PAINT SQUARE WEBINAR

FIELD INSPECTION AND REPAIR OF TRANSMISSION PIPELINE COATINGS

E. BUD SENKOWSKI, P.E. SENIOR CONSULTANT KTA-TATOR, INC.

WEBINAR CONTENT
Purpose of pipeline coatings Performance expectations of pipeline coatings Federal/state requirements for corrosion protection Purpose of field inspection Field inspection techniques

Field installation and repair of pipeline coatings Protection of girth welds Repair of coating damage prior to burial Field rehabilitation of pipeline coating systems and joints
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WHY DO WE NEED PIPELINE COATINGS?

Corrosion is the greatest danger to buried steel pipelines. Uncontrolled corrosion of the pipe wall leads to leaks, service interruptions, and even explosions. Pipeline owners/operators place their highest priorities on coating systems to prevent corrosion. Pipeline coatings are applied to both pipe runs and girth welds.
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A STACK OF COATED PIPE

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS OF PIPELINE COATINGS

Long-term protection of the pipeline steel surfaces from corrosion. Compatibility with cathodic protection.
INSTALLING A COATED PIPELINE IN THE TRENCH

FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CORROSION PROTECTION OF BURIED PIPELINES

All interstate pipelines shall be installed with an exterior coating system. Additionally, all interstate coated pipelines shall be protected by a cathodic protection system providing: A minimum pipe-to-soil potential of - 850 mV Or, a minimum polarization shift of 100 mV.

Many states have similar requirements for intrastate pipelines.

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PURPOSES OF FIELD COATING INSPECTION

Verify that the coating application meets the specification requirements for: Surface cleanliness Surface profile Allowable ambient conditions Dry film thickness (DFT) Absence of coating holidays (pinholes) Adhesion to steel substrate Degree of cure
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MATERIALS USED IN PIPELINE COATING SYSTEMS

JOINT COATING AND REPAIR MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR FIELD USE

WHY DO PIPELINES HAVE JOINTS?

Pipelines have joints because they are fabricated from 40 and 80 coated pipe sections. High pressure pipelines require a girth weld at each field joint.

SETTING A PIPE SECTION IN THE TRENCH BEFORE WELDING

WHY MUST JOINTS BE COATED?

Each girth weld must be coated because the welds are made on areas that are bare steel. The bare area at the end of each pipe section is called the cut back area. It can be up to 12 wide. All girth welds must be coated before the line is buried.
WELDING A PIPE JOINT. NOTE THE CUTBACK AREA BETWEEN THE WELD AND THE YELLOW COATING.

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COATING COMPATIBITY ISSUES WITH JOINT AND REPAIR MATERIALS

Coatings selected for a girth applications must be compatible with the coating applied to the main pipeline. In addition to chemical compatibility, the girth weld coating must form a tight seal to prevent water infiltration. If a generically similar coating is not available, there are other joint and repair materials that will perform.
LINE-TRAVELLING UNIT FOR APPLYING LIQUID EPOXY TO GIRTH WELDS ON AN FBE COATED PIPELINE

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NEW CONSTRUCTION OR MAINTENANCE WORK?

New construction utilizes automatic line travelling equipment to blast and coat and cure girth welds. Replacement and recoating of single sections and their girth welds requires materials that cure under field conditions. Cold and wet conditions require special material formulations.
A LIQUID EPOXY APPLICATION TO THE MAINTENANCE REPLACEMENT OF A PIPE SECTION

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WHAT IS MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX?

Microcrystalline wax is a solid by-product of petroleum that melts at 160-175F. When coating girth welds, the wax is heated in a pot to 270350F and applied by the granny rag method to reach 40-60 mils. It can also be applied by brush to small areas. The wax develops excellent adhesion to cleaned steel and exhibits good flexibility.
APPLYING MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX TO A GIRTH WELD USING A GRANNY RAG

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WHAT ARE COLD-APPLIED TAPES?

Coldapplied tapes are prefabricated materials made from a polymer backing attached to an adhesive film. Some may also use a liquid primer. Petroleum wax Polyethylene (PE) PE/PP blends

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WHAT IS PETROLEUM WAX TAPE?

Petroleum wax is a by-product of crude oil that is mixed with mineral fillers, plasticizers, and corrosion inhibitors. The wax is applied to a polyester mesh and used as a tape product over pipeline and girth weld surfaces. An additional wax-based filler with glass micro beads is used to smooth out irregular shapes prior to coating. The tape can be applied over tight rust. It contains no toxic materials and can be placed in service immediately after application.
PETROLEUM WAX TAPE

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WHAT IS POLYETHYLENE (PE) TAPE?

Polyethylene (PE) tape is a coldapplied joint covering that has an elastomeric or butyl rubberbased adhesive. Tapes use a high-density version (HDPE)for better resistance to mechanical damage.

HDPE tapes are compatible with most pipeline coatings in current use.

HDPE TAPE WRAPPED OVER A TEE IN AN FBE COATED PIPELINE

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WHAT IS A MULTI-POLYMER ALLOY (MPA) TAPE?

Multi-polymer alloys (MPA) are proprietary blends of polymers like polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) They are applied cold with a pressure-sensitive adhesive. MPA tapes have temperature resistance to 250F.
HIGH TEMPERATURE TAPE APPLICATION

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WHAT ARE HEAT-SHRINK PRODUCTS?

Heat-shrink products are made from specially-processed PE or PP that will shrink when heated. The reverse side of the sleeve is coated with an adhesive. The adhesive layer becomes molten when heated and upon cooling completes the seal to the pipe surface.

APPLYING A HEAT-SHRINK SLEEVE

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WHAT KINDS OF HEAT-SHRINK PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE?

Heat shrink products include tube sleeves, wrap-around sleeves and tape. Shrink ratios are in the 2:1 and 3:1 with minimal change in the linear direction along the pipe. Some wrap-around sleeves have metal closure strips that hold them together during application.

COMPLETED HEAT-SHRINK SLEEVE OVER A GIRTH WELD

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WHERE CAN HEAT SHRINK PRODUCTS BE USED?

Heat shrink products are available for pipe diameters in the range of 2 to 60. They can be used with virtually all of the pipeline coatings in current use. Depending upon the sleeve material and adhesive they can be used on pipelines operating to 230F.

CONTINUOUS HEAT-SHRINK SLEEVES APPLIED OVER A SECTION OF DAMAGED ASPHALT PIPELINE COATING 20

WHAT IS LIQUID EPOXY?

Epoxy is a two-part liquid coating made by mixing a resin with a hardener. After mixing and curing, a hard, tough, chemicallyresistant coating is formed. Epoxy has excellent resistance to water penetration and cathodic disbondment damage.

APPLYING LIQUID EPOXY TO A GIRTH WELD

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HOW IS LIQUID EPOXY USED FOR JOINTS?

Epoxy is made to work in many field conditions. It is applied at 10-20 mils DFT using brush, roller, or spray. Surface preparation requires a surface cleaned to an SSPCSP10, Near-White condition. Air and surface temperature should be at least Is 50F. Lower temperature versions are available.

CURED LIQUID EPOXY COATING ON A GIRTH WELD

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COATING IN COLD WEATHER

Conventional epoxy formulations will not cure in cold weather. Supplemental heat must be used to heat the pipe and cure the resin. However, low temperature epoxies are available that can be applied and cured over a 4F to 32F temperature range.

APPLYING LIQUID EPOXY IN COLD WEATHER

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HOW IS FUSION-BONDED EPOXY (FBE) USED AS A JOINT COATING?

FBE is used the same way that the material is applied at the mill, except that the process is done in the field. The weld area is cleaned to SSPC-SP10, Near-White Metal condition, heated by induction, and the FBE applied by electrostatic spray. Heat completes the cure.
A LINE-TRAVELLING FBE SPRAY UNIT FOR GIRTH WELD COATING

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HOW ARE FBE JOINTS APPLIED UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS?

Girth weld completion must go on regardless of weather conditions. When FBE is applied to welds it may be necessary to erect environmentally controlled structures along the right-of-way. Welding and coating takes place within the structures.
HEATED SHELTERS FOR GIRTH WELD WORK IN COLD WEATHER

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WHY DO WE REPAIR SMALL COATING DEFECTS?

Small coating defects can occur at any time on mill coated pipe from the point of manufacture to final burial in the trench. Electrical testing (jeeping) can also reveal holidays that require repair. Any unrepaired defect can become a point of corrosion on the coated pipe.
MAGNIFIED VIEW OF IMPACT DAMAGE ON AN FBE COATING

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REPAIRING PIPELINE COATINGS WITH POLYMER-BASED TAPES

Defects or damage in many pipeline coatings can be repaired with cold-applied polymer-based tapes. The tapes may utilize PVC, HDPE, HDPP, or MPA polymers.
The areas to be repaired can be prepared by wire brush. A primer may be necessary to optimize the adhesive bond of the tape.
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HAND-WRAPPING PE TAPE

REPAIRING PIPELINE COATINGS WITH HEAT-SHRINK SLEEVES

A variety of coated pipelines, including FBE and composite, 3-layer HDPE And HDPP, can be repaired using heat-shrink sleeves or tape.
Areas to be repaired can be cleaned by power-driven wire brush.

The interior sleeve or tape surfaces will have a modified butyl rubber adhesive that will complete the adhesive bond.

APPLYING HEAT-SHRINK TAPE AT A GIRTH WELD REPAIR

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PRECAUTIONS WHEN USING HEATSHRINK PRODUCTS

The applications of heat shrink sleeves and tapes must be closely monitored to ensure that both the preheating of the steel surface and heat applied to achieve the shrinking of the material is adequate to maximize the adhesive bond.

If the temperatures are below levels specified by the manufacturer, an insufficient bond will form and lead to failure by water penetration. Pull-off peel tests provide a means to evaluate the adhesive bond of heat-shrink products in the field.
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MAKING REPAIRS TO LIQUID-APPLIED EPOXY AND POLYURETHANE

Pipelines originally coated with liquid epoxy or polyurethane coatings can be repaired by reapplying the same materials. Exposed metal should be cleaned to a near-white condition.

Weather conditions at the time of repair may require the use of low temperature tolerant formulations.

LIQUID EPOXY APPLICATION TO A PIPELINE AREA

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MAKING REPAIRS TO FUSION-BONDED EPOXY WITH LIQUID/PASTE EPOXY

Small areas of damage in an FBE coating can be repaired with a fast-curing, 100% solids, 2-component chemically-cured epoxy paste supplied in a dualcomponent dispenser. Once dispensed, the epoxy paste is mixed with a spatula and applied to complete the repair. Epoxy products develop a strong adhesive bond to FBE.
A HAND-HELD GUN FOR DISPENSING A 2-COMPONENT EPOXY REPAIR PASTE

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REPAIRS WITH PLURAL COMPONENT HIGH SOLIDS SPRAY (HSS) UNITS

Field repairs can also be made by spraying plural component epoxy with a high solids spray (HSS) unit. HSS units are scaled-down, disposable spray units that use compressed air at 40-50 psi to mix and spray the contents (40-1000 mL) of a dual (resin/hardener) cartridge pack. For best results, the cartridges should be heated to approximately 120-130F before use.
HSS DISPOSABLE SPRAY UNIT

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FIELD REPAIRS TO 3-LAYER COMPOSITE COATINGS

Composite, 3-layer polypropylene (3LPP) and polyethylene (3LPE) coatings can be repaired using hot microcrystalline wax, cold applied tape, and heat-shrink products. HDPP heat-shrink products match the thermal and mechanical resistance of the original 3LPP composite coating.

TESTING A HDPP HEAT-SHRINK SLEEVE APPLIED OVER A 3LPP COATING

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JOINT COATING AND REPAIR MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR FIELD USE

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QUESTIONS?

QUESTIONS?
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