Coatings are one of the main methods to protect pipelines primarily from corrosion and wear. There exist several coating technology systems and the desired properties of a good coating will change from one application to another. It is estimated that the value of the protective coatings market is around $3-4 billion dollars in Canada. Therefore, analyzing the protective coating sector for potential opportunities becomes significant.

In this review paper, we investigate the pipeline coatings sector in order to determine gaps in currently available coating technologies. The objective is to determine future research directions and innovation opportunities. The scope of this work is protective coatings for transmission crude oil and natural gas pipelines. The main methodologies used here are stakeholder engagement (pipeline operators, coating applicators, and coating manufacturers and suppliers) and literature review.

Here, we explore the physical limitations and technological gaps on current commercially available coatings. The cycle of innovation and development, as well as the process of accepting new coatings is also reviewed. Finally, the regulations pertaining to coating selection and testing are discussed, with special emphasis on the newly introduced Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Z245.30-14 standard1  and its associated impacts on Canadian coatings applicators and the coating supply chain in general.

Subject
Test methods, Coating application, Protective coatings, Coatings, Tape, Applicators, Industries, Pipelines, Fusion bonded epoxy coating, Composites, Internal coatings, Polyurethane coatings, Abrasion resistance
Keywords:
protective coatings, pipeline, corrosion, Canada, oil and gas, FBE, liquid epoxies
© 2016 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2016
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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