Tank linings in the age of hydraulic fracturing

The advent of hydraulic fracturing has brought with it rapid economic growth and the previously undreamed of promise of energy independence for the United States. It has also completely changed the way the storage and transport of crude oil is approached.

Most owners of crude oil storage tanks, and the railroad tank cars that transport it, have recognized that fracking introduced many aggressive chemical components to the crude oil that previously got along pretty well with steel. Those that haven’t come to this realization find themselves at an increased risk for the sort of corrosion and pitting of storage tanks and tank cars that invite spills and significant environmental degradation.

The issue

Corrosion is the result of oxidation, which can’t occur except in the presence of oxygen and water. With traditional methods of oil extraction, some water was present in the crude oil, but usually in trace amounts and suspended in the oil where no oxygen was able to reach it.

As a result, for the vast majority of the time humans have been extracting crude oil from the earth, the storage tanks and transport vessels used to move it did not need to be lined with protective coatings. Storage tank owners could save money by not lining their tanks, with minimal risk of corrosive damage ever being a problem. To this day, it’s not unheard of to encounter companies still requesting that railcar manufacturers not line the inside of their cars.

Fracking has forced a change. Because drastically more water is used in the process of hydraulic fracturing, greater care needs to be taken to protect against corrosion. While transporting oil obtained by fracking, water and oxygen are both abundant, meaning corrosion is once again on the list of concerns for owners of storage tanks and railroad tank cars.

Not just the hotspots

Storage and transport of crude oil obtained by fracking is not just a concern for owners operating near traditional hotspots of extraction like Texas, the Dakotas and the Gulf Coast. Storage tanks are commonplace across the United States, holding newly extracted crude as it makes its way to refineries, where still more storage tanks hold it while the crude waits to be refined.

Given the current scale of fracking operations across the United States, if only ten percent of owners have not upgraded their tank linings to address this reality, there are an enormous amount of storage tanks vulnerable to pitting, corrosion and leaks.

Crude’s journey, too, has prompted concerns over the safety of transporting by rail. Some estimate that over 1 million barrels of oil are being extracted per day, and that 9 million barrels are riding the rails at any given moment. A standard railroad tank car can hold about 740 barrels.

If railcar owners want to help protect against legal action, there’s no reason the latest railcar linings shouldn’t be a part of that strategy. As a part of stricter regulatory legislation that is in the works, there should be at least some attention paid to minimum standards for railcar linings.

And then there’s the water

Fracking is a water intensive enterprise. By some estimates, somewhere between 70 billion and 140 billion gallons per year are required. Some are searching for a process to recycle this “frack water,” while others believe it’s best disposed of by pumping it into deep underground wells.

Whatever solution emerges, storage and transport of this byproduct will become an increasing concern for as long as fracking keeps up its current pace. This presents a problem. The chemical blend used in frack water is regarded as proprietary by the companies who use it.

Without knowing exactly what they’re protecting against, coatings manufacturers can’t stand by the tank linings they supply to protect assets. Certain variables make it more difficult to predict which products will be effective. If the byproduct still contains rock debris or other abrasives, for instance, an additive such as flake glass may lead to better performance.

Without knowing the exact composition of the substance these tanks are holding, coatings manufacturers cannot guarantee a given product will provide adequate protection. Companies in charge of storing and transporting this wastewater should therefore be closely investigating the tank linings they use, making sure they’re up to the task.

Tank linings systems guide

We want to simplify the process of selecting linings for both storage tanks and railroad tank cars. To do so, we’ve put together a guide complete with system selection guides, chemical resistance charts, data sheets, case studies and more. You can download it by clicking the link below.

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How to prevent corrosion under insulation

We’ve previously discussed the basics of high temp coatings, which are often used in process facilities such as refineries, oil and gas, and petrochemical plants. These coatings protect pipe systems that transport various materials at high heat.

These hot pipes are usually covered with a layer of insulation to increase efficiency, protect personnel and capitalize on energy savings. Unfortunately, it also helps create one of the most vexing corrosion problems in the industry: corrosion under insulation.

What causes corrosion under insulation?

Corrosion under insulation, or CUI, occurs when moisture enters through holes or cracks in the insulation and becomes trapped against the hot pipe. Prolonged moisture exposure can cause rapid rusting and corrosion on the pipe’s surface.

Since the layer of insulation completely surrounds the pipe, corrosion under insulation often goes unnoticed. When the insulation is finally stripped from the pipe, either to investigate a problem or as part of a scheduled replacement, facility managers sometimes find the pipe to be completely ruined.

What to do about corrosion under insulation?

The insulation surrounding a pipe must be completely enclosed to prevent CUI. Joints, terminations and other irregularities along the length of the pipe should be carefully sealed. However, moisture can still penetrate insulating layers.

There isn’t a perfect solution for corrosion under insulation, but it can be mitigated by regularly checking the piping under insulation often as a part of a scheduled coatings maintenance plan, sealing insulation with care, and most importantly, choosing a top quality high temp CUI coating.

It’s important to verify that the coating you choose has been specifically designed to stand up to high temperatures and to defend against corrosion under insulation. Also, that it is designed to withstand the range of temperatures the substrate will subject it to.

When chosen to match these criteria, high temp CUI coatings are the most effective method for fighting corrosion under insulation in process facilities.

Contact US Coatings for help in creating a system to protect your insulated assets for the long haul.

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The benefits of high solids coatings for railroad tank cars

According to the American Association of Railroads, there are currently over 430,000 railroad tank cars in service. The vast majority of these cars are not owned by railroads, but leased by private customers who use them to transport their products. Many of these lessees encounter a similar problem with their tank cars. It has to do with the percent solids of the coatings used to protect them. For a refresher on the percent solids of a coating, check out this post we wrote on 100% solids coatings.

Due to the cylindrical shape of tank cars, and gravity, it’s more difficult to achieve the desired film build on the top of the tank, often leading to an unevenly applied coating. During its service life, this top portion of the car will be prominently exposed to repeated rain and harsh sunlight. Eventually, the stress leads to a problem known as “blooming,” or rusting on the top of the tank car. “Redheads,” as cars with this problem are known in the industry, are a good indication that something went wrong during the coating application process.

How to prevent rusting on the top of a tank car

This problem can be avoided by using coatings with a higher percent solids. With fewer solvents flashing off, the coating dries more quickly and it’s easier to achieve high film builds on the top of the tank. The end result is a coating that’s more evenly distributed over the entire tank car. But that’s not the only benefit of using a higher solid coating.

Coatings that contain higher solids by volume also allow a shop to purchase less material to cover a given square footage. If a typical 60 percent epoxy has a theoretical coverage rate (where no loss occurs during the application) of 190 square feet applied at 5 mils DFT, an 80 percent solids version would have a theoretical coverage rate of 260 square feet applied at 5 mils DFT. The result is 27 percent less product that’s capable of covering the same area.

How to limit VOCs

Higher solids coatings also significantly cut down on the amount of volatile organic compound (VOC) and hazardous air pollutant (HAP) byproducts. Lower levels of evaporating solvents mean fewer VOCs are released into the atmosphere, and into the shop. For large-scale operations VOCs can add up quickly, making cutting back on these substances necessary to avoid fines. Tighter regulation of VOC outputs may increase the importance of alternative choices in the near future.

Some attempt to completely take VOCs out of the equation with water-based coatings. But this approach also has its drawbacks. They take longer to cure, potentially causing backups in the shop. Properly accounted for, this strategy can be a viable solution. But like we’ve talked about before, the best solutions draw on a number of key features.

A balancing act

Ideally, the right product will offer a balance of these key features. It should have relatively high solids by volume for film build, and low VOC output to ensure that the shops where it is applied adhere to environmental standards. It should be able to be applied efficiently and in a timely manner. And of course, it must be a cost-effective solution. Click the link to read more about our railcar coatings, or visit our tank linings page for more on linings.

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Choosing the right railcar coatings

There are a lot of options out there when it comes to choosing the best coatings to protect the railcars you own or lease. So how should you know which one to choose?

When it comes to selecting the right product to protect your cars, it’s best to consider your goals for the coating. How long do you expect it to last? How much time do you expect to spend applying it? What sort of abuse do you expect it to withstand? The answers to these questions will provide a good basis for your strategy moving forward.

If you’re expecting a long life cycle for your coating, it goes without saying that a more durable product is in order. But if you know the railcar is brought in every five years for scheduled maintenance, it may not make sense to go with the most durable multi-coat finish when a sufficient, single-coat system could do the job at a lower cost.

Many shop owners worry about long curing times causing a bottleneck in their facilities. Situations like these make single-coat systems attractive. After a sandblast, the railcar can be painted and then moved on down the line, therefore avoiding longer cure times. Epoxy coatings may cure more quickly, but may not be suitable if long-term UV protection is needed.

It is especially important to consider a tank car’s intended use where linings are concerned. The longer handling times associated with baked-on phenolics may be unavoidable if product purity is a concern. Since discoloration, odor or other interactions with the coatings system are unacceptable in the transport of food-grade items or sulfuric acid, a baked-on phenolic will likely be the best bet.

The importance of choosing the correct tank car lining has increased with the prevalence of hydraulic fracturing as an energy extraction method. Since water often accompanies this method as a byproduct, care must be taken to ensure that water, settling at the bottom of the tank, does not corrode and pit the steel. When leasing a tank car, this sort of damage could substantially increase maintenance costs upon returning the car. This is a concern tank car owners have only recently had to consider. There are also significant benefits of high solids coatings for these railroad tank cars.

Choosing the right railcar coating is all about how you expect it to perform. It’s important to consider your expectations for service-life, coating application time and the intended use of the railcar. Once an owner has decided what aspects of performance are most important, then choosing the coating that will provide those benefits becomes that much easier. Visit our railcar coatings page for more information.

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The importance of having a coatings maintenance plan

The facility managers we see operating without an industrial coatings maintenance program tend to be those who have never been burned by not having one. It’s telling that those who have encountered problems from expecting coatings to outperform their service life don’t make the same mistake twice.

Neglecting the coatings that protect your assets from corrosion and other damage means gambling in a high-stakes game. Here we’ll take a look at the most common reasons for not having a proactive maintenance plan in place, and how that will come back to hit owners and facility managers right in the wallet.

Playing with fire

Many owners aren’t considering a plan for coating maintenance right from the outset. The last thing on an owner’s mind when moving into a new facility is the day the coatings will outlive their service life. But having a plan in place before that day comes can save a lot of headaches, and money.

Other times, high turnover within a corporation leads to the organization losing track of when a facility’s coatings should be undergoing maintenance. These organizations often find themselves operating without a coating maintenance plan, instead only handling issues as they arise. This process continues until a proactive manager comes along and wonders if there is a way to address problems periodically or incrementally to avoid having to replace equipment or undergo large-scale facility overhauls.

The burn

By not maintaining the coatings that protect their assets, owners and facility managers invite the sort of damage that can to get expensive. Take the all-too-frequently-true example of a neglected bridge. It receives a three-part, zinc epoxy urethane coating with an expected service life of 25 to 30 years. Now imagine funding for the scheduled maintenance falls through and the bridge’s coatings system is not revisited until it is deemed “structurally deficient” years later.

By now, corrosion has led to significant structural damage. Significant portions of the structural steel need to be replaced. New members must be fabricated to complete the rehab. Significant costs are added in the form of repairs, material and unplanned downtime. Only then is the whole bridge ready to be blasted and repainted.

As coatings wear off, corrosion begins to attack the asset. Once this process is underway, assets are continuously devalued until they eventually need to be replaced. Having a maintenance program in place to properly protect your assets is a great way to ensure this process never gets started.

Financial concerns are just one aspect of a failed coatings system. Neglected coatings can also pose serious safety risks. Bursting pipes, structural collapses, explosions and the like are some of the catastrophic repercussions of a poorly maintained asset. While a new coatings system may not be the remedy for serious structural damage, a maintenance plan will often lead to the discovery of such an issue. The damage can then be addressed properly before an accident occurs.

The payoff

If pushing your industrial coatings beyond their service life is a risky gamble, investing in a coatings maintenance plan upfront is a safe investment. Unfortunately, many owners and facility managers are under the impression that a maintenance plan will automatically involve sinking a boatload of money into their facility all at once. This misunderstanding keeps them from acting on developing a program for their facility.

When properly thought out, a maintenance program doesn’t need to work this way at all. Under the right direction, the plan will align with the owner’s budget and goals.

This happens by approaching maintenance in two steps. Immediate problems (such as a leaking storage tank) are dealt with immediately. Secondary problems (such as fireproofing an entire facility) are then scheduled out over the course of the plan. This way, the cost of the plan is absorbed over time and the huge expense of a total asset failure is avoided.

As with many of the services we offer, there are firms that specialize in designing coating maintenance programs. They will inspect your facility or equipment, write you a recommended plan of action, and then potentially charge you upwards of tens of thousands of dollars for their services.

At US Coatings, we see this service as a chance to build relationships. To talk about designing a maintenance program for your facility, free of charge, get in touch with us today.

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­Five keys to crafting successful painting programs

Designing and implementing a painting program can be a daunting task. Many owners and facility managers are unsure of even the first steps to take. In this post, we focus on some essential aspects of a successful painting program and offer advice for how to proceed with each.

Specification

Identifying and prioritizing the work to be done is the first step. Next, clearly describe the scope of work in a specification document. This description should address the following: staging, surface preparation, application, clean-up and quality control documents.

The document should also list any special circumstances, such as testing old paint for heavy-metal content and testing the interior surfaces for chlorides prior to the application of a new lining system. Because this first step determines so much of the project’s success, contacting a NACE-certified professional for coating inspection services is a good idea.

Contractor Selection

Basing the selection of a contractor entirely on “lowest price” bid is risky business. Many times, what starts out to be a low price quickly balloons with extra charges and delays in completion. Consider the following factors when choosing a contractor:

• Expertise- Does the contractor have experience with this type of work? One contractor might be fine for painting piping, but does not have the necessary experience for interior tank linings.
• Management- The estimator in the office may be very knowledgeable, but how does that translate to field-level management?
• Equipment- Is the technology up to date and are workers comfortable using it? Equipment that is in disrepair has the potential to cause delays in the field.
• Manpower- Is it sufficient to complete the project, or will the contractor be scrambling to make new hires?
• Product knowledge- Are the contractor and his workers familiar with the coatings that are specified for the job? Do they have an understanding of the latest coatings technologies?
• Relationship- How well do the owner and contractor work together?

Coating Selection

Many of the coatings available today can appear quite similar. It’s often difficult to distinguish a quality coating from an average one simply by reading the data sheets.

Unfortunately, many manufacturers are more interested in quantity than quality. Even leading manufacturers are leaving the research and development up to someone else, choosing to duplicate or “knock-off” the formula of an existing coating. Often these reformulations are made with inferior resins and cheaper fillers and extenders. The result is a coating that looks similar to another, but with different performance standards.

In most cases, it’s best for the owner or manager to rely on an expert that they trust. This coating expert should be knowledgeable in all aspects of the industry and be able to provide options and expected results for each of these options. It’s usually best if the owner relies on this expert to write, or at least assist in writing, the project specification.

Inspection

Inspection is a very important component of the success of any coating project.
Quality, thorough inspection of a contractor’s work can be the difference between a service life of few years or many.

Whether the inspection is done in-house or by a third-party, ensuring the job adheres to the standards of the specification is the ultimate goal. In some instances, the contractor provides his own inspector to maintain a daily log, but the owner should always have a quality control backup to verify the readings. Much like the selection of the contractor, the selection of an inspector should be based on knowledge, experience, availability and cost.

Cost

Cost is something that should be discussed at the beginning of a project. If there are multiple ways to approach the job, then budget numbers should factor into decision-making.

The owner may want the longest lasting paint job available but lack the room in the budget for that option. In order to get the highest quality job, the work may need to be spread out over a longer period of time.

In the end, an owner should have three questions for every option offered by a contractor: How much corrosion protection, for how long and at what cost?

We’re here to help

Crafting a painting program can be an expensive step in its own right. Or you can reach out to us. We’ll talk you through the process and even pay your site a visit, all as a part of our free consulting services.

When you’re ready to get started formulating a plan for your facility or assets, get in touch. We have the experience to take the guesswork out of your project.

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Is a 100% solids epoxy or urethane the right product for your job?

What about 100% solid coatings? It’s a question we’re getting from our customers fairly often these days. They’re currently quite the trendy product in industrial coatings technologies. While 100% solids epoxy and urethane coatings do provide some definite benefits, and are certainly a solid (sorry) solution in some scenarios, they’re not always the best solution. In some cases, equally effective (and less expensive) options exist. Here we’ll explain what they are, why they’re used and why they’re not an automatic pick as your best coating option.

100% solids epoxies explained

Before we dive into some of the benefits and drawbacks of 100% solids coatings, let’s define that term. What does the 100% refer to? By comparison, what would a 50% solid be?

When coatings are applied, two thickness measurements are taken. One is a wet film thickness (WFT) and the other is a dry film thickness (DFT). The paint is measured once before it has dried, and once again after.

The percent solid refers to the percentage of paint thickness that remains after the paint has finished drying, or the difference between the WFT and DFT. Usually, a percentage of the solid is lost and thickness is reduced during the drying process. To compensate, more coats are added until the desired thickness is achieved. For example, a 50% solid would require two coats at 20 mils of thickness to achieve a DFT of 20 mils, whereas a 100% solids epoxy would only require a single coat.

This is not the case with 100% solids. They are prized for maintaining the same level of thickness between the time they are applied and the time they have dried, hence the name 100% solids.

Zero VOCs and other benefits

For the reasons discussed above, 100% solids coatings require fewer coats to achieve the desired thickness level than other options. This is a big draw for facility owners and managers who request them most often. Fewer coats mean less chance of inter-coat adhesion problems and reduced time for the coating process, since there are no multi-step curing procedures in between coats.

Also, a 100% solids epoxy or urethane contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Loss of thickness between WFT and DFT in lower solid coatings is due to the evaporation of solvents into the atmosphere as the coatings cure. These evaporating solvents (VOCs) can create dangerous environments in confined spaces and health hazards for workers. A lack of VOCs is often what makes 100% solids ideal for use as tank linings, or in shops were large numbers of coatings for railroad tank cars are applied.

Rapid drying times are another benefit of 100% solids. Often, drying times are so short that the coatings are sprayed from plural component systems, meaning the coatings are not mixed until the moment they are sprayed from the gun. They can then be walked over in a matter of hours. Reduced downtime and quick project turnarounds have serious appeal for owners who need their equipment back in service fast. In some cases, service tanks are back in use in a matter of hours rather than days.

Additionally, there is the option to add fiber to many of these high solids coating formulations. This provides some additional support for structures getting on in their years. For projects like storage tanks, a 100% solids epoxy or urethane can actively contribute to a longer life span.

Not a no-brainer

As mentioned earlier, 100% solids are not a coatings cure-all. They have some definite benefits, including the ones discussed above. But the sheer range of coatings options available makes it unwise to latch onto one option before exploring others.

Often it is the case that a few more coats of paint will not exceed the price of buying a more expensive product in the first place. In these scenarios, owners may be better served by choosing a product with properties that are known to suit the needs of their environment, instead of focusing on the percent solids.

In other situations, a little extra drying time won’t make or break an owner’s schedule. If a scheduled maintenance period already exists, or factors other than drying time are keeping your equipment out of service, rapid drying times may not necessarily do you any good.

And as always, even with the best coatings products on the market, poor surface preparation can ruin a job just as quickly as our 100% solids epoxies dry. Skimping on surface prep will shorten the life of your coatings system, guaranteed. Choosing a product without a proper quality control and quality assurance plan for the life of the coatings system will also threaten its effectiveness.

A 100% solid epoxy or urethane may be the best option for your project. It depends on a number of factors. Before you choose, get in touch with US Coatings to discuss your project with a qualified coatings representative. We’ll talk you through the entire process, from product selection and surface preparation to application and equipment recommendations.

For our entire list of 100% solids and low VOC coatings, click here to view our full product catalog.

For our specific epoxy primers and finishes, see our epoxy product page. 

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