CUI Corrosion Resistance Description | Traditional insulation materials Vs Aerogel Blanket

Main Factor of CUI: Moisture, A Huge Impact on Attenuation at Pipeline

• Most of the materials used for insulation are inorganic and contain large amounts of inorganic salts, such as: chlorides, fluorides, sulphides, etc.
• Usually, traditional insulation materials are loose porous structures, with a strong ability to absorb water, once the outer protection of the insulation layer is broken, insulation materials will quickly absorb the surrounding water vapor, forming a high humidity corrosive environment, accelerating the occurrence of corrosion.

Mechanism of the effect of water on heat loss in insulation systems

• DN250, Inner Temp. 300 °C
• External 100 mm rock wool, normal heat loss: 150W/m
• External insulation wet storage
• Invisible process of stealing energy from the insulation
  • Pipeline temperature from inside to outside, from high to low
  • At 100 °C, the moist water evaporates into water vapor
  • Water vapor takes away internal heat and spreads continuously to the outside of the insulation layer
  • Condensation in the outer insulation layer
  • Condensate flows along the pipe and is consumed
  • Internal evaporation cycle takes away internal heat (repeated cycle)
  • Heat loss from moist pipe insulation: 215 W/m (+45% more)

95% of heat loss is due to humidity

• 83% CUI occurs on the pipeline
• Heat loss due to insulation breakage up to 8 times
• 50% of all industrial equipment safety incidents are due to ageing causes such as corrosion
• Up to 40% of pipeline maintenance costs are due to CUI
• Gradual increase in energy consumption after project commissioning
• Organic materials can not meet both fire and temperature resistance

Strengths of Aerogel, Lower Lambda

• The thinner the insulation of a material with a lower thermal conductivity for the same insulation conditions.
• Numerous case studies have proven that applied Aerogel Blanket at 30%-40% of the thickness of traditional materials, reduces heat loss by 20%-40% and results in better energy savings.