equipment and piping which is to be operated intermittently or continuously
at temperatures up to 260⁰C, primary insulation may be cellular / foam glass
complying with ASTM C552 and with density of at least 88kg/m 3 and a
temperature rating of 315⁰C.
iv. For equipment and piping which is to be operated intermittently or continuously
at temperatures up to 500⁰C, the insulation may be mineral wool with
temperature rating of 500⁰C. All mineral wool shall be water repellent and tested
for water absorption and retention.
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6.2 Mineral wool blankets for piping and vessels greater than DN900 shall conform to
ASTM C592. They shall have density of at least 128 kg/m3 and shall be faced with wire
mesh inside either wire mesh, expanded metal, or glass mat outside.
6.3 Mineral wool preformed sections shall be used for piping larger than DN40 and up to and
including DN900. They shall conform to ASTM C547, have density of at least 160 kg/m 3
and shall be faced with wire mesh inside and wire mesh or glass mat on the outside.
6.4 Mineral wool blocks and boards shall conform to ASTM C612. Their minimum nominal
density shall be 160 kg/m3.
6.5 Guidance for insulation thickness Table 1.0 applies to Class IH and PP.

Table 1.0: Thickness in millimetres for cellular glass

DN Maximum Operating Temperature ⁰C
mm 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 420
20 30 30 30 30 50 50 50 50
25 30 30 50 50 50 50 50 50
32 30 30 50 50 50 50 50 50
50 30 30 50 50 50 50 80 80
65 30 30 50 50 50 80 80 80
80 30 50 50 50 50 80 80 80
100 50 50 50 50 50 80 80 100
150 50 50 50 50 80 80 80 100
200 50 50 50 50 80 80 80 100
250 50 50 50 50 80 80 100 100
300 50 50 50 50 80 80 100 100
350 50 50 50 50 80 80 100 100
400 50 50 50 50 80 80 100 100
450 50 50 50 50 80 80 100 100
500 50 50 50 50 80 80 100 100
600 50 50 80 80 100 100 100 150
Above 600 50 50 80 80 100 100 100 150
and flat
surface

Note: the material thickness given above is guidelines only. Could adjusted up to the
closest standard thickness given by the CLIENT

7.0 COLD SERVICE INSULATION

7.1 The following materials shall be used for piping and vessel insulation for Class C:
i. Preformed or foamed-in-place polyurethane for piping up to and including
DN900.
ii. Polyurethane blocks, segments or foamed in place sections for piping and vessels
greater than DN900.
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7.2 Polyurethane foam shall conform to ASTM C591, Type 11, with a flame spread rating
not exceeding 25 in accordance with ASTM E84. Higher density and higher strength
foam may be used as load bearing insulation if the properties are approved.
7.3 Insulating material used on austenitic steel surfaces shall contain less than 20ppm
leachable chlorides and a minimum of 20ppm sodium silicate for each part per million of
leachable chlorides.
7.4 Foamed in place polyurethane foam shall, as a minimum, conform to the following:
i. Density of the core shall be between 30 and 35kg/m 3.
ii. Thermal Conductivity shall not exceed 0.019 W/mK when the foam is new and
cured. This value shall be based on a mean temperature of 25⁰C as determined in
accordance with ASTM C518.
iii. Flammability shall be guaranteed to have a flame spread classification not
exceeding 75 in accordance with ASTM E84.
iv. Compressive Strength in accordance with ASTM D1621 shall be not less than
170kN/m. Closed Cell Content shall not be less than 90%. The cell structure shall
be uniform throughout the core and the average cell size shall be no more than
0.40mm. Elongated cells shall be no longer than three times the smallest
dimension. These requirements are to be verified in accordance with ASTM
D2856, Procedure A.
v. Dimensional Stability: the maximum volumetric change shall not be more than
6% after 7 days exposure at 75+3⁰C and 100+0/-3% relative humidity in
accordance with ASTM D2126.
vi. The permeability shall not exceed 2.5perm in accordance with ASTM C335.
vii. Friability: A 6mm cube, when properly cured, shall not powder when crushed.

8.0 PERSONAL PROTECTION INSULATION

Piping, vessels and equipment operating at a temperature of 54⁰C and above, or below 10⁰C for a
cold service and not falling within any other insulation category, shall be protected by Stainless
Steel metal mesh guard or similar protective material. The minimum distance between hot or cold
surfaces and guarding shall be 32 mm.
Where this is not practical, thermal insulation, Class IH or IC as appropriate, shall be applied.

9.0 QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

9.1 Qualification of Personnel

9.1.1 Qualification of insulation fitters

Operators shall be qualified to tradesman level as insulation fitter or sheet metal

worker. The personnel shall have a relevant knowledge of health and safety
hazard, use of protection equipment, insulation materials, application of
insulation materials, insulation systems surface requirements, and how to avoid
corrosion under insulation.
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If not qualified to tradesman level, personnel shall be subject to a test. The test
shall be supervised by a qualified supervisor and examined by qualified QC
personnel.

9.1.2 Qualification of Supervisors, Foremen and QC Personnel

Personnel carrying out inspection or verification shall be qualified to tradesman

level and shall be accepted as inspector by company.

Supervisors and foremen shall be qualified to tradesman level and shall have
documented minimum 3 years experience with insulation work corresponding to
work described in this standard.

All QC and supervision personnel shall be familiar with the requirements in this
standard.