THIS INVENTION relates to a process for descaling the sur¬ face of equipment, process vessels and piping and more particularly to a method of preparing the surfaces of processing units, vessels and piping to facilitate des¬ caling.

It is well known that process liquors in many industries '/ill deposit scales on the internal surfaces of conduits, piping and vessels. An especially difficult scale which requires removal occurs in the alumina industry where combinations of oxides, silicates and oxalates form a tenacious scale strongly adherent to steel surfaces. Normal methods of removal of such scale are based either on impact or shock devices such as jack hammers or explo¬ sives. Other methods which have attempted include high pressure water but they have been largely unsuccessful for economic reasons.

It is now been found that by applying a suitable coating to the surface of the vessels, conduits or pipes it is possible to facilitate the removal of the scale.

Thus in one form the invention resides in a method of preparing vessels, conduits, piping and the like to faci¬ litate descaling which comprises cleaning the surface of the vessel to remove substantially all surface contami¬ nants and applying a coating resistant to the process liquors and process temperatures and from which scale can be readily removed by high pressure fluid blasting with a minimum of damage to the coating.

Preferably the coatings are resins which are cross linked and thermosetting. Coatings may be applied in one or more coats but preferably two coats are used. A coating having

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a minimum dry film thickness of 500 microns has been found suitable. It is possible to apply a top coat which readily detaches from the base coating during the descaling process. Such a coating then can then be rea¬ dily restored prior to returning the vessel to service. A suitable top coat is a silicone epoxy resin applied over an epoxy resin. The method of application of the coating may be by brush or roller but is preferably by conven¬ tional or airless spray equipment. The selection of coatings will depend on their resistance to the process liquors and the process temperatures and may be selected from epoxies, polyesters, silicones, halogenated hydro¬ carbons, urethanes, vinyl esters and acrylics.

The cleaning of the surface can be carried out by several methods which include acid pickling, flame cleaning and power tool cleaning. The preferred method of surface preparation is abrasive blast cleaning and in the practice of the invention a combination of wet and dry abrasive blast cleaning is preferred. Surface contaminants which require removal are millscale, corrosion products, process liquors and scales and most importantly water soluble salts as these can cause coating detachment by osmotic blistering. The combination of wet and dry abrasive blast cleaning followed by the immediate application of the coating provides the most effective method of treating.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following examples:-

- EXAMPLE 1

This example illustrates the method for treating new steel.

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(a) Surface Preparation

The surface of several pieces of steel plate was dry abrasive blast cleaned to a standard equivalent to Aust¬ ralian Standard AS1627.4 Class 3.

(£>) Coating Application

The first coat of the selected coating system was applied to the blasted steel to achieve a dry film thickness of first coat of 150-200 microns.

The second coat of the selected coating system was applied

24 hours after the first coat to achieve a dry film thick¬ ness of second coat of 150 to 200 microns.

The third and final coat of the selected coating system was applied 24 hours after the second coat to achieve a dry film thickness of top coat of 75 to 150 microns.

The steel plates were then cured by standing 5-7 days at ambient temperatures or subjected to accelerated cure at 50°C for 16 hours.

The coating systems applied are tabulated below:-

COATING SYSTEMS SELECTION

No. 1st Coat 2nd Coat Top Coat

1 Epoxy A Epoxy A Teflon Epoxy

2 Epoxy B Epoxy B Teflon Epoxy

3 Epoxy B Epoxy B Silicon Epoxy

4 Epoxy A Teflon Epoxy Silicon Epoxy

5 Epoxy A Epoxy A Silicon Epoxy

6 Epoxy B Epoxy B Bisphehol A

Resin

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WIPO

Epoxy A is an a ine adduct cured epoxy resin con¬ taining 50% (by volume) of solids.

Epoxy is a polyamide cured epoxy resin containing 50% (by volume) of solids.

Teflon Epoxy is an amine cured epoxy modified by the addition of fluorocarbon resin and contains 50% (by volume) of solids.

Silicon Epoxy is an amine cured epoxy modified by the adaption of silicone resin and contains 50% by volume of solids.

(c) Immersion of Coated Panel in Liquor

The coated panels were immersed in a eta stable solution of alumina hydrate in caustic liquor, and scale was allowed to grow on the surface. For each coating system, there was also an uncoated panel placed in the liquor as a control. The steel plates were semi-immersed in the liquor for a period of three months, during which time scale formed on the surfaces above and below the liquor level. The apparatus used for suspending the plates in the liquor is shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying draw¬ ings. It comprises a supporting frame 11 fitted with a handle 12 and a U-shaped member 13 adapted to set on the upper edge of a tank (not shown) containing the liquor. The steel plate 14 is suspended from the supporting frame by means of bolts to frame 11.

(d) Descaling of the Steel Plates

This was carried out on a ramp as shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings whereby a fan nozzle was operated at measured distances and speed over the surface at a pre-set

fluid pressure. The plate (not shown) is supported on a wheeled trolley 21 which moves up and down a inclined track 22 being connected to one end of a cable 23 the other end of which is wound onto the drum 24 of a hydrau- liσally driven winch. A nozzle 25 is carried on a bridge 26 under which the trolley passes. Means are provided for varying the angle of the nozzle.

The plate was traversed past the stationary nozzle, begin¬ ning at the end held above the fluid. The pressure and speed of traverse were varied until the conditions of comfortable removal of the scale were determined. De¬ tailed below in the table are the results of six coating systems selected for demonstrating the invention.

TABLE I

SCALE REMOVAL CONDITIONS FOR COATED AND UNCOATED STEEL PLATE USING HIGH PRESSURE WATER THROUGH A 30° NO. 15 FAN NOZZLE TIP

Panel Water Incident Fan Plate Pressure Angle Length Speed

Uncoated 12, 500 psi 60 ' 18mm 1.5m/min

Coating System 1 8 , 000 10 ' 70 1.5

Coating System 2 8 , 000 10 " 70 1.5

Coating System 3 10 , 000 10 ' 70 1.5

Coating System 4 10 , 000 10 ' 70 1.5

Coating System 5 10 , 000 10 ' 70 1. 5

Coating System 6 8 , 000 10 ' 70 1. 5

Note: The incident angle to the surface is the angle bet*r ween the nozzle and the horizontal plain.

It is readily apparent from Table I that far greater for¬ ces are required to remove scale from uncoated than from coated panels. The scale was delaminated from the coating in pieces that were "levered" from the surface whereas the scale was worn or abraded from the surface of the uncoated panel. It will be appreciated that the mode of scale removal can be changed by application of the coating. These changes in mode of- removal can be presented in abso¬ lute terms, such as rate of descaling, force required to remove the scale and energy output required. These are detailed below:-

TABLE II

Panel Descale Vertical Horizontal Energy Rate Outpit

Uncoated 1.35 ² /br 17.46 10.08 20.0KNM

Coating System 1 5.40m ² /hr 0.61 3.45 3.5KNM

Coating System 2 5.40m ² /hr 0.61 3.45 3.5KNM

Coating System 3 5.40m ² /hr 0.76 4.34 4.4NM

Coating Systaxi 4 5.40m ² /hr 0.76 4.34 4.4KNM

Coating System 5 5.40m ² /hr 0.76 4.34 4.4K-M

Coating System 6 5.40m ² /hr 0.61 3.45 3.8KNM

The advantages of the invention are clear from Table II. In addition it has been established that the descale rate for uncoated panels is inversely proportional to the thickness of the scale, i.e. that is with double the thickness the descaling rate is reduced by 50%. On the other hand panels coated in accordance with the invention have the same descaling rate with increasing thicknesses

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of scale until a thickness is achieved where the applied pressure of water is unable to break the scale.

EXAMPLE 2

Steel plate covered with scale and impregnated with pro¬ cess liquor was removed from an operating plant. The coating systems were applied to the immersed surfaces of the steel plate to demonstrate the ability of the inven¬ tion to be applied to existing equipment. The method was ^' applied as follows:-

(a) Surface Preparation

The surface of the steel was inhibited wet abrasive blast cleaned to a standard equivalent to Australian Standard AS1627.4 Class 3.

The wet blasted surface was dry abrasive blast cleaned to the same standard.

(b) Coating Application

The application procedures and systems were identical to those used in Example 1.

(c) Immersion of Coated Panel in Liquor

The steel panels were returned to their original position in the process and scale was allowed to grow on the sur¬ face both above and below the liquor.

(d) Descaling of Steel Panels

During a normal shut down of the plant, the coated sec¬ tions of steel plate were descaled using the high pressure

water conditions detailed in Example 1. All the coated plate was readily descaled while the scale was not removed from uncoated sections of steel plate.