Meet the Corrosion Specialist – This Month, Stephen Tate

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11 Questions in 11 Minutes

Stephen TateThis month, we have been speaking to Stephen Tate, twice past Chair of the Aberdeen Branch of the Institute of Corrosion and recently elected as the Institute’s Vice President. Here is what he told us about his career to date – plus a couple of little-known facts about his personal life.

Here are the 11 questions we posed in the 11 minutes we took of Stephen’s valuable time.

1.     What did you aspire to be when you were younger?

One of the things l fancied doing at school was joining the RAF and later becoming a pilot. My eyesight let me down on that one, but l did get to fly in my teens as rear passenger in a Tiger Moth.

After that disappointment, I moved onto matters nearer the ground and studied Building and Surveying at Guildford Technical College. There I learned most of the key trades like bricklaying, joinery, and technical drawing; all of which l enjoyed very much, being a practical sort of person.

Later in life l was a member of the Caledonian Self-Build Housing Association in Scotland. There, I could put my knowledge to good use in a team of 30, and I ended up with a 4-bedroom house in Udny Green, near Aberdeen. This was great for our growing family: my wife Eleanor, children Rachel and Christopher, and, of course, our many lovely pets.

2.     So, how did you end up as a corrosion specialist?

In the 1970s, l spent quite a few years in the construction industry. This included periods with major organisations such as British Rail and British Airports, working in design departments on interesting projects such as Dover Hoverport and Heathrow re-modelling.

I also spent some time with private architects in Sussex, preparing drawings as an Architectural Technician. Again, I was involved in many interesting projects, including a Cheesery and interiors for the Rudolf Steiner School in Aberdeen.

There was a bit of a slump in the late 70s, but by good chance l picked up some fabrication and QA work in the newly developing oil and gas industry. Consequently, l spent the first part of the 1980s at the BAM HCG Schiedam Shipyard near Rotterdam, where l learned many new skills that have stayed with me for life.

One of many achievements there was that we built and land tested the first major UK North Sea Subsea Template, a 9-well Underwater Manifold Centre (UMC) for Shell Cormorant Field that went on to produce oil for the next 20 years.

3.     What was that first job like?

Absolutely fantastic! l had a great Mentor in Dr Marco Fabbri of TRW Ferranti, someone who really believed in me – and living in Holland was marvellous!

In addition to working with Dutch people every day and learning their culture and humour, l learned all about cathodic protection (CP), welding, hydraulic testing, inductive connectors, and subsea control systems. After this l studied Offshore Corrosion and Materials Engineering (OMACE) more formally at Newcastle Polytechnic and then RGU Aberdeen (at that time, RGIT).

On the downside, l distinctly remember the cold weather of the docks and my visits to hospital after falling off some very icy steelwork (HSE was its infancy at that time).

4.     You decided to stick with oil and gas. How did your career progress?

After my subsea experiences, l moved into the pipelines and CP industry. I was involved in quite a few new-build projects in Europe and Africa over the next 16 years with ACEL (Aberdeen Corrosion Engineers Ltd.) including the Trans Mediterranean Gas Pipeline, as well as offshore diving projects in the Middle East.

I later completed an MBA with Dissertation in Integrity Management and moved on to work with some major North Sea inspection and verification companies including CAN Offshore, DNV, Oceaneering, and Stork. For a lot of this time, l was seconded to major O&G operators such as British Gas, ConocoPhillips, Shell, and Talisman Energy, working in both upstream and downstream operations in the North Sea and Middle East.

Since 2016 l have been kept very busy assisting the operations and projects teams at Total E&P, a role that l enjoy very much under the leadership of Dr David Hillis, a very capable metallurgist.

5.     What have you enjoyed most about your career in corrosion?

The variety of technologies, locations, people, and cultures that l have been fortunate to learn from and witnessing some extremely difficult projects come to fruition. Total, (soon to be TotalEnergies in the new world of renewables) is very much a global company with many interesting activities.

6.     What career advice would you give to a young corrosion specialist?

Don’t lock yourself in the office.

You need to spend a lot of time at the coalface, learning what works and what doesn’t. P&IDs only really mean something when you see them in the flesh and can see them being played out in the control room with all the active alarms in operation.

7.     What is in store for corrosion professionals?

A great future. Corrosion professionals and their expertise will always be required across many industries. Ensuring corrosion control is considered at all stages of the lifecycle is an integral part of project planning and giving added value to the end user.

If anything, it is even more relevant now, as many companies try to balance both ageing assets and diversification (with new corrosion issues of the renewables sector and impacts of climate change on temperature and humidity). We all have an important role to play in sharing our knowledge on these matters.

8.     What have you gained from your membership of ICorr?

Just being a member alone is not enough. To get the full benefits of our very unique institution you must become actively involved in it. The networking opportunities, knowledge, and experiences of the ICorr branches are enormous.

Having spent nearly 10 years recently on the Aberdeen Committee, I have first-hand experience of how important ICorr is to local industry – and how respected it is as an organisation. ICorr, although growing every day, is still small enough to care and is primarily a Charity, not a business!

Finally, ICorr has brought me many new friends and opportunities and has been a big part of my life.

Let’s get personal with the corrosion professional!

We know that corrosion scientists aren’t all work and no play, so we asked Stephen three final questions to learn a little more about him personally.

9.     What’s your favourite food?

Definitely Indian. A good flavoursome curry like a Rogan Josh.

However, for UK food, roast lamb always hits the nail for me. Maybe because it reminds me of my parents (both now sadly passed). When l was a child, we often had a nice Sunday Roast after going to Church and Sunday School. That was our reward for good behaviour, l guess.

10. What do you like doing most outside of your professional life?

I do like my trees, especially the fabulous Fagus Sylvatica ‘Purpurea’. Over the years, I have acquired several acres of former Forestry Commission land that l manage near our house in rural Aberdeenshire close to the River Ythan. At the weekends l might be seen driving my JCB 3CX or Takeuchi mini digger.

I also enjoy designing and landscaping gardens, and have done quite a few projects for my colleagues in the oil and gas industry.

I collect artwork, too. Mainly watercolours by local Scottish artists, such as harbour and coastal scenes. My favourite local artist is Kanita Sim (you can find her work online at Scottish Scene and Kanita Sim Art).

11. Tell us a secret about yourself, something that might surprise fellow members (and something we can print!)

You could say l am a bit of a Beatles fanatic – I have been since the 60s. They were such an extremely talented band.

l once owned a Beatles jacket, and I saw all their movies at the local Odeon. I went inside Abbey Road Studios a few years back, and I’ve been fortunate to see Paul McCartney in concert several times.

What do you want to ask a corrosion specialist?

Family. Trees. Art. Music. Indian food. The perfect foil for the intensity of life as a corrosion specialist. Yet it may have been so different. If Stephen had been blessed with 20/20 vision, he could have had a career in the skies – though we think you’ll agree that his work has taken him to the highest levels.

Like so many other members of ICorr, Stephen has enjoyed a career that has delivered huge variety of work and, aided by his involvement with the Institute of Corrosion, a network of professional colleagues and friends around the world.

Now, over to you. Let us know what you’d like us to ask the next ICorr member we put in the hotseat for 11 questions in 11 minutes. Send us an email, and we’ll try to include your question.

Institute of Corrosion Awards: 2020 Winners and 2021 Call for Nominations

Institute of Corrosion Awards: 2020 Winners and 2021 Call for Nominations

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Recognising Outstanding Achievement in Corrosion

It’s that time of year again – corrosion awards season is approaching, and the Institute of Corrosion is calling for nominations. This is your chance to tell us who you consider would be a worthy recipient of one of the Institute’s awards that recognise outstanding achievement, extreme excellence, and superior service to the Institute and wider corrosion community.

Many of these awards are open to nomination by members and non-members. Take a look at the description of each award below. If you know someone who you think deserves one of the awards, then please let us know. We include how to nominate in each description.

The Lionel Shreir Award

This corrosion award is presented to the best student presenter at the Corrosion Science Symposium. A sub-committee of the Corrosion Science Division judges the presentations, and awards the certificate and a £125 cash prize based on criteria that include:

  • Originality
  • Evidence of knowledge of corrosion science
  • Clarity
  • Rapport with the audience
  • Clarity of answering questions

2020 Winner: Christos Kousis (University of Manchester)

Christos’s presentation was titled ‘An investigation of the effect of chloride ion concentration on the localised corrosion of the E717 magnesium alloy’. His talk discussed using the in-situ scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET), coupled with time-lapse imaging, to study magnesium corrosion behaviour.

To be considered to present, please submit a 200-word abstract that details a 10-minute talk you would like to give at this year’s symposium. We’ll let you know if yours has been selected for presentation ahead of the symposium in September 2021.

For the opportunity to be awarded the highly sought-after certificate and cash prize, send your abstract to j.a.wharton@soton.ac.uk.

The Galloway Award

The Galloway Award is presented to the student author that the judging committee decides is the best published paper that describes original research in corrosion science and engineering during the past 12 months.

The winner receives a cash prize (this year, £300) and a certificate, and a summary of the work is published in the Corrosion Management magazine. The Institute of Corrosion does not retain copyright of the material, allowing the winner to publish elsewhere.

2020 Winner: Arpit Goyal (Coventry University)

Arpit’s paper, ‘Predicting the corrosion rate of steel in cathodically protected concrete using potential shift’ was published in the Construction and Building Materials Journal. This work examined the possibility of predicting the corrosion rates using polarisation data and the Butler-Volmer equation to develop cathodic protection criterion for reinforced concrete exposed to the atmosphere.

Submissions for this year’s Galloway Award should be in the form of a paper published in the last 12 months (or a draft publication) and sent to the CSD Chair Julian Wharton by email.

The T.P. Hoar Award

This award is reserved for those authors who have papers published in Corrosion Science during the previous calendar year. A sub-committee of the Corrosion Science Division selects the winning paper, with the recipients announced by the end of the year. The winning authors receive a certificate and a cash sum of £400.

2020 Winner: Rigel Hanbury and Gary Was (University of Michigan)

Rigel and Gary jointly authored the paper titled ‘Oxide growth and dissolution on 316L stainless steel during irradiation in high temperature water’, which describes a novel approach to study 316L oxide growth and dissolution under simultaneous proton radiation and corrosion in 320 °C hydrogenated water, using a helium bubble. Helium implantation was chosen because it is chemically inert and, compared to heavier noble gases, it generates fewer radiation defects and has a greater implantation range.

The Paul McIntyre Award

This is the premier award of the Institute of Corrosion in the field of corrosion engineering. It is presented to a senior corrosion engineer who is a leader in their field and has advanced European collaboration and the development of international standards.

The recipient of this award receives an engraved trophy of a modern design and is asked to present a brief overview of their activities as well as prepare an article for publication in the Corrosion Management magazine.

The winner of the 2020 Paul McIntyre award was Carmen Andrade. Until her retirement, Dr Carmen Andrade was a Research Professor at the Institute of Construction Sciences “Eduardo Torroja” of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), working in the field of concrete durability and reinforcement corrosion.

At present Dr Andrade is visiting Research Professor at the International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE). She is the author of numerous papers, has been editor of several  books, and has supervised around 30 PhD theses. She has received several awards, including the R. N. Whitney Prize 2013 by NACE, Robert L’Hermite Medal 1987 from RILEM,  “Manuel Rocha” of the Presidency of Portugal, and the “ALCONPAT  Prize” in recognition her distinguished career.

She is an honorary doctor of the University of Trondheim (Norway) and of the University Alicante (Spain).

She has participated in several standardisation committees at National, European and International level and has been President of several international organisations related to her specialty (UEAtc, RILEM, WFTAO and the Liaison Committee which brings together the Associations: CIB, FIB, IABSE, IASS, RILEM and ECCE).

At present she is also the President of ALCONPAT, the Latin American Association of Control of Quality, Pathology and Recovery of Structures. She has been General Director of Technology Policy of the Ministry of Education and Science, and advisor to the Secretary of State for Universities in the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain.

2021 Winner: To be announced on 28th April 28 2021

The winner is always announced at the annual Corrosion Engineering Division Working Day and Symposium. To attend this year’s Working Day, which will be held online via Zoom, on the subject of ‘Managing Corrosion in Low-Carbon Energy Technologies’ please download the information leaflet and return the registration form.

U.R. Evans Award

The premier scientific award of the Institute of Corrosion, the U.R. Evans Award is presented by the President of ICorr to an eminent researcher, corrosion scientist, academic, or industrialist as reward for outstanding achievements in pure or applied corrosion science.

The recipient is selected by a Corrosion Science Division panel and invited to give a talk at the Corrosion Science Symposium.

The recipient of this award receives a broadsword, and one that takes an edge – which has proved somewhat problematic in previous years. It can be difficult taking the sword back through airport security or displaying it in your office at university!

The sword symbolises our collective and eternal struggle against corrosion, and the U.R. Evans awardee is also recognised with the granting of an Honorary Life Fellowship of the Institute of Corrosion.

The sword’s design has been modified slightly over time, and is no longer made from stainless steel. While a proper sword, if kept in non-ideal conditions it can corrode slightly. “But clearly, the recipient should be able to deal with any corrosion, given their background,” says Dr Julian Wharton – to whom you should submit nominations via his email.

2020 Recipient: Robert Cottis (University of Manchester)

Professor Robert Cottis was appointed Professor Emeritus in Corrosion Science and Engineering on his retirement in 2011 after an exceptional career in the field of corrosion science. Here’s a potted history of his life in corrosion science:

  • Graduated in Natural Science, specialising in Metallurgy in 1967
  • Awarded a PhD in 1973 for work on electrodeposition in the fluidised electrode at the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science at Cambridge
  • Appointed as a Project Manager, then Research Manager at the Fulmer Research Institute
  • Worked on long-term research in the general area of corrosion, especially on corrosion fatigue
  • Undertook many short-term failure investigations and other consultancy work
  • Joined the Corrosion and Protection Centre, UMIST in 1979, initially as a lecturer, then senior lecturer, reader, and professor

Active in the development of teaching in the field of corrosion, Professor Cottis was responsible for the development of a distance learning approach to the MSc in Corrosion Control Engineering.

He was the Director of the TLTP Consortium – which developed the Ecorr courseware to support corrosion teaching – and the founding editor of the open-access online Journal of Corrosion Science and Engineering.

In 2005 he was awarded the T.J. Hull Award of NACE International for services to NACE in the field of publications, and he is a NACE Fellow.

Who will be this year’s recipient of the U.R. Evans Award? Send your nominations to Dr Julian Wharton. Then watch for details of this year’s Corrosion Science Symposium to find out.

Corrosion Engineering and Low-Carbon Energy Technology with the CED

Corrosion Engineering and Low-Carbon Energy Technology with the CED

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Working Day and Symposium: Managing Corrosion in Low-Carbon Energy Technologies

On April 28th, 2021, you’re invited to the latest in a series of working days hosted by the Institute of Corrosion’s Corrosion Engineering Division.

Because of coronavirus restrictions, you can participate from anywhere in the world. All you need to do is register and join us on Zoom. This symposium is also a designated meeting of the European Federation of Corrosion, so it is one that corrosion engineers and specialists won’t want to miss.

Why corrosion engineering and low carbon technology?

Over recent years, low carbon technologies have become a strategic priority. The whole of society, from governments to the man on the street, has become focused on green issues. Technology is playing its part, across most industries, as we seek to develop greater sustainability through green, carbon-neutral technologies and innovations.

However, many of the technologies and equipment are deployed in severe corrosive environments – such as off-shore and near-shore wind turbines and pipelines – as well as providing new corrosion challenges (as in the case of biofuels).

This working day and symposium will give all delegates the opportunity to learn and exchange information across many aspects of managing corrosion in low-carbon energy technologies.

A Great Opportunity to Network

Although this working day is being held online, once more it gives you the opportunity to do some serious networking with corrosion specialists from many different industry sectors. Of course, you will also learn about some of the latest developments in managing corrosion in low-carbon energy technologies, including:

  • Wind power
  • Biofuels
  • Nuclear power
  • Hydrogen power
  • Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

After the talks, we will break into the individual CED working groups, or join a general discussion group on corrosion in low carbon energy technologies. The agendas for these will be published here when possible.

The CED Working Day programme

We’ll convene online at 9:15 am. Our Chair, Nick Smart, will present a welcome address at 9:30am, and the technical talks will begin at 9:45am.

During the day, there will be five talks, each lasting 30 minutes, including discussion. Lunch break between 12:40am and 1:30pm will be preceded by presentation of the 2021 Paul McIntyre Award and a short talk by the recipient.

There will be one final talk after lunch, before we break for the CED Working Group meetings.

A closing discussion rounds the day off at 4:45pm.

(All times are BST)

About the talks

As ever, we have gathered some of the leading names in their respective fields to present to you. The five talks, in order of presentation, are:

·       Pipeline Materials in a Hydrogen Environment, presented by Nancy Thompson (SGN) and Dr Julia Race (University of Strathclyde)

Nancy Thomson is experienced in high pressure oil and gas pipelines, onshore and offshore around the world. With an MSc, Nancy’s most recent work includes innovation projects on the Local Transmission Network (LTS) and investigating the repurposing of the LTS for hydrogen and CO2.

Dr Julia Race has a wide range of research expertise in metallurgy, failure analysis, welding and corrosion in the power, petrochemicals, and energy sectors. She worked in industry for more than 20 years, and for seven years as an integrity consultant for GE Oil and Gas. Now in an academic career, she joined Strathclyde University in 2014, where she continues to research CCS and hydrogen transport.

·       Cathodic Protection of Offshore Wind Design Using Upcoming ISO 24656, presented by Birit Buhr Jensen (Ørsted)

Birit Buhr Jensen is a senior lead specialist at Ørsted, specialising in cathodic protection and corrosion protection of steel structures, and corrosion evaluation and monitoring, assessment, repair, and sustainability of reinforced concrete structures.

·       Corrosion Challenges for Reliable Biorefineries, presented by Francois Ropital (IFPEN)

Francois Ropital is qualified as a Materials Engineer, Doctor of Chemical Engineering, and HDR (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches) in Applied Chemistry and Industrial Process Engineering. He has been Editor-in-Chief of the journal ‘Oil and Gas Science and Technology – Revue d’IFP Energies Nouvelles’, is co-director of the ‘Study of reaction mechanisms on an adapted scale’ of IFPEN fundamental research, and is the associate university Professor (PAST) at INSA-Lyon, MATEIS Laboratory and Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He is also Chairman of the Working Party “Corrosion in refinery and petrochemistry” of the European Federation of Corrosion. Francois has authored two books, several book chapters, more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, and 20 patents.

·       Advanced Testing methods for PWR Environments that Could Support Other Zero Carbon Technologies, presented by Stuart Medway (Jacobs)

Dr. Stuart Medway works for Jacobs, where he is the technical lead for high temperature corrosion within the Material Science and Structural Integrity (MSSI) business. Stuart has been performing and developing laboratory research programmes to understand material performance in representative environments for over 14 years. Many of these have been focussed on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of materials in the primary cooling circuit of pressurised water reactors, where he is a recognised expert in this field. Stuart has been part of the EPRI expert panel for SCC of nickel-based alloys for a number of years and is the current technical chair for the Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems conference.

·       Methodology for Corrosion and Environmental Assisted Cracking Risk Assessment for Industrial Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), presented by Ivan Gutierrez (Pace Flow Assurance), Brad Healey (Oil and Gas Corrosion Ltd), and Matt Healey (Pace Flow Assurance)

Ivan Gutierrez is a national expert member of several national and international corrosion committees and task forces, and helps oil and gas operating companies to manage the risk of corrosion, delivering technical support throughout the life cycle of assets, from concept and Front End Engineering Design (FEED), through Engineering, Procurement, Installation and Commissioning (EPIC) operations, integrity management and evaluating options for asset life extension.

Brad Healey is a process engineer at Oil and Gas Corrosion Ltd. He works on global projects, manages a team of engineers, and has presented at the NACE conference. He has completed an industry-backed dissertation project regarding offshore H2S disposal methods and is now an industrial supervisor for an MEng project investigating the long-term environmental impact of scrubber discharges related to offshore H2S management.

Matt Healey is director at Pace Flow Assurance, with around 20 years of experience in CCUS, oil & gas, and large infrastructure projects.

How do you register for the working day?

You can register for this exciting Working Day and Symposium by downloading the event information and registration form and following the registration instructions. We look forward to seeing you there, from the comfort of your own home or workspace.

For details about membership of the Institute of Corrosion, visit our membership page.

ISO 12944-7: Execution and Supervision of Paint Work

ISO 12944-7: Execution and Supervision of Paint Work

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A Path to Ensure Quality Coating is Maintained

Continuing our series providing an overview of ISO 12944, in this article we discuss part 7 of the international standard. This takes us to the execution and supervision of paint work on steel structures in the workshop and on site. This does not include the preparation of surfaces (which is covered in 12944-4: Surface Preparation Standards). Nor does it apply to pre-treatment; application methods such as dipping, coil coating, and powder coating; or metallic coatings.

Here we outline the main points of the standard.

What is the scope of ISO 12944-7?

The standard deals with the execution and supervision of paint work, setting out:

  • The preconditions for paint work to be executed
  • The coating materials to be used
  • Execution of paint work
  • Supervision of paint work
  • Reference areas

Preconditions

Companies (and their personnel) who are contracted to apply protective coatings to steel structures must be capable of doing the work required. Coating applicators should be suitably qualified (see Coating and Inspection Training).

Ideally, a quality plan should be prepared by the contractor, detailing methods to be used and quality levels to be achieved at each stage (ISO 9001/9002).

Though part 7 of ISO 12944 does not cover surface preparation, it does expect preparation to be made in line with part 4 of the standard, and the client must be informed if the condition of the surface differs from that described in the specification.

All relevant health and safety regulations must also be complied with.

Coating materials

Coating materials must be supplied ready to use, and in accordance with the coating method to be used. If any testing is needed, it must be specified.

Coating materials should be stored securely, at recommended temperatures (between 3 °C and 30 °C) or as otherwise stated by the manufacturer, and used within their shelf-life period.

Execution of paint work

This section of the standard deals with the following requirements:

  • General requirements

Surfaces to be coated should be well lit and accessible, the manufacturer’s technical data observed, and coating materials should be verified as being acceptable to use (no skin formed, no irreversible settling, compatible with site conditions, etc.).

The standard also details acceptable dry-film thickness, uniformity of coating, and the need to pay particular attention to difficult to access surfaces (corners, edges, welds, connections, etc.).

It should also be noted that any defects in a coat must be repaired before the next coat is applied.

  • Application conditions

Maximum protection can only be assured when the ambient conditions on site meet the requirements as laid out in the coating manufacturer’s technical data. Applicators should consider adverse conditions that may exist on site and take care that outside influences do not reduce the quality of paint work during application.

Applicators must also ensure that the coating is not applied when the steel temperature is less than 3 °C above the dew point (ISO 8502-4) and wet surfaces should only be coated with appropriate coating materials as outlined in the manufacturer’s technical data sheet.

  • Application methods

Whichever application method is used, it should be evaluated to ensure that it provides the required protection. If it doesn’t, then the specification should be amended.

The coating application methods must be suitable for the coating materials to be applied, and may include:

  • Brush application, particularly at corners, edges, angles, and difficult to access areas
  • Roller application, though this is not usually recommended for anticorrosive primers
  • Spray application, using the correct equipment to ensure that spray mist does not spread to surrounding areas

If other application methods are to be used, then the applicator must follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Supervision of paint work

Paint work should be supervised at all stages of application, by qualified inspectors. Though the contractor can do this work themselves, it is advised that the client also provides supervision. If unfamiliar coating materials are used, the manufacturer should be consulted.

Supervision should be appropriate to the difficulty of work, local conditions, type of coating, expected life, and the project itself.

Supervisors should use a range of methods to assess the coating applied, including:

  • Visual assessment
  • Measuring instruments
  • Test equipment and instrumentation

Reference areas

Reference areas should be used to establish a minimum standard of coating that is acceptable for protection of the structure. Any reference area established should be in a location that will receive typical corrosive stress associated with the structure, and application on this area should be carried out in the presence of representatives of all concerned parties.

The assessment of this coating should be made by methods that have been agreed and in line with international standards.

Summing up ISO 12944-7

In summary, ISO 12944-7 sets out the standards to which coatings applicators and supervisors must adhere in paint work that is designed to protect steel structures as covered by ISO 12944.

In short, this part of the standard seeks to ensure that paint work is executed and supervised to a minimum acceptable level – a level that ensures the coating system used maximises its potential to protect the structure being coated.

To ensure your painters and inspectors are fully up to date with ISO 12944 and all of its parts and are working to the latest industry standards and best practices, the Institute of Corrosion offers Coating and Inspection Training Courses presented by IMechE Argyll Ruane and Corrodere. For more information, contact us today.

ISO 12944-6: Laboratory Test Methods

ISO 12944-6: Laboratory Test Methods

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Improving Coating Performance Continually

ISO 12944 is an international standard detailing the corrosion protection of steel structures by protective coating systems. In the 2018 update, several changes and additions were made. One of the areas in which changes were made was in the detail of lab testing methods, which is covered in Part 6 of the standard.

Why is lab testing necessary?

Lab testing is used to help in the selection of suitable paint systems, and ISO 12944-6 covers protective paint systems designed for application to uncoated steel, hot dip galvanised steel (covered by ISO 1461), and steel surfaces with thermal sprayed metallic coatings (covered by ISO 2063-1 and ISO 2063-2).

Suggested paint specifications to protect carbon steel over a range of durability periods in the corrosivity categories C2 to C5 are laid out in the tables in part 5 of ISO 12944. The suggested specifications within these tables are representative of several commonly used generic paint chemistry types (e.g. alkyd, acrylic, epoxy, polyurethane etc). The film thicknesses within these data tables were devised by an ISO panel of experts, based on their experiences of protective paint systems in the field.

Specifications based on the film thickness quoted in ISO 12944-5 should be verified by undergoing the range of accelerated test regimes stated in ISO 12944 part 6. Any paint system must meet the test requirements in part 6 to be classified as compliant with the standard. External 3rd party testing of these systems is not mandatory, although many paint manufacturers choose to carry out 3rd party accreditation.

The suggested ‘typical’ specifications in ISO 12944 part 5 are not exclusive and do not prevent the use of older technologies that no longer feature in the ‘typical’ systems. Likewise, ISO 12944 does not exclude the use of new and innovative paint systems that do not feature in part 5. Provided that any of these systems are tested to, and pass the requirements stated in part 6, then they can be deemed to be compliant with the standard.

It should be noted that the standard does not apply to paint systems used for electroplated or painted steel.

What does lab testing consider?

The paint system you should use to protect steel structures from corrosion is dependent upon several factors, including the corrosive environment that is covered in Part 2 of ISO 12944. The standard describes the environmental impact of exposure to the atmosphere and when immersed in water or buried in soil. Corrosivity categories are then used to provide a classification system, and this is used as a guide to select suitable coatings systems for the corrosion protection of steel structures.

Water immersed or buried-in-soil structures include:

  • Offshore structures
  • Oil pipelines
  • Buried tanks

When defining corrosive category, the type of environmental exposure is considered, and includes:

  • Humidity
  • Salt spray
  • Water immersion

A paint system will age because of the environment to which it is exposed (as well as other factors such as steel structure design (ISO 12944-3), surface preparation (ISO 12944-4), and the method of application.

Artificial aging tests carried out in a lab assesses the influence of the characteristics of the paint system (for example, dry-film thickness and binder) on the durability of the paint system. These results can then be considered in the determination of which paint system should be used to meet the performance requirements specified by the application.

How does lab testing work?

Each corrosive category is assigned a durability range of low, medium, high, or very high. This durability defines the duration of the exposure to the environmental influence.

Samples of the coatings are subjected to each of the exposures separately, and measurements of coating thickness and adhesive strength are taken before and after exposure. These measurements are then used to calculate the effect of the environment on the coating tested.

Samples are evaluated for:

  • Blistering
  • Cracking
  • Corrosion
  • Adhesion

For paint systems that would be exposed to salt spray and cyclic aging, manual scribing of the samples is used to replicate the effect of these environments. Unless otherwise agreed, each test should be carried out on three test panels.

To ensure that test results are accurate, the standard recommends that a reference is used. This reference should be a paint system:

  • that has been used successfully on site for several years;
  • the performance of which is well established by lab testing; and
  • that is as close as possible to the paint system being tested (e.g. composition, type, and thickness)

The standard provides tables of appropriate test procedures and durations.

What changed in ISO 12944-6 in 2018?

The changes made to the standard in 2018 introduced new testing for very high durability (25+years) in the following corrosive categories:

  • C2 – low
  • C3 – medium
  • C4- high (where cyclic testing has been introduced)

In addition, in category C5 (high and very high corrosivity) the updated standard introduced cyclic testing for high and very high durability.

Why has cyclic testing been introduced?

The aim of cyclic testing is to better replicate in-field conditions, and industry has found that this method of testing is more representative of what happens out of the lab, in the real world.

What should a lab test report show?

The lab test report must reference ISO 12944-6, and contain the following information:

  • the test laboratory details
  • the date of the tests
  • the details of the test (what test was carried out, the duration of the test, and the results of each test)
  • a description of the substrate and surface preparation
  • details required to identify the paint system
  • details of the reference system
  • the duration and conditions of drying/curing and conditioning
  • classification of the paint system after testing
  • photographic evidence
  • thickness of layers (for example, zinc and thermal-sprayed metallic coating)
  • any deviation from the test methods specified

Summing up ISO 12944-6

In summary, ISO 12944-6 details the standards to which lab testing must adhere, how testing should be carried out, and how assessment of results should be made and reported.

The aim is to enable coating inspectors and applicators to continually improve the coating systems used in all environments and for all durability requirements.

To ensure your painters and inspectors are fully up to date with ISO 12944 and all of its parts and are working to the latest industry standards and best practices, the Institute of Corrosion offers Coating and Inspection Training Courses presented by IMechE Argyll Ruane and Corrodere. For more information, contact us today.

Coating Survey Training – World-Class Course Is a World First

Coating Survey Training – World-Class Course Is a World First

Blogs, Coating and Inspection Training

The What and How of the Ground-Breaking Coating Survey Course

Up to now, there has been no coatung survey training available anywhere in the world specific to improving the provision and competency of coating condition surveys. Here at the Institute of Corrosion, we’re happy to say this has changed, with the arrival of a world first – the Coating Survey Course endorsed by ICorr and accredited by Lloyd’s Register and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Such an important addition to any industry – especially an addition that promises to revolutionise standards and improve health, safety, and cost-effectiveness across multiple industries and their infrastructure – deserves a proper introduction.

Why Is Coating Survey Training Needed?

A coating survey is crucial in the maintenance cycle of structures that benefit from coating systems. When it is properly planned and conducted, a coating condition survey helps to maximise the protection offered by coating systems. This is integral to ensure that safety hazards and operational interruptions are avoided.

Because of the critical nature of a coating survey, it should be conducted only by those who can assess circumstances competently. They will need to draw sound conclusions about the condition of the existing coating and how best to manage coating systems going forward.

Corrodere’s Coating Survey Course satisfies the need to ensure that those conducting coating surveys are suitably qualified and have the knowledge and expertise to carry out costing surveys from basic walk-throughs to the most comprehensive coating condition surveys.

Written by experts with impeccable credentials

The first thing to note about this course is that it is authored by experts in the industry: Brendan Fitzsimmons and Trevor Parry.

Brendan is a Fellow of the Institute of Corrosion, a Chartered Scientist, and has a Master’s degree in Materials Engineering. He is also a NACE Corrosion Specialist, Coating Inspector, Protective Coatings Specialist, and Peer Reviewer.

Trevor is a Professional Member of the Institute of Corrosion, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a member of NACE, and an expert on ISO committees.

Between them, Brendan and Trevor have authored many publications and papers within their fields, perhaps most notably Brendan’s authorship of Fitz’s Atlas and Fitz’s Atlas 2.

Development of the Coating Survey Course has also benefitted from the input of major paint manufacturers.

Who should attend this course?

Developed in response to industry needs, if your responsibilities and duties include inspecting or surveying coating systems you will benefit from this formal training and qualification. You’ll benefit from completing this course if you currently perform any of the following roles:

  • Coating Surveyors
  • Coating Inspectors
  • Coating Engineers
  • Material Engineers
  • Mechanical Engineers
  • Insurance Personnel
  • Plant Managers
  • Asset Integrity Personnel
  • Corrosion Engineers
  • Asset Owners
  • Marine Engineers
  • Ship Surveyors

How is the course structured?

The Coatings Course is delivered online by way of 24 hours of training divided into easy-to-manage units. These modules walk you through all the knowledge areas needed, covering:

  • Coating Surveys
  • Estimation of Percentages
  • European Scale of Degree of Rusting of Anticorrosive Paints
  • Common Defects
  • Marine Fouling
  • Dry Film Thickness Surveys
  • Passive Fire Protection
  • Adhesion Testing
  • Holiday Detection
  • Sampling Techniques
  • Standard Test Methods, Field Tests and Laboratory Analysis
  • Photography, Documentation and Reporting
  • Paint Testing, Paint Constituents and Paint Chemistry

The online delivery of course materials and training make it easy to complete the course in your own time and a learning pattern that suits you. The course materials will be available to complete over a 12-month period after registration.

The culmination of the training is an online assessment and final exam. The exam is a multiple-choice-style exam with a pass mark of 70%.

Those who successfully complete the course receive the Certificate of Achievement in Coating Surveys accredited by Lloyds’ Register and the Royal Society of Chemistry, endorsed by the Institute of Corrosion.

Do you qualify for this course?

There are two levels of certification available, and which you can achieve depends on your route onto the course.

Level 1:

You don’t need any formal qualifications within the coatings industry to register for Level 1 of the Coating Survey Training Course. You won’t be required to sit the final examination, but will need to successfully complete the online assessments during the course.

Upon successful completion you will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Level 2:

Those who complete Level 2, including passing the exam and online assessment, will be rewarded with full certification and a wallet card valid for four years. To register for this level of qualification you will need to meet one of the following entry criteria:

  • Qualified Coatings Inspector (ICorr Level 2, NACE Level 2, SSPC Level 2, FROSIO Level 2)
  • Paint Chemist with field experience
  • Coating Engineer with field experience

If you are a coating surveyor without formal qualification in coating inspection, you can still take the Level 2 qualification providing you can demonstrate a minimum of five years’ experience as a coating surveyor and provide two employer references.

Why you should take this course

This course, and the qualification it offers, will demonstrate your proficiency in coating surveys. It provides evidence that you conduct and report in-depth coating surveys and that your expertise will:

  • Help asset owners accurately plan future works
  • Help asset owners accurately target and plan funding for future works
  • Assist with paint guarantees, warranties, and disputes

Many industries require the experience and expertise of qualified coating surveyors. These industries include:

  • Road
  • Rail
  • Marine and Offshore
  • Nuclear
  • Petrochemical
  • Oil and Gas
  • Construction

At a time when all industries are becoming more highly regulated, with a growing need for asset owners to reduce costs and improve their health and safety, the knowledge that this course provides – including across standards NORSOK 501, ISO 12944, and ISO 4628 – is likely to become invaluable to all those who perform coating surveys and the companies that require them.

This training is currently not available anywhere else in the world. To find out more, you should contact Corrodere. Alternatively, email the admin team at the Institute of Corrosion who will be happy to help.