Outofsight,outofmind.PDFVIP

out of sigHt, out of mind? Stephen A. Anderson, Intertek, USA, discusses the importance of understanding and protecting against corrosion under insulation. n 2006 an ageing Gulf Coast petrochemical facility experienced a This article discusses practical plans and solutions to leak from a 4 in. hydrocarbon line. After several minutes this leak combating this ever present problem that threatens the integrity of Ifound an ignition source, causing a massive fire that destroyed equipment. half the unit and cost the company US$ 50 million. Despite the In order to prevent unnecessary shutdowns and accidents, the advances in materials, inspection and maintenance practices, the condition of equipment and piping should be monitored to detect insidious problem of corrosion under insulation (CUI) still costs the when equipment should be retired from service (retirement limit). industry millions of dollars a year. As part of a comprehensive asset This monitoring can be done visually, acoustically with a UT probe or integrity programme a definitive strategy to combat CUI should with a radioactive source and film (radiography). This allows include: management and inspectors to identify problems before they create ª Careful design and materials selection. dangerous conditions or cause expensive shutdowns. ª Development of corrosion circuits. Unfortunately equipment at chemical plants is difficult to reach and is usually insulated. Under certain conditions CUI can occur, ª Risk assessment or risk based inspection evaluation.