Many companies need to deal with underground pipes meant for the transmission of gases, oil, or water. They remain buried underground, and often experience damages due to corrosion, or coming in contacts with hazardous chemicals like hydrogen sulphides, water, and carbon dioxide. It reduces the operational capacity of these components. To gain control of this situation, leading pipe coating manufacturers in India resorted to the coating of pipelines with a protective shield to improve its strength and durability. It minimises chances of future damages and thereby reduces the recurring expenditure of clients. Have a look at the significance of coating pipelines and ducts in India.
What is the History of Pipe Coatings?
Initially, most companies did not bother about protective measures to safeguard the underground pipes. They kept them naked without any external coatings. With time, technicians understood the value of protective shields in arresting corrosions and rusting. They started applying a layer of pipe-coats in the form of tape wraps and coal tar layering. To go ahead with this procedure in already operational ducts, mechanics had to dig them open, clean thoroughly, and then apply the coat. This preventive measure became popular among clients dealing with gas, water, and oil transmission. However, there were some disadvantages to primitive layering.
What were the challenges associated with earlier pipe coatings?
The earlier pipe coatings were not of superior quality, and there were frequent issues of disbonding. Outer coats became separated from the pipe body, making them susceptible to damages. Bare pipes came in contact with water and other harmful chemicals present in the soil leading to rust formation and leakage. Pipe coating manufacturers in India understood that sole external coating was not enough to protect ducts from damages. They started researching new techniques to make the coat stronger and durable.
Introduction of Cathodic Protection (CP) Systems
After the initial setback of disbonding of coats, pipe coat manufacturers came up with ‘cathodic protection (CP) systems’. This unique safety arrangement helped in detecting disbondment and initiate immediate repair works. It takes a regular measurement of the pipe-to-soil electrical potentials and conveys them to pipeline technicians. With the introduction of this safety shield, incidences of pipeline damages declined considerably.
What are the modern practices in pipe coatings?
Currently, most pipeline manufacturers coat their products with a protective shield during the manufacturing process. In this condition, the exterior surface of pipes is already clean, and you can go ahead with the coating process smoothly and consistently. Moreover, you get better control of the entire process. These days, modern pipe manufacturers also implement Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) technology. This latest technique make ducts resistant to high temperature and make them more durable against stress and corrosion. Pipes go through the FBE process in a hot electrostatically charged condition. Nowadays, mechanics also coat the interior of tubes with ceramics, cement, or epoxy to make them more durable. However, this application is not suitable for gas and oil pipelines.
This is all about pipe coatings. Modern coating applications have reduced the preventive maintenance of clients considerably.
