Belzona In The Petrochemical Industry

In large gas processing plants, Belzona systems have been used to repair and protect CO₂ absorbers suffering from corrosion due to the formation of carbonic acid during the amine stripping process. Belzona® 1391 and Belzona® 1591, has been tested and used successfully with MEA, MDEA and Sulphinol at elevated operating temperatures in absorber towers and will also resist the decontamination "steaming out " processes during shutdowns. Belzona has a track record of successful applications in absorbers going back to 1994 and major users include, Pertamina, Shell, BP, Amoco - and many others.

Wastewater strippers where corrosive hydrogen sulphide attacks base metals/weld overlays and hot metal sprayed coatings resulting in loss of wall thickness and stress corrosion cracking. Belzona® 1591, capable of resisting the aggressive service conditions of these units at immersion temperatures up to 185°C provides a long term cost effective solution.

Evaporators suffer corrosion and attack from chlorides at elevated temperatures. The base of these units, internally clad with 317L Stainless Steel and operating at temperatures in excess of 105°C, suffered pitting and stress corrosion cracking. Belzona® 1391 was used to protect six of these units during 1996 with excellent ongoing performance.

Desalter vessels internally heated with steam coils are constantly under attack from a mixture of crude oil and residual salt water. The epoxy coating in this unit failed due to the elevated temperatures. Belzona® 1391 was applied during a five-day shutdown period to provide a long term solution to problems of severe corrosion.

Heat exchangers which are an essential part of any petrochemical installation can operate in varying service conditions. These tube plates and the channels of these units in the MEK plant of a major refinery were repaired and coated during a scheduled shutdown.

Repair of pitting damage and leakage to pipelines.

Bonding of pipe support pads on jetties and pipe-racks.

Refurbishment and efficiency enhancement of pumps.

Petrochemical facilities are continually faced with attack of their structures by chemicals and concrete is in constant need of repair and protection.

 

Belzona can offer solutions to some of the most difficult of these problems with a range of repair materials and protective coatings that can withstand many of the aggressive chemicals found in Petrochemical Plants.

Belzona can solve problems in the areas of:

• Chemical bunds and containment areas
• Pump plinths and vessel supports
• Effluent treatment pits
• Bio-reactor clarifier tanks
• Drain channels and waste water treatment pits

…and provide resistance to a wide range of chemicals including

• Inorganic and Organic Acids
• Alcohols
• Alkalis
• Hydrocarbons
• Oils

Under Insulation Corrosion (UIC) costs the Petrochemical Industry millions of dollars every year and is one of the major factors associated with reliability and safety in any plant.

Traditional insulation systems rely on metal claddings to prevent the ingress of moisture into the insulation but this type of system is continually subjected to impact damage. In addition, when the jointing materials dry out, water can easily saturate the insulation resulting in rapid deterioration of the underlying substrate.

Belzona has a range of insulation protection and waterproofing systems capable of providing long-term protection for most types of insulation and structures, with many beneficial features including:

• Water-based easily applied by brush or spray.
• Class "0" Fire Rating.
• Low smoke and toxicity index.
• Seamless and UV resistant.
• Micro-porous allowing trapped moisture to escape.