Marine and Industrial Corrosion Investigations, Consultancy & Expert Services
Amtec are specialist consultants in on-site corrosion investigations, especially marine corrosion failure investigations and industrial failure investigations, which are regularly undertaken for multinational clients. Inspection and investigation of the corrosion of large structures such as ships, chemical plant, storage tanks, pipelines, bridges and gas and oil production platforms are regularly carried out on a global basis.
Legal work involving claims, arbitration, and expert witnesses is undertaken.
Telephone & e-mail enquiries are initially free & confidential.
Marine Corrosion
Failures
Amtec have worked with a number of ship owners and ship management companies
in the investigation of the premature failure of hull components due to
excessive corrosion .These include:-
- Pitting of Stainless Steels used for heating coils & VRC lines in tankers & product carriers carrying white oils such as Naphtha
- Ballast line failures & excessive corrosion of bell mouths, ballast pumps & sea chests
- Microbial corrosion in cargo tanks associated with sour crude oil & MIC (microbially influenced corrosion) of void & ballast spaces
- Cavitation attack on propellers, pumps & cargo lines
- Impingement attack in pumps
- Corrosion of fresh water tanks & drinking water supply
- Aggressive cargo corrosion from coal, iron ore & sulphur including cargo contamination claims due to debris being present
- Weld Corrosion - especially in the outer hull around the bulbous bow
- Corrosion of Copper & Nickel Based Alloy pipe work - cupro nickels (90/10 & 70/30), aluminium brasses, aluminium bronzes & manganese bronze
- Galvanized Pipe work problems together with other issues around hot dip galvanising or cold galvanising using Galvafoid or other zinc rich paints
- Deck & superstructure Corrosion including cosmetic problems with stainless steel doors, stainless steel windows & other fittings
- Underwater hull failures associated with steering gear
- Corrosion in ballast tanks in double hull tankers together with pitting corrosion in stainless steel tanks in chemical tankers
- Pitting in chemical tanks & storage vessels
- Tank top pitting 7 under deck corrosion in VLCC & other tankers constructed from high tensile steel
- Cracking in composite lifeboats
- ICCP system failures which can result in excessive hull or pipe work corrosion
- Stray current corrosion which can result in deep pitting of the outer hull
- aluminum corrosion in fast ferries & sea cats
Industrial Failure Investigations
Many plant failures occur due to either poor materials selection or due
to ineffective corrosion awareness on the part of the plant engineer or
designer. Components are often replaced only to fail again within only
a very short time. The plant can suffer considerable downtime during the
period in which removal, ordering and replacement are taking place. It
is important to understand the mechanism by which failure occurs and to
take informed steps to ensure an enhanced lifetime for the replacement
component. This may require changes to the water treatment package, component
material or to the plant operating conditions or all three. We can offer
advice, carry out failure investigations, and provide instrumented monitoring.
We have particular interest in the following:-
- Pitting of Stainless Steels & passivation treatments
- Weld corrosion in stainless steel tanks & stainless steel pipes
- Corrosion of stainless steel storage tanks (including those used in the nuclear industry)
- Heating Coil Failures
- Oxygen Pitting
- Cavitation & Impingement Attack
- Corrosion in Sulphurous Gases such as Sulphur Dioxide & Hydrogen Sulphide
- Water Treatment Chemicals & Inhibitors
- Food processing plant
- Galvanic Corrosion including deposition corrosion
- Corrosion of Copper & Nickel Based Alloys
- Failures in Galvanized Pipe work
- Boiler & Heat Exchanger Failures
- Failures of Stainless Steel Tubing & Pipe Work
- Corrosion of Galvanised industrial buildings & Cladding,
- Corrosion of fencing & railings (either galvanised, painted or powder coated)
Corrosion of
Large Structures
Large structures ( such as storage tanks & bridges) have particular corrosion problems brought about by their
size and location. Often corrosion or coatings failures occur because
of adverse climatic conditions which occur during their construction process.
Failures can be a result of air borne contamination or pollution during
the prefabrication stage or during erection. Paint cracking, star cracking
or blistering commonly result. Corrosion driven by differential aeration
cells or long distance galvanic effects are common. Where there is ground
contact or stagnant conditions then microbial corrosion can occur.
Water Treatment Chemicals
Amtec has the capability to evaluate water treatment chemicals & inhibitors using both a.c. & d.c electrochemical polarisation techniques. Absolute corrosion rates can be also determined by conventional coupon methods.