Corrosion under insulation has been plaguing the industrial equipment since the 1970s energy crisis first prompted companies to reduce energy costs by insulating their equipment. Corrosion under insulation (or CUI) can be a major problem if left unchecked; CUI can cause massive damage that is expensive and dangerous.

CUI is caused by an accumulation of corrosive chemicals and minerals in water. Frequently, insulated equipment have certain points that are consistently hot enough to evaporate water. These are referred to as “dry out zones”. As water is exposed to these dry out zones, they evaporate and leave behind the corrosive minerals and chemicals dissolved in the water. These minerals and chemicals are absorbed into the pores of the insulation.

Dry out zones do not stay hot forever; during the normal equipment temperature fluctuations, dry out zones cool down. Water can then reach these corrosive deposits, at which point the minerals and chemicals begin to dissolve back into the water. This solution becomes very corrosive and can cause serious damage to your machinery. If this solution doesn’t vent, but instead is exposed to another dry out zone, the boiling of this solution is even more corrosive. As more water enters the insulation, more minerals and chemicals are added to the solution. The solution will become increasingly concentrated, accelerating the corrosive effects of the solution.

The elements that cause damage to your system are variable. One of the most common is salt. Salt by itself can be incredibly corrosive, especially when it reaches high concentrations. One unexpected source of corrosive elements is insulation itself. Due to the extreme circumstances insulation is exposed to, insulation is often treated with chemicals. These chemicals might help increase the heat hardiness, or make the insulation hydrophobic.

Ironically, the insulation made hydrophobic to help combat CUI can actually cause CUI. To save money, some companies rely on a hydrophobic coating on their insulation, instead of working with fully hydrophobic insulation. Hydrophobic coatings can be susceptible to cracking and the slightest crack can allow water to get inside the insulation. The hydrophobic coating, now surrounded by water, easily dissolves, putting chemicals that cause CUI into the water.

There are several ways to combat CUI. Perhaps the most obvious is to allow water to vent. In many instances, this can be as simple as providing a grommet at the lowest point of the insulation. For insulation that doesn’t have a clearly defined “low point”, such as horizontal jackets, several grommets must be used to ensure proper venting or draining.

Waterproofing insulation is another common way to combat corrosion. Unfortunately, such waterproofing can cause more harm than good. A completely waterproof system makes it extremely difficult for water to get into the insulation, but it also makes it hard for water to leave the insulation. Should any water end up inside the insulation, it goes through the evaporating cycle, depositing more and more corrosive elements at the dry out zone.

Additionally, a closed system prevents air from leaving. This basically makes the insulated machinery into a pressure cooker. An excessive amount of oxygen in boiling water further increases the corrosiveness of the boiling solution. Thus, relying on a full waterproof insulation system as your sole means of combating CUI might work for a time, but eventually will likely cost you.

For this reason, many insulation companies focus on a double approach. Having waterproof insulation not only helps prevent water from entering your insulation, the lack of pores helps water move quickly over the surface. This helps water clear dry out zones more quickly, allowing water to vent the insulation at a greater rate.

In some machinery, special care must be taken. Say you have a machine that accumulates water vertical of a dry out zone. If the machinery runs in such a way that there are few cool down times, water will just constantly run down to the dry out zone, boil away and deposit any minerals/chemicals onto the insulation. As more water runs down, these chemicals and minerals will dissolve into that water as it boils away, causing a corrosive environment. The water can never actually make it to the vent, thus CUI will still occur. In these instances, a insulation specialist can help determine the best way to vent water and thus prevent CUI.

If you suspect your machinery suffers from corrosion under insulation, the best course of action is to have a CUI inspection to determine the extent of the damage. Having Removable Pipe or Component Jacket insulation helps keep down inspection cost and time. In instances where high pressure machinery is used, CUI can cause a dangerous work environment as it weakens the integrity of your pipes. A CUI inspector will be able to determine the location and extent of CUI, which will help them determine the proper type of insulation needed to prevent further CUI complications.

When it comes to thermal mechanical insulation, there are three major types: insulation for cold equipment, insulation for hot equipment, and insulation for equipment to prevent freezing. Accurately choosing the correct insulation in all three instances can help keep your equipment working at its best and save you money.

We are often asked if there is a difference between hot insulation and cold insulation. To some degree there is. For example, heat conductive sources can provide surprising amounts of heat retention. Take, for example, a baked potato fresh out of the oven wrapped in new aluminum foil. This foil will help keep the potato hot longer. The same aluminum foil wrapped around an ice cube fresh out of the freezer, however, will not provide similar insulation.

While these differences can come into play with home improvement work (such as chimney and fireplace pieces which are often insulated with nothing but air and heat conductive layers), for industrial equipment the differences between hot and cold insulation are minimal. Our logic is simple: make the absolute best insulating jackets. If you make an insulation that effectively blocks the transfer of heat, it will work to both help retain and repel heat.

Our box-style thermal insulation jackets, both hot and cold, are made from an insulation blanket formed of silica Aerogel and is reinforced with a non-woven, glass-fiber batting. This sturdy core is the backbone of our insulation. This insulation is hydrophobic, and can handle a maximum temperature of 1200°F (650°C).

For non box type thermal insulation jackets, we may use a glass mat, type E needled fiber. This material is made from E-fiber glass that mechanically bonds to form a blanket insulation material. It can withstand extreme temperatures (1200°F or 650°C), has low shrinkage at high temperatures, and even helps with sound absorption.

For both types of insulation, we use PTFE Fiberglass Composite jacketing on both the interior and exterior sides. This jacketing can withstand high temperatures (a minimum of 550°F or 287°C), and when sewed together with special formulated high temperature thread, forms an impressive shell for our insulation.

The big difference between hot and cold insulation is in the jacket design. Cold insulation jackets need to be designed with more overlap and if possible, be more airtight. This will help with condensation and pipe sweating.

While our insulation is top notch, it sometimes can’t singlehandedly combat harsh winter weather. If you have outdoor parts that must be prevented from freezing, sometimes standard hot insulation isn’t enough. That’s why we make heated insulation that will keep your equipment frost free no matter how low the outside temperatures get. These jackets are made from our standard high quality insulation, but during production are installed with heat trace loops. These belt type loops are installed in the inner jacket to allow heat trace to be snaked through. For ease of use, these belt loop locations can be designed based on your needs.

Mostly, steam traps are automatic valves that discharge condensate and some non-condensable gasses. In a perfect world, they perform this task without consuming much live steam in the system. The most important functions a steam trap performs are the following:

1. They get rid of condensate as soon as it is formed
2. They get rid of non-condensable gasses

What Kinds of Steam Traps Are There?

There are three major types of steam traps.

1. Mechanical Traps (inverted bucket & Float and Thermostatic)
2. Thermodynamic Traps
3. Temperature Traps

Mechanical traps open and close based on the quantity of condensate trapped inside. A float rises when condensate levels increase and a mechanical linkage opens the steam trap valve so that it can drain. This is a rather straightforward process.
Temperature valves require expansion and contraction due to temperature change to function. Thermodynamic steam traps open and close as the surrounding static pressure changes. A fourth trap, Venturi trap, allow condensate to fully discharge while retaining most of the steam, so steam loss is negligible.

Monitoring Steam Traps Performance and Heat Loss

Because most types of steam traps rely on temperature change to work effectively, it is very important to closely monitor heat loss and heat retention in the steam traps. If steam traps are opening too frequently because of temperature volatility, it’s likely that the extra wear and tear will necessitate frequent replacement t. Conversely, if steam traps are not opening frequently enough and condensation is allowed to accumulate, this causes a whole other problem.

Most steam trap preventative maintenance programs are very labor intensive. They require field personnel to physically walk to the trap and take a temperature measurement at the inflow of the trap and at the condensate side of the trap. We all know usually what happens to preventative maintenance programs? The personnel is usually gravitating to maintenance and putting out fires instead of preventing them.

Wireless steam trap temperature monitoring equipment is one of the most cost effective ways to proactively monitor the steam traps in your plant. This can be performed using monitoring devises on the trap or monitoring the inside of a removable insulation jacket. The one benefit of having a sensor inside a removable insulation blanket is you are actually measuring the BTU savings as a result of that jacket. The insulating is actually paying for the monitoring.

Retrofitting old buildings with energy conserving upgrades can cost a significant amount of upfront capital. Even with the benefit of reduced energy costs and a high return on investment, the upfront cost can be prohibitively expensive.

This especially true for the Federal government and it’s many agencies, which has many properties in need of energy saving upgrades. To help combat energy waste via inefficient hardware, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 1992. This act allows Federal government and agencies to use private investments to upgrade their hardware through Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC).

An ESPC is a partnership between a Federal agency and an energy service company (ESCO). The ESCO conducts a comprehensive energy audit of the Federal agency’s facility and identifies areas where improvements would save energy and money. They then report these findings back to the Federal Agency. In consultation with the Federal agency, the ESCO designs and constructs a project that meets the agency’s needs and arranges the necessary funding. The ESCO guarantees that the improvements will generate energy cost savings. It’s from these energy cost savings that the initial cost is paid: the energy savings are paid back to the ESCO for the duration of the contract. Contract terms up to 25 years are allowed. After the contract ends, all additional energy savings go to the federal agency.

Mechanical Steam Insulation has been around as long as steam has been used to heat buildings. This insulation, if of the correct thickness and properly installed, helps prevent expensive heat from radiating off of your pipes. It has been estimated that between 10—30% of all installed mechanical insulation is either damaged or missing.

With such a high return on investment, one might wonder why companies don’t do more to ensure their insulation is properly installed. Often times, it’s simply because the initial cost of investment is greater than the available budget affords.

Products similar to ThermaXX’s Smart Jacket can help solve this problem. Facilities who install the removable smart insulation jacket can do so with no money out of pocket. The Smart Jacket calculates the savings and the ESCO, in this case ThermaXX, would share in the energy savings. This win-win situation helps companies upgrade their equipment with quality insulation jackets with no upfront money, and enables ThermaXX to provide their high quality insulation to companies who otherwise would have a hard time affording it.

These Smart Jackets will help ensure your company is saving money day and night. Smart Jackets monitor your equipment and report energy expenditure and savings. This data can be viewed remotely, allowing facility managers to effortlessly monitor equipment on the go. The installation is simple and allows wireless capabilities. Should a dramatic change occur in your equipment, ThermaXX’s Smart Jackets can send emails and messages to cellular phones reporting a problem.

ESPCs and steam pipe insulation via ThermaXX Smart Jackets can help get you the upgrades you need to help prevent you from wasting expensive heat without the upfront costs that are often prohibitively expensive.

Steam Trap Monitoring Equipment

When it comes to steam trap monitoring equipment, you have several options. Visual, Thermal and Ultrasonic steam trap monitoring systems exist, each having their own positives and negatives. Is constant monitoring important to you? Would you like remote heat monitoring options? Which type will work best with any insulation you have installed? Making the right decision can ensure your systems run smoothly and effectively.

Three Classes of Steam Trap Monitoring Devices

Sight glasses are perhaps the most basic type of steam trap monitoring device. Sight glasses allow visibility into the operation of the trap by being placed just upstream of the trap. There, you can see how the steam trap is operating. Sight glasses need to allow water to pass, while not getting clogged by dirt and air pockets, and must be fitted to ensure they do no discharge steam.

Ultrasonic listening devices respond to the sound of steam flowing through the traps. Any changes in the steam trap such as blockages or blowing live steam result in a change in the sound. This change is represented as a graph or as a change in the scale of the meter.

Thermal meters monitor the steam trap through a variety of ways. From infrared, to heat bands, to remotely monitored temperatures. For example, in remotely monitored temperatures, a sensor is placed in the insulation blanket measuring “insulated ambient” temperature of the steam going into the trap, temperature of the trap and temperature of the fluid exiting the trap.

Choosing a Steam Trap Monitoring System

There are positives and negatives for these testing systems. The Sight glass, while the least expensive, is the least reliable. It can be useful once a problem has already been established, but it is not effective for advanced warning. It is also prone to breakage due to some tight locations

Thermal and Ultrasonic meters are sometimes more costly in the short term than visual ones, but can be used for remote heat loss monitoring, and can alert you to troubles with your system before they get out of hand.

Another factor to understand is how these monitors work with any insulation you have installed. The sight glass, for example, would be difficult to use if it’s under a layer of insulation. For Thermal or Ultrasonic monitors, the technical components displaying the functionality of your steam trap might be hidden by the insulation. For remote heat loss monitoring, a monitor that signals might have difficulties signaling through the insulation or be unable to monitor heat loss outside of the insulation. This is why it is important to have the wireless antenna on the outside of the insulation.

For these reasons, it is often prudent to research options that include both the insulation and the steam trap monitoring in one package. These are formulated so that both components, the insulation and the heat monitoring, can function optimally.

Deciding on a steam trap monitoring system requires a close assessment the needs of your equipment in conjunction with the cost benefits of implementing the monitoring system. Therefore careful consideration of your unique situation is necessary to make the best decision for you and your business.

What are Pressure Reducing Valves?

Pressure reducing valves act as a means of energy conservation and as a safety precaution. As steam, liquids or gases flow at high pressure through various aspects of your industrial facilities equipment, a pressure reducing valve lowers the pressure as it passes through. The valve helps to match the particular application’s requirements, which in turn helps conserve energy needed to power the application that the valve is connected with. The valve also helps improve safety conditions within your buildings, limiting work related incidents for personnel and reducing damage to your other surrounding equipment.

Insulating with Removable Insulation Jackets

The steam, liquid and gases that the pressure reducing valves help pass along are witness to a variety of extreme hot and cold temperatures. Without the installation of insulation, heat loss will run rampant throughout your facilities. Heat loss is the expenditure of heat from your various piping systems that is causing undue wear and tear across your various systems of piping, which is losing you money. Installing removable insulation jackets is one of the most cost effective means of insulating your pressure reducing valve’s.

Why Removable Insulation Jackets?

Your pressure reducing valves experience a lot of friction and movement from the constant amounts of force traveling through them. On top of this damage being done to the valves, excessive heat loss can further hurt the valves stability in the long term. Because of these factors, removable insulation jackets are the perfect fit for your pressure reducing valve insulation needs. Extending the life of your equipment, preventing waste, saving energy and simple maintenance was never as easy without removable insulation jackets. Since they both insulate and can be removed at any time for ease of maintenance, they act as the most beneficial solution for your particular needs.

Pyrogel Insulation Material

Pyrogel insulation material is a reasonably flexible insulating material that can withstand temperatures of up to 650°C. It has been mostly used to insulate power generation equipment, aerospace equipment and fire protection equipment. Recently, Pyrogel is now being used in the manufacturing of insulation blankets.

1. Use in Power Generation Insulation: Extreme temperatures are often encountered in facilities generating power. In order to protect against these high temperatures, Pyrogel is utilized to be flexible, as to fit most equipment found in these facilities and robust, to protect the livelihood of equipment and employees.

2. Use in Aerospace Insulation: Pyrogel is used in shuttle launches to protect essential ship systems from excessive heat and fire damage. Since some types can withstand heat up to 650°C, this helps ensure the continued safety of the crew and surrounding equipment from any issues on takeoff or landing. It’s also extremely useful as an insulation shield for astronaut’s actual spacesuit. Just like a piping system in your facility needs protection from rising temperatures, as does an astronaut.

3. Use in Fire Protection Insulation: This material is often used in a fireman’s uniform to allow them to withstand the extreme temperatures of the infernos they must constantly put themselves through. It helps decrease fatalities of both firemen and the victims of accidental fires they’re trying to survive.

4. Use for Removable Insulation Jackets: Pyrogel is normally used when jackets are being manufactured for wet applications, exterior applications and high temperature where a low profile is advantageous. Although flexible, Pyrogel can cardboard (square/bend) on smaller jackets below a 2” radius. Typically Pyrogel works well for flanged valves, smaller valves that utilize a “box” design. Light weight and insulating properties allow reduced thickness of jackets and ultimately allow for a lighter jacket. Historically, lighter jackets are easier to install.

The important aspects of Pyrogel:

• Hydrophobic
• Light weight
• Not susceptible to metal corrosion
• Non-combustible

Needled Fiberglass Insulation Material

Needled fiberglass insulation is comprised of high purity E-Glass fibers. These fibers are mechanically engineered to be needled into high strength insulation materials. Needled fiberglass comes in a wide range of thickness, which relatively lightweight, strong and highly efficient. When used in insulation, it can withstand high heat environments for long periods of time. It does not withstand the same temperature extremes as Pyrogel insulation because it can only withstand temperatures of 538°C during continuous use. Yet, it can also withstand higher coefficients of sound absorption for removable insulation covers.

The important aspects of needled fiberglass:

• Completely durable
• Robust resistance to wear & tear
• Absorbs odor
• Vibration resistance
• Sound absorption qualities
• Not susceptible to metal corrosion
• Non-combustible