Mitigating Pipeline Corrosion Using a Smart Thermal Spraying Coating System

Under Development

North Dakota State University More »

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)

The technology is funded by PHMSA to investigate corrosion mitigation for pipelines through the advances of smart thermally sprayed coatings. An initial study was carried out for the feasibility of utilizing thermal spraying as a coating method for pipeline corrosion prevention. The experimental results demonstrated positive corrosion resistance improvements using a thermal sprayed Al-Zn coating (see picture). Although, the cost of coating material is relatively higher in this method, the long-term application can justify this technique with cost reduction associated with maintenance.

Common methods to mitigate corrosion include cathodic protection and coating such as polymeric and metallic coatings. Polymeric coatings dominate the coating techniques due to their good performance on separating metal from the surrounding corrosive environments. However, corrosion may still develop beneath the polymeric coatings in random locations. A strong metallic coating from high corrosive resistant materials deposited by thermal spraying techniques can be considered as a potential alternative. These coatings can separate pipes from surrounding environments and exhibit cathodic protection properties.

Increased Safety - Corrosion is recognized a major cause of the failure of on-shore underground steel pipes, which results in increase in maintenance cost and system downtime.

https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/PrjHome.rdm?prj=634