Chemical Engineering May 2021 - 39

Feature Report
Part 1
Keeping Valves
Corrosion-Free
In all phases of a valve's lifecycle - from fabrication to decommissioning and storage
- corrosion protection is essential
C
orrosion can be a serious
source of valve damage,
and it can often result
in costly leakage, failures
and repairs or replacements.
There are many different types of
corrosion, and the risks increase
under harsh conditions. A variety
of protection technologies are
available in the form of physical
barriers, coatings and corrosion
inhibitors. Some of the best options
combine physical barriers to
the environment with the use of
corrosion-inhibitor technologies to protect
intricate and recessed areas that are difficult
to access. Such inhibitor technologies
make corrosion mitigation much more efficient
and effective to benefit valve manufacturers
and plant operators. When used
in conjunction with simple restoration techniques
(Figure 1), these methods play an
important role in keeping valves corrosionfree.
While valves are critical across the
chemical process industries (CPI) - and
play a role in every industrial plant, for that
matter - it is not just during installation
and operation that they need to be corrosion-free.
While this is vital for good, reliable
processes, corrosion protection starts
much earlier and is, in effect, important at
almost every phase of a valve's lifecycle.
This article explores why corrosion considerations
matter and shares practical examples
of how the corrosion problem can successfully
be remedied for the benefit of all
stakeholders involved.
Manufacturers must protect valves
Corrosion protection should ideally start at
the valve manufacturing plant for the good
of both the manufacturer and the recipient.
Valve manufacturers face the special challenge
of shipping freshly machined valves
to the end user in like-new condition. The
end user expects to receive them as such,
Ana Juraga and
Julie Holmquist
Cortec Corp.
IN BRIEF
MANUFACTURERS
MUST PROTECT VALVES
CORROSION AT NEW
FACILITIES
Cortec Case History 668
FIGURE 1. Valves are shown before undergoing restoration and
preservation activities
regardless of the climates the valves must
travel through to reach the installation site. If
the valves arrive rusty, the blame tends to fall
on the manufacturer.
Aside from the negative image of receiving
a less-than-satisfactory product that is not in
peak condition, the end user may legitimately
be concerned about installing the parts for
fear that rust will cause further problems and
potential failure in the future. An expected response
would be for the end user to complain
and demand rework, replacement or refund.
Even if the manufacturer comes through successfully,
it would have been much easier to
avoid corrosion in the first place rather than
suffer the loss of time, money and customer
trust that followed.
One of the challenges for doing so is that
valve manufacturers often have to battle with
a variety of different conditions, including
some that are potentially severe, depending
on their manufacturing environment and path
of export. The particulars of the export route
or climate may not even be known very far
in advance. However, a general knowledge
of the potential exposures can be helpful in
executing a preemptive corrosion protection
plan to avoid problems down the road.
Manufacturers located in hot, humid environments
probably already know from
experience that their goods are especially
susceptible to corrosion-related damage.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM MAY 2021
39
KEEPING CRITICAL
SPARES READY
PRESERVING ASSETS IN
STORAGE
RESTORATION AND
PRESERVATION
http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
Chemical Engineering May 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering May 2021
