A step by step approach in CUI inspection ensures no area in the plant is left unattended.

It saves
both money and time required for inspection by allowing the inspector to concentrate his time on
most critical locations. Steps followed in the CUI inspection plan of a typical process plant is
explained in the following section. I hope this will work as a guide line to develop CUI
inspection plans for individual plants.

 STEP 1 : IDENTIFY EQUIPMENT PRONE TO CUI

Not all the insulated equipments are susceptible to CUI. So the first step in any CUI inspection is
identifying the potential equipments. Points considered at this stage are the material of
construction and operating temperature of equipment:

MATERIAL OF THE EQUIPMENT

In the case of insulated Carbon Steel (CS) equipments, trapped water along with contaminants
act as an electrolyte on the surface. As a result general corrosion occurs on equipment surface
which slowly lead to the failure of equipment if remained unattended.

 In the case of Austenitic and duplex stainless steel CUI occurs in the form of SCC (Stress
Corrosion Cracking) due to increased chlorine concentration.

OPERATING TEMPERATURE OF EQUIPMENT

Insulation makes a closed environment on metal surface. This over saturates the air trapped
inside insulation. Also it is proved that in long term, all equipment works in cyclic temperature
range. These aspects widen the temperature range under which CUI happens.

 API 571 - Damage mechanisms affecting refinery equipments gives the temperature range of
CUI as

 10°F (–12°C) and 350°F (175°C) for carbon and low alloy steels,
 140ºF (60°C) and 400ºF (205°C) for austenitic stainless steels and
duplex stainless steels
So in first step, equipments are classified as per material of construction. The equipments falls
under above temperature range are susceptible to CUI with temperature range of 49 0C to 93 0C
being the most severe environment. Also equipments working in cyclic temperature range and
equipments which are down for long time demand special attention.

 STEP2 : DETERMINE THE PURPOSE OF THE INSULATION

SYSTEM
Insulation systems are provided for heat conservation, process requirement, personal protection
and noise reduction. Identify the purpose of insulation. With the help of process and operating
department, understand the process environment.

 Insulation for personal safety is applicable where exposed surface temperatures exceed 65 0C in
normal or short term operating conditions. As per refinery standards exposed surfaces located
within 600mm horizontally or 2100mm vertically of a normal access, walkway work area are to
be insulated.

 Also contact process department to determine insulation removal is possible in any of the
systems. Some time insulation removal can lead to more corrosion (for eg – corrosion due to
condensation) or process upsets. But there are instances where entire insulation is removed due
to change in process conditions.

STEP 3: IDENTIFY THE COATING SYSTEM UNDER INSULATION

Till 80s, industry did not understand that the environment under insulation was going to be
almost like immersion conditions so the correct type of coating was not used. As a result almost
none of the surface under insulation older than 15 years is properly protected from CUI. Now it
is widely accepted that protective coatings under insulation are the most effective method for
preventing CUI.

Different types of coatings are available for different materials and temperature range (Refer
Annexure 2). Repair or over coating of an installed system requires evaluation of existing
coating that remains on the substrate. Identification of type of coating under insulation will give
some idea of CUI happening on metal surface. So proper documentation of type of coating
applied is essential for effective inspection against CUI of equipment in future.

Some of the points noted are;

 Average life of most of the coatings under insulations is observed to be

around 8 years.
 Inorganic zinc coatings or galvanizing shall not be used under thermal
insulation in the 50 to 150°C (120° to 300°F) service temperature range
for long-term or cyclic service. Zinc provides inadequate corrosion
resistance in closed, sometimes wet environments.
 Thermally sprayed aluminum coatings have performed successfully in
marine and high temperature environments
 The coating systems recommended for use on carbon steel operating
below 150°C (300°F) under thermal insulation are typically tank lining
systems formulated to prevent corrosion.
 Austenitic Stainless Steel coating system shall not contain free, soluble
chlorides or other halides after curing to prevent SCC. Similarly the
 coating shall not contain zinc, lead, copper, or their compounds due to
the risk of liquid metal cracking.
 Aluminum foil wrapping has been used to prevent ESCC of stainless
steel under insulation
From the above data it is clear that insulations having inorganic zinc coating need more attention
than thermally sprayed aluminum coatings. Similarly austenitic stainless steel systems without
aluminum coating require more attention.

STEP 4: ASSESS AGE AND APPEARANCE OF INSULATION

SYSTEM
It is observed that average life of most of the coatings under insulation is around 8 years where
as a properly maintained insulations lasts for 15 years. So even if insulation appears damage free,
corrosion can start on metal surface due to coating damage if the age of insulating system is
more than 8 years. At the same time if the insulation cladding is damaged chances are more for
water ingress which accelerates CUI. So even though age is the primary concern, appearance of
insulation system also needs to be considered during inspection.

STEP 5: DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF INSULATION REMOVAL

 From the above 4 steps, systems which are most susceptible for CUI can be identified. Once
these systems are identified, next step is the direct inspection of equipments by insulation
removal. For this purpose the most critical area of insulation in the equipment should be located.

As per API 570, if external coverings are in good condition and there is no reason to suspect
damage behind them, it is not necessary to remove them for inspection of the equipment. But
CUI damage is often quite insidious in that it can occur in areas where it seems unlikely. So it is
always advisable to remove some insulation from the most critical areas as a part of CUI
inspection

 Following general steps can be followed to determine the extent of insulation removal for direct
inspection of CUI of any insulated equipment.

 Remove all the inspection windows are access the condition of the
surface under the window. Special consideration to be given on the
condition of the coating under insulation. If the coating under the
inspection window is good then it is an indication of less CUI in the
system.
 If there is indication of coating damage or starting of general corrosion
under inspection window some insulation can be removed from the
 most critical areas. Effect of design, external factors, site condition and
CUI history of the equipment (or similar equipment) shall be
considered to identify the critical areas of CUI. As per various refinery
standards and observations, locations in insulated equipments where
CUI can mostly be found are enlisted below.

EFFECT OF DESIGN
 

1. Equipments with vapor barriers, weatherproofing or protrusions

through the insulation or at insulation termination points such as
flanges.
2. Equipment designed with insulation support rings welded directly to
the vessel wall; particularly around ladder and platform clips, and
lifting lugs, nozzles and stiffener rings.
3. Locations where moisture/water will naturally collect (gravity
drainage) before evaporating (insulation support rings on vertical
equipment) and improperly terminated fireproofing.
4. Dead legs (vents, drains, and other similar items).
5. Pipe hangers and other supports.
6. Valves and fittings (irregular insulation surfaces).
7. Bolted-on pipe shoes.
8. Steam tracer tubing penetrations.
9. Termination of insulation at flanges and other piping components.
10. Insulation jacketing seams located on the top of horizontal piping
or improperly lapped or sealed insulation jacketing.
11. Termination of insulation in a vertical pipe.
12. Low points in piping systems that have a known breach in the
insulation system, including low points in long unsupported piping
runs.
13. Carbon or low-alloy steel flanges, bolting, and other components
under insulation in high-alloy piping systems.
14. The first few feet of a horizontal pipe run adjacent to the bottom
of a vertical run
 

 CONDITION OF INSULATION SYSTEM

1. Locations in the piping system/ equipment where insulation is damaged

2. Piping or equipment with damaged/leaking steam tracing.
3. Localized damage at paint and/or coating systems
4. Piping or equipment with damaged/leaking steam tracing.
5. Vibrating piping systems that have a tendency to inflict damage to
insulation jacketing providing a path for water ingress.
6. Caulking that has hardened, has separated, or is missing.
7. Bulges or staining of the insulation or jacketing system or missing
bands. (Bulges may indicate corrosion product buildup.)
8. Locations where insulation plugs have been removed to permit piping
thickness measurements
9. Locations having soil to air interference

 EFFECT OF EXTERNAL FACTORS

1. Rainfall
2. Drift from cooling towers
3. Condensate falling from cold service equipment
4. Steam discharge
5. Process liquids spillage
6. Spray from fire sprinklers, deluge systems and wash-downs
7. Marine environment/ proximity of sea
8. Proximity of chlorine containing process units
 These points should be considered while doing inspection removal. As per OISD standards
insulation removal can be carried out on sample basis in such a way that all the identified
locations get inspected at least once in 12 years. Inspection frequencies can also be followed as
per annexure 1. Inspector can decide on the extent of insulation removal to carry out thickness
survey and to assess the pipe surface condition as per the frequency stipulated for the pipeline
based on its service.
As a general practice for piping, insulation is opened at the support locations and at elbows, tees
and every ten meters interval if operating temperature is below 150 0C. If operating temperature
is above 150 0C insulation pockets are removed for ultrasonic thickness gauging.

Similarly for Columns / vessels / heat exchangers;

 Insulation is opened at the top dish and at insulation support rings in

top zone in CUI prone zone.
 Insulation is removed from top shell up to operating temperatures 150 0
 In all the vertical columns and vessels, insulation is opened at the
nozzles/ manways and at sample Pockets for UT (Ultrasonic thickness)
measurements
 In horizontal vessels, insulation is removed at sample areas where
detachment is seen.
 In the equipment sections operating above 150 0C, the insulation
pockets are removed for ultrasonic thickness gauging.

 STEP
6: INSPECTION PLAN FOR AREAS WHERE INSULATION
REMOVAL IS NOT PRACTICAL

 When insulation removal is not practical, suitable NDT methods can be used. Piping under non
accessible culverts, long stretch of pipe lines where insulation removal is not cost effective etc
includes in this list. Some of the NDT methods that can be used are Long Range Ultrasonic
Testing (LRUT), Pulsed Eddy Current Technique (PEC) and profile radiography.

Long Range Ultrasonic Testing (LRUT) can be used for pipeline inspection where operating
temperature is less than 125 Deg C. A small band of insulation needs to be removed for
mounting array of UT transducers band in LRUT technique. It scans the pipeline longitudinally
on both sides of transducer ring using guided ultrasonic waves. This technique gives the cross-
sectional metal loss of pipelines. Technique is suitable for long straight length pipe.

Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) may be deployed without removal of insulation on both equipment
& pipelines and average metal wall thickness of the location below the insulation can be
measured. PEC technique may also be used for inspection of fire proofing, skirts/pipelines.
Necessary caution to be taken when PEC is used at projections like nozzle, stiffener ring etc as
the projection also generates additional eddy current.

Profile radiography may be used for measuring thickness without removing insulation.
Cordoning of the area for radiography is the main disadvantage.

 STEP 7 (FINAL STAGE): Further action can be taken after accessing the condition of
metal surface exposed by the above guidelines. If the metal surface is found to be in good
condition there is no need for further removal of insulation. But if there is indication of CUI,
inspector should access the extent of CUI damage and if necessary, action to be taken for
extensive removal of insulation.