Corrosion in the power industry:
From electric transmission, distribution, and substation structures to gas distribution, drinking water, telecom towers, a great part of the utility industry’s steel facility infrastructure is aging and now between 40 and 100 years old. Therefore, the cost of corrosion is on a path to dramatically increase.
“Utilities, which supply gas, water, electricity, and telecommunications services, account for the largest portion of annual industrial corrosion costs, with direct corrosion costs totalling $47.9 billion". (NACE International)
Officially put, corrosion is “the destruction of a substance (usually a metal) or its properties because of a reaction with its environment.” This ultimately causes potentially severe damage to power systems – resulting in a wide range of dangerous and costly consequences.
How does it happen?
Corrosion is a naturally occurring process that affects virtually all metals, though at different rates. The different forms of corrosion that can be readily found in power systems and structures are uniform corrosion, galvanic corrosion, crevice corrosion and pitting corrosion.
In general, it is the chemical process of the metal returning to its more stable naturally occurring state. Once corrosion starts, often through a breach in traditional barrier-type coatings such as epoxies or polyurethanes, the coating may act as a greenhouse, trapping water, oxygen and other corrosion promoters. Because of this, the corrosion will spread quickly under the coating itself, which is complicated to inspect, and might lead to failure and costly premature replacement.
Did you know? Worldwide, between 3000 and 5000 kg of steel per second (!) is lost through corrosion. Per year, that translates into throwing away 450,000 new average cars.
How Can I Prevent Corrosion?
It is important to know the product, the environment, and the specific requirements. Only then can a good decision be made for the best solution against the corrosion form.
Regarding extreme environments such as coastal, industrial, and desert areas (non-high traffic), one of the best ways to avoid corrosion on electrical assets and steel structures is to apply an Anti-Corrosion Protective Coating. MIDSUN offers several anti-corrosion silicone elastomer coatings under “Midsun Silprocoat family”.
Midsun Silprocoat coatings are highly resistant
to corrosion and high temperatures ( -76°F to
392°F), will not chalk or fade, have a low film
build, require only a single-coat of application,
and have outstanding UV resistance. The 180%
elasticity makes the coating highly flexible,
which allows for thermal expansion and
contraction of the substrate to which it is
applied.