The protection of offshore structures from corrosion and abrasion damage is a constant and costly issue for those who manage these structures.
Both rough and corrosion-prone The marine environment is not kind to marine structures like offshore platforms and rigs as well as ocean-going vessels, each of which is a major investment for the businesses that operate these structures. Every activity and structure that are in the marine environment is affected by corrosion.
The marine environment is also extremely hard on surfaces and coatings and coatings, both in the way they wear and how they’re applied. The areas that are most affected are superstructure, deck ballast tanks, chains, or anchor wells. These areas are exposed to saltwater as well as chemical substances and abrasion. (Learn about the negative effects of salt on Salt Limits to Avoid premature coating failures.)
One method to reduce and lessen the effects of certain kinds of corrosion is by applying flexible surface coatings made of a material that is impervious against chemical damage from petroleum products and salts. A corrosion barrier must have the ability to withstand and flex and be resistant to the wide variety of chemicals that can affect maritime structures.
To increase security for people moving through vessels or offshore structures, spray-applied surface coatings with anti-slip properties make decks safe and provide walkways.
Guarding the deck of a platform from abrasion
Applying coatings designed specifically for marine structures employed within offshore structures used in the oil and gas industry can help reduce the impact of drilling operations. (Read the details of an offshore facilities investigation in Tightrope: The Identification of limitations to coatings specifications.)
An oil rig deck with 14-meter lengths of drill pipes laid out before being pulled through the deck and then pulled up to drilling operations is susceptible to many scratches caused by the abrasive. The majority of the surface coatings are easily abrasive and expose the metallic substrate exposed to corrosion.
To prepare the work areas for coating treatment, the deck’s surfaces should be an abrasive blast to remove the existing coatings and smooth the surface to ensure the best bonding to primer and a protective coating. Prime, as well as the protective coating.
The Zn-rich prime is initially applied to the metal surface, then an additional spray primer is quickly sprayed. The most effective primers for this application include no volatile organic components (VOC) properties and can be swiftly spray applied.
To ensure the best protection, a thick layer made of polyurea will be applied on the primed surface to an approximate depth of 3000 millimeters (3 millimeters). The final coating is selected due to its resistance to extreme weather conditions and its excellent flexibility and strength. Polyurea can cure quickly, allowing workers to walk on the surface in just a few minutes. This means the facility will be restored to operation sooner.
When applying any treatment to a surface, the most important factor to consider is minimizing the time required to complete it. Spray coating can allow for quicker application with less disturbance to the operation. The rapid setting coating can be set in just 6 minutes. In contrast to other coatings, Pure polyureas aren’t adversely affected by ambient temperature or moisture in the application. This is a major consideration when it comes to offshore operations.
Protrusions of Decking that are coated
In the places where pipes and other devices can penetrate the deck regions of offshore structures, It is crucial that liquids don’t run through the pipes seen below. Most offshore rigs protect these holes with a rubber boot attached to the pipe and deck. But, the rubber in both the boots and adhesive may be damaged through UV light and salt exposure within a the space of a few months.
To prolong the life of the deck boots for penetration, the butyl rubber and the steel surfaces adjacent to it are generally cleaned and scuffed before applying a suitable primer. It is essential to ensure that all loose coatings oil, dirt, and dirt are removed thoroughly before applying the new membrane. In the same way, equipment pipes, and deck surfaces must be blocked away to protect against the risk of overspray.
The application of the polyurea coating with an amount of 2000 microns or more and then extending 50mm across the pipe and 100 millimeters onto the deck forms an air-tight, weather-resistant, flexible and weatherproof interface to all deck penetrations and provides the durability that is required for industry professionals in the marine industry.
Polyurea Coating Properties
Pure polyureas form when the liquid isocyanate is mixed at extreme pressure using an amine-driven solution for resin. They are reactive because the double covalent bond that binds carbon atoms to oxygen and nitrogen atoms can be broken easily into single bonds within this more solid tetrahedral structure around carbon atoms.
Certain kinds of polyureas can be found in a double-component solution mixed at extreme temperatures and pressure (3000 Psi, at 65oC) using a specially-designed spray apparatus. When applied to the surface, the superior chemical cross-linking produces a strong yet flexible coating. The denseness makes the coating virtually impervious to abrasion, water, and chemicals.
Pure polyurea coatings are cured quickly to create a smooth surface that can be walked over without harm within less than a minute. Another benefit is allowing polyurea to be sprayed up to 6000 microns (and higher) on a sloped or vertical surface without sagging and flowing. Its surface strong polyurea coating is simple to clean, maintain and recoat when needed.
While Epoxies and paints create an unbreakable hard shell, The flexible nature created by pure polyurea coatings permits them to move in line with their expansion or contraction structure when temperatures fluctuate.
