If left unattended, the corrosion of power equipment and components can disrupt a plant’s availability, reliability and performance, as well as cause significant financial loss. Therefore, corrosion control, which is made possible by cathodic protection companies, plays an important role in the asset integrity management of any power generation system.
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Spray coatings and cathodic protection are the two main forms of corrosion control in power plant infrastructure. The selection of an appropriate method and suitable coating depends on the plant type and location, as well as the operating conditions and function of equipment.
Different spray coatings can also be used to protect power plant machinery and parts from friction, abrasion and wear.
Finding cathodic protection companies, corrosion control and spray coatings suppliers for the power industry
Power Technology has listed leading corrosion control and coatings providers for the power industry. The list covers advanced coating solutions for a range of power plant structures, equipment, and components.
The information contained within the download document is designed for power plant constructors, operations and maintenance managers; power technology consultants and engineers; and other individuals involved in power plant asset management, upgrade, retrofit and maintenance.
The download contains detailed information on the corrosion control and spray coating suppliers, as well as their product and service lines, and contact details to aid with purchasing or hiring decisions.
Spray coating solutions and corrosion control in power plants
Choosing the proper corrosion control or spray coating can minimise downtime, increase operational efficiency, and extend the useful life of power plant equipment and components. Power plant operators and contractors determine the quality of coatings by comparing the coating cost with the replacement value of the protected equipment or component.
Corrosion control and coating solutions and services for power applications include:
- High-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) and high-velocity arc spray (HVAS) thermal spray coatings
- Powder-based air plasma spraying (APS)
- Zirconia-based thermal barrier ceramic coatings
- Chromium and tungsten carbide coatings
- Highly alloyed nickel and cobalt-based overlay coatings
- Diffusion coating for sulphidation protection
- Epoxy cladding solutions
- Dry lubrication and low friction coatings for wind turbines
- Corrosion protection coatings for cooling water systems
- Selective electroplating and anodising solutions
- Galvanic and impressed current cathodic protection
The cathodic protection system in power applications
Cathodic protection is an electrochemical technique to control the corrosion of buried or submerged metallic structures in power plants. It can be used for underground piping systems, as well as above-ground fuel storage tanks.
Cathodic protection can be achieved in two ways. The simpler and cost-efficient method is the galvanic system, which relies on the inherent potential differences between the anodic and cathodic material to transmit a current.
In comparison, the impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) method involves using an external power source, typically a rectifier converting electric power from AC to DC, to ensure transmission between the anode and cathode.
ICCP provides intense, controlled protection for power plant structures and components that are more susceptible to corrosion. While galvanic protection is often adopted for internal tank surfaces, ICCP is typically preferred for the tank bottom. ICCP is being increasingly sought after by power plants in extremely corrosive environments.