Three-Layer T

hree-layer polyethylene (3LPE)

coating has encountered failure
(disbondment or delamination)
in Iran. On pipelines, 3LPE coat-

Polyethylene
ings are showing a severe reduction in
adhesion, such that the coating can be
peeled from the pipe with little or no ef-
fort. According to published reports,
some 3LPE-coated pipelines in different

Coating
regions of the world have experienced
similar problems, though not as wide-
spread as in Iran.1-4 To study the case, a
comprehensive investigation and inspec-

Performance
tion program was carried out on the
National Iranian Gas Co.’s main trans-
mission pipeline network.
Samples were taken from 135 loca-
tions after excavation (Figure 1) and

in Iran
analysis showed that 45% of the samples
had no adhesion, 30% had low adhesion,
and only 9.4% showed excellent adhesion
(Figures 2 and 3). The question asked was,
“Why is this coating delaminating from
Ali Ehsan Nazarbeygi and Ali Reza Moeini, the pipe surface during its service life?”
Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, National Iranian Oil Co., Tehran, Iran Although no considerable corrosion has
been observed under disbonded coating,
the problem has caused significant anxi-
ety among pipeline owners in Iran.
Three-layer polyethylene coating is widely used for In our investigations, we found that
loss of adhesion occurred only when
coated pipes are in service underground,
protecting buried pipelines against corrosion. There while similarly coated pipe from the same
supplier did not show any loss of adhe-
have been some reports of coating disbondment or sion, even after two years of storage above
ground.
delamination, however. This article presents the
Direct Factors of
direct and indirect factors affecting this problem, Disbondment
Adhesion of a coating to the pipe sur-
discusses reasons for disbondment, and face is the result of its bonding strength to
metal. In 3LPE coating, the bonding
strength is related to the first layer (i.e.,
proposes solutions. fusion-bonded epoxy [FBE]). If the
stresses applied to the coating exceed its
bonding strength, disbonding occurs.
Therefore, forces commonly caused by
soil stress and expansion/contraction of
the coating are the main factors that cause

32  MATERIALS PERFORMANCE  November 2009 NACE International, Vol. 48, No. 11
 C O AT I N G S & L I N I N G S

FIGURE 1

disbondment. The thermal expansion/

contraction of PE is ~10 times greater
than that of steel. Some degree of ther-
mally induced stress would be expected in
coatings subjected to soil stress, as well as
temperature and pressure fluctuations.
The coating is exposed during applica-
tion to some stresses from too-rapid
quenching of the very hot coating to
ambient temperature. During pipeline Sections of investigated pipeline.
installation and commissioning, stresses
occur from hydrostatic testing, which is
normally at a pressure up to 110% yield FIGURE 2
in Iran. These stresses are finally applied
at the steel/FBE interface and may also
exacerbate this problem. Investigations
of a case in which two similar pipes were
coated and subjected to real pipeline
service conditions showed that there was
no loss of adhesion on the pipe coated
with a 200 to 300-µm standalone FBE,
while it occurred on the other pipe coated
with a 3LPE coating system (same thick-
ness of FBE, followed by an adhesive
layer and PE coating). Our literature
survey also revealed that there had been
no report of worldwide overall disbond-
ing failure of FBE coating. Sample removed from the pipe.

Indirect Factors of
Disbondment FIGURE 3
Most of the factors that are considered
by many experts as the main reasons that
cause 3LPE disbondment do not directly
affect separation, but pave the way for
disbonding to occur. So it would be more
accurate to categorize them as indirect
factors.1-4
Indirect factors include:
•• Incomplete surface preparation
44 Rounded or dished abrasive blast
profile Loss of adhesion (left) and the back of sample (right).
44 Incomplete abrasive blast clean-
ing of the substrate that leaves
residual mill scale on the surface 44 No use of phosphoric acid •• Non-use of chromate pre-treatment
44 Dirty substrate contaminated (H3PO4) treatment to clean the to condition the steel substrate.
with dust, soluble salts, and abra- substrate, followed by de-ionized Health and environmental regula-
sive residues water wash tions in many countries, including

NACE International, Vol. 48, No. 11 November 2009  MATERIALS PERFORMANCE  33

C O AT I N G S & L I N I N G S Three-Layer Polyethylene Coating Performance in Iran

the United States, prohibit use of bond to the steel and ~55% showed •• Increase adhesion between the coat-
chromate treatment. >75% bond failure between the FBE ing and pipe surface.
•• Use of inadequate type of FBE powder coating and the steel surface. No •• Decrease total coating thickness
•• Inappropriate application tempera- bond failure was seen between the PE and (especially in the PE top layer).
tures for the FBE, leading to incom- adhesive layers and only <2% showed
plete wetting of the substrate such any loss of adhesion between the adhesive References
that the FBE does not flow or wet layer and the FBE powder coating. 1 C.J. Argent, D. Norman, “Three Layer
the substrate properly These observations show that the Polyolefin Coatings: Fulfilling Their
•• Use of inadequate types of PE bonding strength between the coating Potential,” CORROSION 2006, paper
no. 56 (Houston, TX: NACE Interna-
•• Water absorption. This factor is layers (cohesion) is stronger than the
tional, 2006).
mostly observed in coating cutback bonding strength between the FBE first
zones. layer and the metal (adhesion). 2 C.J. Argent, D. Norman, “Fitness for
Avoiding these factors definitely The thickness of the 3LPE coating Purpose Issues Relating to FBE and
Three Layer PE Coatings,” CORRO-
causes better FBE (first layer) adhesion to system is >2.5 mm, compared to the SION 2005, paper no. 34 (Houston,
the pipe surface and leads to improved standalone FBE coating that is 200 to 300 TX: NACE, 2005).
adhesion of the 3LPE coating system. µm. When a 3LPE-coated pipeline is
3 D. Norman, “Are We Protecting Our
Note, however, that none of these factors subjected to hydrostatic testing, applica-
Assets?” 15th Intl. Pipeline Protection
directly cause failure; there are cases in tion (rapid quenching), commissioning, Conference (Bedfordshire, U.K.: BHR,
which disbonding has been reported and operation (soil and thermal stresses), 2003).
without any of these factors being present. the resulting stresses at the interface be-
4 M. Roche, “External Coatings of Pipe-
Also, in these cases the application tem- tween the FBE powder coating and the lines: Challenges Related to Corrosion
perature of the FBE, surface preparation steel would be greater due to higher thick- Risks,” Total SA, Iranian Intl. Corrosion
profile, and void/porosity content at the ness, leading to shear/adhesion failure of Conference, 2007.
steel/FBE interface complied with the the FBE powder coating. Since the adhe- 5 “Investigation of a Coating Failure (Dis-
standard requirements, and yet delami- sive and PE layers are firmly bonded to bondment of Coatings) on the National
nation occurred. the FBE powder coating (strong cohe- Iranian Gas Co.’s (NIGC) Main Trans-
The role of indirect factors in disbond- sion), the whole system therefore will be mission Pipeline Network,” National
ing may vary according to their intensity. disbonded. Note that the stress transfer Iranian Gas Co., 2006.
A larger presence of indirect factors fa- to the coating/steel interface occurs only
cilitates disbonding because their pres- in rigid coatings like 3LPE; thermoplastic ALI EHSAN NAZARBEYGI is head of the Bitumen
and Coating Dept. of Research Institute of
ence causes the direct factors to be more coatings such as bituminous coatings
Petroleum Industry (RIPI), National Iranian Oil
prominent, even at lower stress levels. accommodate stresses. Co., West Blvd. Azadi Sport Complex, PO Box
14665-1998, Tehran, Iran, e-mail: nazarbeygiae@
Reasons for Conclusions and yahoo.com or nazarbeygiae@ripi.ir. He is a
Disbondment Recommendations member of the RIPI scientific board and head of
Bitumen, Coating, and Road Construction. He has
Compatibility and strong bonding The 3LPE coating application proce-
23 years of research experience, has presented
between the layers of the 3LPE coating dure is critical and requires strict quality 15 articles at international conferences, and
system causes it to act as a single layer control. Paying close attention to the published 10 papers.
coating. Results of investigations indicate project specifications, approved products
that loss of adhesion predominantly oc- and process, personnel, and procedure ALI REZA MOEINI is the project manager of the
curs at the interface between the pipe qualification would reasonably increase Bitumen and Coating Research Dept. and a member
steel and FBE first layer and rarely be- adhesion of a 3LPE coating. If, however, of the RIPI scientific board, e-mail: moeiniar@ripi.
ir. He has more than 19 years of research
tween other layers. In a disbondment there are enough direct factors, disbond-
experience and has been involved in various
investigation on a 3LPE-coated pipeline ing will be unavoidable. research projects in the pipeline coating field.
of National Iranian Gas Co.,5 ~45% of What we propose are the following Moeini is an author or co-author of 15 publications
the coating was assessed as having no recommendations: and more than 25 technical reports.

34  MATERIALS PERFORMANCE  November 2009 NACE International, Vol. 48, No. 11