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Mothballing Guide
Mothballing Guide
Mothballing Guide
A result of the coronavirus crisis is that across much of industry, valuable equipment
could lie unused for months. Bernie Price, president of Polaris Veritas, explains how to
preserve it so that you can reactivate production quickly and without undue cost when the
time comes
The Covid-19 virus has wreaked havoc with the global economy, forcing closure and
immobilisation of plant and equipment worth billions of dollars. Typically most
organisations’ actions have been taken hastily as a knee-jerk reaction to the crisis. This
can result in diminished value, or even destruction of the value of assets, which can
preclude the possibility of reactivating them once business rebounds.
However all is not lost if a little informed action described here is taken. A contingency
plan can be made even if we don’t know the duration of this forced shutdown.
Here’s how to go about mothballing your equipment so it can readily be reactivated when
the time comes.
Primary action
Write and communicate a mothball plan based on time – one month; six months; 12
months; three years and so on.
Engaging in a well-planned process of deactivation/mothballing can pay off whether the
intention is to reactivate or sell the assets. If properly prepared for shutdown, the
equipment and facilities (including buildings, distribution systems and even
organisational teams) can retain most of their value with just a little forethought.
Be aware of the need for routine reporting of “fitness for purpose” and condition of safety
systems. Remember the odds are that the facility or plant will be restarted by some third
party, not you.
In my experience through three boom/bust phases in the process industries and energy
over 40 + years, 75% of idled facilities and plants were reactivated in some form.
The approach
The enemy: –
A useful analogy in developing a mothballing strategy is to consider how plants fend off
fire hazards by eliminating one of the fire triangle’s three elements – that is, heat, a fuel
source and oxygen. Similarly, in mothballing, at least one of the three enemies of age-
related deterioration mentioned above must be removed – 1. galvanic action, 2. a
conducting medium or electrolyte, and 3. oxygen.
Materials and equipment that can be used for covering or protecting surfaces are:
Simple liquid protective waxes and liquid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coatings. These
can be sprayed on to any clean, dry surface to protect it. Light waxes are chosen
for surfaces where subsequent removal process such as high-pressure washing
might damage the substrate. PVC will form a tough, flexible and waterproof skin
that will withstand temperature extremes, thermal shock, differential substrate
movement and impingement, even when sprayed onto webbing to form a
cocoon.
Heat-shrinkable desiccant plastic films. Such films containing desiccants are ideal
for enclosing individual machines that have been cleaned and dried.
VCI-covered polyethylene films. These suit wrapping individual smaller
components.
Volatile phase/corrosion inhibitors (VPI/VCIs). Such materials generate protective
vapours even at room temperature. They come in a number of convenient forms,
including time-release vaporisers, sprays, plastic bags and films, powders, oil
additives (see VSIs below) and coatings. They are adsorbed (just a few molecules
thick) on metallic surfaces of equipment and can prevent corrosion for up to two
years.
They actually have surprisingly low vapour pressures and are solid or liquid at room
temperature. Though there are many chemical compounds in use, the most common form
of VPI is a salt of an amine (such as the carbonate salt of dicyclohexylamine) and a weak
acid. Research has shown that they work by disassociation of the amine and the acid; the
two volatile components then recombine on the metal surfaces.
While most VCIs are environmentally friendly and create no safety hazards for employees,
some are suspected of being harmful. Most contain no toxic substances such as nitrates,
chromates or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). (Note: products containing VOCs
shouldn’t be used in combination with a desiccant.)
Vapour space inhibitors (VSIs). These concentrates can be added to lubricating oil
systems (in internal combustion engines and the like) when equipment isn’t
going to be completely filled. They essentially boil at ambient temperatures to
exclude air, leaving an oily residue.
Chemical inhibitors. Incorporated into liquids, they remove unwanted products
while preferentially inhibiting their attack on the body of the container. (Anti-
freeze sometimes used in mothballing contains them.)
Biocides. Such materials prevent microbial growths in water and fuels such as
gasoline and diesel fuel.
Electro-chemical protection
Sacrificial anodes: Best known for their use on ships these are usually made of materials
such as magnesium or aluminium. In industry these are used in tanks that can’t be
drained of their contents.
Removing oxygen
Chemical oxygen scavengers. These compounds are added to fresh water used to displace
more corrosive liquids in systems that can’t be effectively cleaned or dried out
Removing moisture (Conducting medium)
Desiccants. Numerous solids can be used to absorb water from gases (air) or liquids.
Dehumidifiers. Such equipment removes moisture by one of two methods, the refrigeration
principle or two-cycle rotary (wheel) heated desiccant absorption. These are simple from
an engineering point of view but tactically complex to implement.
As a simple example of how effective dehumidifiers can be, friends who have left one
running in older homes vacated for the winter report a 100% improvement in the
condition of their properties on return in spring.
Because the individuals doing the initial deactivation often aren’t those who’ll be doing
the reactivation, take pictures, encourage the team to visibly identify various components
and equipment condition, even if this is just by using chalk or felt tip pens.
In your preservation plan explicitly prohibit removal of parts, essential systems or people
familiar with the facility: you will have a head start over the opposition. I vividly recall the
experience of a major US chemical manufacturer after it shut down a product line in the
1960s. Other operations on site began to purloin critical parts to keep themselves going.
When the market recovered four years later, little of the plant was left to restart. The
company was forced to exit the market for that product.
Hardware
Now, getting into the detail of specific equipment and hardware in use. Consider a plant in
Europe or the central US that could restart in from six to nine months to perhaps several
years. Please note this is only a guide and isn’t intended to be comprehensive in any way.
Tanks, pressure vessels and pipework. In all cases ensure these are as clean and dry as
possible. Insert line blinds to create manageable zones that can be slightly pressurised
(0.5+ psig) using nitrogen or dry air. Provide a small flow and arrange for some simple
telltale mechanism to show pressure, flow and level of humidity (such as indicator cards).
Boilers. These can be laid up using one of two methods either – long-term dry or wet
hydrazine. The latter involves leaving the wet side of the boiler, economiser and
superheater – full of treated feed water (dosed with 15% hydrazine, a proprietary
solution, and then pH adjusted to raise alkalinity to a minimum pH of 8.3) while supplying
the fireside with heated air with desiccant as a backup.
Both waterside and fireside points should have new gaskets, except for furnace hot-air
entry inspection and exit points.
Pumps, engines, compressors and machinery. To minimise internal corrosion, close off all
vents and openings and completely fill the casing with the manufacturer’s recommended
lubricant. Alternatively, add VPI in the correct proportion to the lubricating oil.
For large compressors, turbines, and the like, use a portable filtration cart with water-
absorbing elements to remove any free water in existing oil soon after shutdown.
For diesel and gasoline engines, drain fuel systems and add biocide to remaining fuel to
prevent growth of bioslime.
To minimise external corrosion, spray either a light wax or liquid PVC on unpainted
surfaces.
Instruments and controls. Maintain the driest possible conditions for both electronics and
external field devices, including sensors, transmitters and valves, by strategically placing
desiccant packages and sealing the enclosures. Supplement this by putting small
containers of VCI.
Instruments that would normally be in contact with process materials should be removed,
cleaned, protected and marked for immediate local storage.
Electrical enclosures. Seal and insert bags or wraps of desiccants or containers of VCI.
Alternatively, heat using individual strip or built-in heaters.
Motors and generators. Clean exterior, grease and apply protective covering. Lift carbon
brushes from commutators/slip rings. Where sleeve-type bearings are fitted, add VPI
concentrate to the lubrication system. Include packets of desiccants if completely sealing a
unit.
Auxiliaries. Don’t forget that in most cases fire protection systems and alarms still need to
be maintained and powered up. It should be noted that fires are common in dried-out
wooden cooling towers. If batteries are used, disconnect them and smear terminals with
petroleum jelly. Fully charge vented-type lead-acid batteries, then drain and flush them
with distilled water.
It makes sense to think strategically about deactivation. Proven techniques can preserve
the functionality and value of assets for a small outlay, albeit at a time of extreme
financial pressure. Proper mothballing can pay off substantially, whether an operating
company aims to eventually restart, sell or dispose of its assets.
Bernie Price is president of consultancy Polaris Veritas Inc. His current activities include
assessments of organisations and plant related to Due Diligence, Error Proofing and
Organisational Efficiency for several chemical process plants.