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ture, and 3) acidic vapor sources. A proled surface will hold more soda than a smooth surface. High humidity and rainfall will supply more moisture than a desert environment. Carbon dioxide (CO2) forms carbonic acid (H2CO3) on contact with moisture, but acidic fumes from chemical processes may be more problematic.

If the vessel surface has a sharp angular prole acceptable for the coating to be applied, no additional work is required. I need to apply an inThe problem is to verify the prole depth terior epoxy lining to and shape. Depth is easy. Prole shape steel pipe for a water is more difcult. An additional concern authority project. The would be verification that the sodablasted surface is free of soluble chloride, pipe is carbon steel with a bolted ange connection. My instructions are to coat nitrate, and sulfate salts. only to the welded corner of the pipe wall to the ange intersection. When bolted into place, the gasket between the pipe ange and a mating ange leaves a small area of uncoated steel at each joint. I believe the coating should be extended onto the ange face to provide protection there. Engineers counter that any coating on the ange face will affect the gasket seal. Which practice is more acceptable?

Coating ange face

Q
A A A

Just tell the engineer to have plenty of spare anges on hand when he has to go back and repair the corroded anges when they start to leak! I hope its not my drinking water. If the water is potable, I hope the coating is certified for use for potable water. Also, the small uncoated area will corrode quickly because of the small anodic area present and the high current density that will develop. Coating ange faces has always been a hot discussion between the end users and contractors. Some end users are not willing to go for such an option while others push for it. Some important factors, which must be considered while dealing with flange faces, are: If you are dealing with a at face, normally pressures are low and rubber or non-asbestos compressed gaskets are used. Even if you have an uneven surface, the gasket can provide the cushion to hold the pressure. It is common to extend the coating on the face. If you are dealing with a raised face or ring-type joint anges, normally pressures are quite high. In this

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case, termination of the coating can be carried out in two different ways. One is by a rebate groove, which may extend to a length of 3 to 5 mm on the ange face and with a depth of 500 to 1,500 m, depending upon the coating material used. The surface can be ground manually back to the original dimensions once the application is dry. It covers the initial crevice where you may expect corrosion. The second option is normally suitable for new installations, where the ange is applied with the coating and machined to the dimensions prior to the fabrication required. I have used similar applications on oil and gas separators at >1,000 psi (6.8 MPa) with no leaks afterward. The most important point that must be considered is the type of coating system; if it does not have sufcient compressive strength and exibility, it will crack during the bolt tensioning. Fibers or thin mat can be combined to enhance the properties of a coating system. Rubbers, once applied on water boxes and similar areas, are good for low pressures and temperatures. The same material applied on a high-pressure and high-temperature area may deform over a period of time, creating a bare spot that may lead to a leak. My preference would be to carry the coating over the ange. The gasket should have enough compressibility to give an effective seal. When we were making polysulde rubber in one of our reactors, we had to do exactly that. When we rst lined the reactor, we stopped the coating at the ange edge. We had signicant corrosion, even though we were using an exotic alloy tank. We relined the reactor and lid. We brought the coating over the ange face for both the lid and the tank. When we sealed it with a gasket 2.25-in (57-mm) wide by 0.25-in (6.4-mm) thick, we had no further corrosion. When we shut down the operation after 23 cycles, there was no corrosion anywhere.

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