The majority of insulation coatings used today are used to provide personnel protection to workers in the oil and gas or chemicals industry. These coatings provide a reduction in surface temperature to help prevent burn injuries from accidental contact with a hot surface. Human burn hazard is defined in ASTM C1055-03 and this standard is used in conjunction with ASTM C1057-17 as a method of determining skin contact temperature from a heated surface.

In many cases, operators measure surface temperature to determine if the surface is safe to touch. In this paper, we will examine the historical evaluation of “safe touch” and define what “safe touch” really means as it is a time-dependent function.

We will describe the theory behind “safe touch” and explain the properties that are important in achieving the desired result. We will show a simulation model and how the various thermal properties are important to the overall “safe touch” properties of the coating. We will also look at how the actual measurement compares to the theoretical model and explain the key thermal properties that make a good coating for personnel protection.

Subject
Coatings, Sensors, Materials, Insulation, Substrates, Skin, Density, Substrate surfaces, Personnel, Injury, Heat, Conductivity, Surface temperature
Keywords:
Personnel Protection, Safe Touch, Insulation Coating
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2023
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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