Metallisation Arcbeam Spray can be successfully used for applying Inconel coatings
12.02.2018
Case Study –Metallisation equipment put into place in a refinery in Dubai
APS (Anticorrosive Protective Systems) is one of the Metallisation clients with whom the company works together for 20 years and develops representative projects in Dubai. Two references are correlated to iconic buildings – the Burj Al Arab Hotel and the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa Tower.
Metallisation Arcbeam Spray generates dense coatings with a low degree of porosity therefore being the appropriate technical solution for the refinery project in Dubai. Normally the technology allows achieving a porosity degree under 5%. This has a direct impact on the performance of the applications in the oil and gas industry. Usually the Inconel 625 coatings, when Arc sprayed have a porosity of 2%. On the other hand, when Arcbeam sprayed the porosity goes down to 0.6%.
In the mentioned project, the absorption pipes, with a 5.2 m diameter and the cooling pipes with a 5.4 m diameter were interiorly processed using the Arcbeam spray technique.
The surfaces have been primarly polished for getting a constant and uniform profile.
The areas that were to be coated have been blasted with garnet till the level of SA.3 was reached and the profile measured 90?m. The last phase of the preparation included blasting it with aluminum oxide.
The interior of the absorption and cooling pipelines have been covered with two layers of Hastelloy 73E, each one of 225-250 ?m. The application was done while using the Arcbeam Spray technique, and the ARC 140 equipment. At the end an extra layer of Sprayseal F was applied using a brush for assuring the in depth penetration of the substance into the areas to be treated. The covered surface was about 80m2 for each pipeline in part.
The Arcspray Process
When Arcspraying, the material to be applied is usually a wire that is supposed to be melted with the help of the electric arc. Afterwards, it gets sprayed with compressed air for covering the surface to be treated. The so obtained substance turns into solid and forms a strongly adherent and dense layer, able to assure an exceptional anticorrosive protection.
