Epoxy coatings can be found in a broad range of industries and applications due to their exceptional performance such as corrosion and chemical resistance, mechanical properties, and adhesion to wide range of substrates. Within the protective coating market, epoxy systems have been used for many years as linings inside of chemical storage tanks, vessels and pipelines due to their good thermal and chemical resistance properties. In the petrochemicals industry, high-solid epoxy coatings are also used for lining rail cars that transport crude oil. Specific to the petrochemical industry where facilities handle both conventional crude or shale crude, the requirements placed on the coatings are extremely demanding since quite often the coatings are exposed to highly corrosive chemicals and gases such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfuric acid, and carbon dioxide at both elevated temperatures and pressures. To better serve the petrochemical sector coating manufacturers need linings which provide a high level of chemical resistance and pass stringent industry standards. In addition, there is a requirement in the protective coatings market to develop chemical resistant epoxy tank linings that can provide excellent resistance to a range of alcohols, solvents, alkali, and diluted acids stored at elevated temperatures. In this paper we will discuss how a design of new epoxy curing agents with an improved chemical resistance can help formulators to meet these increasing industry needs. The model formulations and application performance properties such as, immersion service test data, high temperature-high pressure autoclave and Atlas Cell test data will be discussed and summarized.
The crude oil produced by fracking or hydraulic fracturing method are high in sulfur content (0.5%)1. The vast majority of vessels that are used in the petrochemical industry to store and transport materials are constructed using Carbon steel. Coating linings used for corrosion protection inside of vessels and tanks must perform under severe conditions such as an exposure to corrosive gasses (H2S) and carbon dioxide as well as high temperatures, high pressures and often must withstand the cold wall effect and rapid decompression.
