Applying a Rhino Linings spray-applied coating to a rig platform FLEXIBLE COATINGS HELP PROTECT MARINE STRUCTURES Both abrasive and corrosive, the marine environment is unforgiving of maritime structures such as offshore platforms and rigs, and ocean-going vessels—all of which are major investments for the companies operating them. All activities in a marine environment are impacted by corrosion; the prevention, control and remediation of which costs industry billions of dollars each year. 20 April 2016 M A T E R I A L S One way to minimise and mitigate the effect of some types of corrosion is through the use of flexible surface coatings that are resistant to chemical attack from petroleum products and salts. According to Denis Baker, special projects engineer at Gold Coast-based Rhino Linings Australasia (RLA), “A corrosion barrier has to have durability and flexibility in addition to being impermeable to the wide range of agents that affect maritime structures.” An offshore structure is also harsh on surface coatings, both in terms of how they wear and also how they are applied. Some of the areas most affected are the decks, superstructure, ballast tanks and anchor or chain wells. These are both exposed to salt and other chemical agents as well as to abrasion as people and equipment move about. To enhance safety for personnel moving around an offshore structure or vessel, spray applied surface coatings with anti-slip properties can easily be applied to decks to provide safe walkways. According to Baker, it is possible to minimise some of the effects of drilling operations by applying two particular Rhino Linings coatings that have been developed for maritime structures used in the oil and gas industry. On an oil production rig, the areas where the 14 metre lengths of drill pipe are laid out before being dragged across the deck and pulled up for drilling operations are prone to a large amount of damage. Most surface coatings are quickly abraded away exposing the bare metal to corrosion. To prepare these working areas for treatment with the Rhino Linings coatings, the platform deck has to be abrasive blasted to clean off any existing coatings and also profile the surface for optimal adhesion of the primer and protective coating. Zinc-rich primers can then be applied to the prepared metal surface, over which a proprietary Rhino Linings primer is rapidly sprayed. Rhino 161 or 251 are good choices for this type of application because they have no volatile organic component (VOC) properties and can be easily and quickly applied. For maximum protection, Rhino Pure Polyurea (for example Extreme or PP1195) is then applied over the primed area to a nominal thickness of 3000 microns on the deck surface. This final coating was chosen for its resistance to
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