Cut Your Costs by 75% - How A Little Prevention Can Save A Lot of Money

CUT YOUR COSTS BY 75% - HOW A LITTLE PREVENTION CAN SAVE A LOT OF MONEY
Allan Bruce
The Alocit Group, 112 Stirling Highway, NORTH FREMANTLE WA 615, Australia
Abstract: An introduction to cost benefits of the Enviropeel System, a system that uses a heating and
pumping system to melt and spray a thermoplastic material in order to provide a corrosion-inhibiting
protective coating around substrates of any size or shape. The material contains its own inhibitors, thus
providing both passive and active protection for protected surfaces. As part of the development process,
long-term testing of Enviropeel forms part of the DNV JIP Bolt Testing Programme, a programme which
includes Conoco-Phillips and BP, at whose behest the tests were planned. First results after 18 months of
the 10-year programme show very good results for Enviropeel. Case studies have shown from various
areas around the world with a focus on the experience of the Enviropeel System in WA with BHP Billiton
and Dampier Salt. Results over the past three to four years have been so spectacular, with projected
lifecycles of equipment increased by a factor of 5, that the Enviropeel system has become standard
practice due to the substantial cost savings.
Key Words: Alocit, bolts, bolted systems, cost effective, component life, corrosion-inhibiting, dipping, ,
encapsulating, environment, Enviropeel, loading, mining, offshore, polymer, pulley, recyclable,
renewability, re-usable, Robil, thermoplastic, samples, Slugger, flanges, valves, sprayable, Pilbara,
conveyor bearings, BHPBilliton, Dampier Salt
1 INTRODUCTION
The Enviropeel system uses a specially designed unit to spray apply a corrosion-inhibiting thermoplastic barrier coating. It
was developed to provide a solution for the many corrosion problems associated with bolted systems such as flanges and
valves, by adopting a whole system approach rather than providing a variety of individual solutions for the wide range of
problems that beset such systems.
When flanges or valves fail both safety and cost implications can be quite severe. At the most mundane level, replacement
will probably involve costly shut downs, cutting bolts and refurbishment. Leaks can affect the environment and the potential
for severe consequences is ever present. Bolted systems are vulnerable to corrosion in a number of ways. From galvanic
corrosion because they contain a variety of components, often of quite different materials – stainless steel flanges with carbon
steel bolts, for example. Gaps and voids bring pitting corrosion, assembly damages coatings and washers often fail.
WCEAM 2006 Paper 207 Page 1

Enviropeel isolates and encapsulates the substrate, depriving corrosion of the moisture it needs and bathing the entire
system in corrosion inhibitor, actively preventing rust and ingress of contamination.
2 THE STATUS QUO

What levels of protection are provided by current systems? In truth, not a lot. Of course, you can keep cleaning and
painting on a very regular basis but, at best, this locks all the bolt with accumulated paint and often leaves flanges streaming
with rust in as little as 6 months. Flange protectors, tape wraps, bolt caps – all can play a part but are either partial solutions or
so lock away the protected substrate that access is extremely difficult when required.
Pictured left is an example of what Although caps have been used to protect the bolts
can happen despite the best efforts - they are not protecting anywhere else - and they are
of engineers to provide protection. not even possible to use on all the bolts because in
some areas the heads are so close together access is
impossible. Caulking has been used to try and protect
the flange faces – but it has shrunk back, creating the
perfect environment for moisture to get in and
corrosion to accelerate!
And you have to feel sorry for the allen bolts at
the base – they have no chance. Streaming rust from
the structure above, galvanic corrosion from the
various metals in the system – and a perfect collection
point in the top of each bolt, apparently designed to
collect water and generate corrosion!
WCEAM 2006 Paper 207 Page 2

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CUT YOUR COSTS BY 75% - HOW A LITTLE PREVENTION CAN SAVE A LOT OF MONEY

WCEAM 2006 Paper 207 Page 1

2 THE STATUS QUO

WCEAM 2006 Paper 207 Page 2

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