Projects Engineering Department

Engineering Standard

BES-L003
Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

Contents

1.0 SCOPE.......................................................................................... 3
2.0 MATERIALS .................................................................................. 3
3.0 APPLICATION............................................................................... 4
4.0 INSPECTION ................................................................................ 6
5.0 COATING REPAIR ........................................................................ 8
6.0 QUALITY CONTROL TESTS......................................................... 9
7.0 HANDLING & STORAGE PROCEDURES................................... 10
APPENDIX I - BEND TEST PROCEDURE............................................ 11
APPENDIX II - FOAM STRUCTURE TEST PROCEDURE..................... 12

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BES-L003
Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

REVISION RECORD

Date Originator Reviewed Approved Description

12/09/05 ESD AMA NMI For Implementation

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BES-L003
Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

1.0 SCOPE

1.1 GENERAL

This Standard covers the minimum material application, handling and testing requirements for fusion bonded
epoxy (FBE) coatings applied on the external surface of pipe and bends. The term pipe, used hereinafter, shall
include bends as well as pipes.

1.2 CONFLICTING REQUIREMENTS

Several testing and surface preparation standards are referenced in this Standard. The latest editions of these
standards shall be considered a part of this document. In case of conflict, this Standard will take precedence over
the referenced documents.

1.3 INDUSTRY STANDARDS

Fusion bonded epoxy shall conform to the following specifications, except as supplemented in this Standard. The
latest published industry standard shall be used.

1.3.1 Steel Structure Painting Council (SSPC)

SSPC-SP1 Surface Preparation

SSPC-SP10 Near-White Metal Blast
SSPC-VIS-1 Pictorial Surface Preparation Standards for Painting Steel Surfaces.

1.3.2 National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)

RP-02-74 Recommended Practice, High Voltage Electrical Inspection of Pipeline Coating Prior to
Installation.
RP-04-90 Recommended Practice, Holiday Detection of FBE External Pipeline Coating of 10-30mils

2.0 MATERIALS

2.1 PIPE/BENDS

Pipes/bends shall be supplied without varnish or mill lacquers.

2.2 COATING

Shop-applied external coating material shall be a powdered resin for application by the fusion-bonded process.

External FBE coating brand shall be one of the following:

− BASF - BASEPOX - POWDER - PE - 1003

− 3M 206N
− International Interpon HD 3005
− NAP-GARD Mark X
− Jotun EP-F10031D
− Lilly Pipeclad

2.3 BATCH INFORMATION

2.3.1 Each container of powdered coating materials used by the Applicator shall be marked with the following
information:

− The manufacturer's name

− The material identification number
− The batch number
− Date of manufacture

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Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

− The shelf life and storage temperature limits

Materials shall be supplied by the applicator.

2.3.2 The manufacturer of the fusion bond epoxy shall supply the information listed below for each batch of powder.
Standards for comparison shall also be provided for each item. This information will be used to check that no
changes have been made in the epoxy formulation.

− Infrared scan of powder and typical powder scans for comparison

− Gel time at recommended application temperature
− Particle size distribution

2.3.3 Coating powder shall be segregated by batch numbers during shipment, storage and handling. Batches shall be
used consecutively during coating application and shall not be mixed except when necessary to keep the coating
process continuous.

2.3.4 No powder stored beyond the manufacturer's recommended shelf life shall be used for coating pipes/bends.

2.4 REPAIR MATERIALS

2.4.1 Materials for touch-up or repairs shall be original powder, the manufacturer's two-part epoxy repair material, or
other compatible material approved by the powder manufacturer.

2.4.2 Coating and repair materials shall be stored, handled, and applied in strict accordance with the manufacturer's
specifications or as directed by an authorized manufacturer's representative.

See Section 5.2 for more information on repair materials and their use.

3.0 APPLICATION

3.1. GENERAL

3.1.1 The fusion bonded epoxy coating shall be applied in accordance with the coating manufacturer's application
procedures. The Applicator must have a copy of these procedures at the site where the coating is being applied.
Any deviation from the coating manufacturer's application procedures shall be submitted to the Company
Inspector for prior approval.

3.1.2 It shall be the Applicator's responsibility to stop the coating process at any time when conditions may exist that
might adversely affect the coating quality. The Company inspector may reject any product not proven by the
Applicator to comply with this specification.

3.1.3 Proper equipment for the handling, unloading, and temporary storage of bare pipes/bends shall be used to avoid
any damage to bare pipe/bend ends or obliteration of pipe/bend markings.

3.1.4 The finished coating shall have a cutback at each end of the pipe/bend. The length of the cutback shall be 2
inches minimum, 3 inches maximum, measured from the end of the pipe/bend. If coating materials accumulate
within these areas, the cutback areas shall be buffed free of coating material.

3.2 SURFACE PREPARATION

3.2.1 Prior to abrasive cleaning, all oil, grease, salts, and other deleterious materials shall be removed by solvent
cleaning in accordance with SSPC SP1 or by detergent washing or steam cleaning. No residue that will affect
adhesion shall be left on the surface.

The pipe/bend shall be preheated prior to blast cleaning to a temperature at least 5 degrees in excess of the dew
point or higher if recommended by coating manufacturer or Applicator. All pipe/bend shall be preheated in a
uniform manner to avoid distortion of the pipe/bend.

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Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

3.2.3 All external surfaces to be coated shall be cleaned to a near-white metal finish in accordance with Specification
SSPC SP10. Abrasive cleaning on steel pipe/bend surface shall have a slightly angular pattern. Particle hardness
and size distribution of the blasting medium employed shall be continually controlled by screening to ensure that
the surface profile after cleaning shall have a nominal height of 2.0 mils, with a minimum height of 1.5 mils, and
a maximum height of 3.0 mils as measured by Testex Press-O-Film replication tape and SSPC-VIS-1. All
cleaning shall be done in such a manner that bevelled ends will not be damaged.

3.2.4 For consistent surface finish, a stabilized working mix shall be maintained by frequent small additions of new
abrasive commensurate with consumption; infrequent large additions shall be avoided.

3.2.5 The working abrasive mix shall be maintained clean of contaminants by continuous effective operations of
cleaning machine scalping and air wash separators.

3.2.6 After abrasive cleaning and before coating, the surface to be coated shall be carefully inspected for metal defects,
which may affect coating application, i.e. scabs, slivers, gouges or laminations. The Applicator shall be
responsible for the repair of any defects, which can be repaired by filing or grinding of the repair and for
restoring the anchor pattern at the locations of such repairs when the size of the repair exceeds 3 inches in any
direction. The tools and manner employed to remove metal defects shall not contaminate the surface. Any
ground area larger than 50 cm2 may be locally reblasted.

3.2.7 If the profile is destroyed over a single area greater than 24 in² or over a total area greater than 0.5% of a pipe
joint, the pipe shall be re-blasted at no expense to the Company.

3.2.8 Surface preparation shall not reduce the pipes wall thickness below the minimum required by the pipe/bend
specification.

3.2.9 After surface preparation is complete and before heating the pipe/bend, pressurized air or vacuum shall be used
to remove all loose abrasive, metal or other contaminating particles. Both the exterior and interior of the
pipe/bend shall be cleaned. The air shall be properly filtered to be clean and dry so as not to contaminate the
pipe.

Note: One of the biggest surface preparation problems is blasting dust that falls back onto the pipe. This dust
must be removed before the FBE will adhere to the pipe/bend surface.

3.2.10 Total elapsed time between cleaning and coating of the cleaned surface shall be kept to a minimum to avoid the
formation of oxides on the surface. Oxidation of the steel prior to coating in the form of "blooming" or other
apparent oxide formation is not acceptable. Visual formation of such oxides shall require the pipe to be re-
cleaned prior to coating. Any pipe/bend not coated within three hours after cleaning shall be completely re-
cleaned (before coating) at Applicator's expense.

3.3. HEATING

3.3.1 Before coating, the pipe/bend shall be heated so that its temperature is within the application temperature range
recommended by the coating manufacturer when it reaches the coating application area. The temperature shall
not exceed 500 °F. Oxidation (blueing) of the steel is not acceptable. Pipe/bend heated above 500 °F shall be
replaced by the Applicator at his expense.

3.3.2 The furnace atmosphere shall be such that the clean pipe/bend surfaces are not contaminated.

3.3.3 The temperature of the pipe/bend shall be monitored continuously and recorded by means of thermometers
and/or optical pyrometers.

3.3.4 For accurate control of pipe/bend temperature, the pipe/bend shall be periodically checked with "Tempilstik"
heat-indicating crayons or other suitable devices, provided that the amount of material deposited and the length
of marks will be limited to 1/8 inch wide by 1/2 inch long. The Tempilstik marks shall be wire brushed from the
pipe/bend surface before application of the coating.

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Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

3.4. COATING APPLICATION

3.4.1 The pipe/bend shall be coated while its surface temperature is within the manufacturer's recommended
temperature limits.

3.4.2 The coating shall be applied to produce a uniform coating dry film thickness (DFT) of 20 mils (500µm). The
tolerance on the thickness shall be ±3 mils (75 µm) for pipe coating and +10 mils (250 µm) or – 3 mils (-75 µm)
for bend coating. Any coating area not conforming to the said tolerance limits will be a cause for rejection of that
pipe joint/bend.

3.4.3 Powder batches shall not be mixed together except as necessary to keep the coating process continuous. The
Applicator shall record all batch numbers used along with other information necessary for the Company
Inspector to relate the powder batches to the pipe joints/bends on which it was applied. No batch of powder shall
be applied prior to the Company having in its possession all of the required batch information and having
accepted the powder.

3.4.4 The use of recycled powder is permitted, provided that it has not been contaminated, has not been heat affected,
and is continuously recovered and reprocessed through magnetic separators. It shall be uniformly mixed with
new virgin powder.

3.4.5 Manufacturer's recommendations for full curing shall be followed. The curing reaction of the coating must be
completed prior to any forced cooling. Forced cooling of the pipe to facilitate inspection and repair may be
conducted after the coating has completely cured.

3.4.6 The cured coating shall be of uniform colour and gloss and shall be free of blisters, pinholes, fish eyes, sags or
runs and any other irregularities.

3.4.7 Any coating which, in Company representative's judgement, has not been applied in conformance with these
specifications shall be rejected.

4.0 INSPECTION

4.1 GENERAL

4.1.1 The Applicator shall perform all inspection necessary to assure surface preparation and coating application in
compliance with the requirements of this specification. All work shall be subject to Company inspection. All
batch information requested in item 2.3 and application procedures recommended by manufacturer should be
submitted to Company Inspector before commencement of work.

4.1.2 The Applicator shall notify the Company representative not less than five days in advance of the start of each
production run and shall provide him with a detailed time schedule to permit him to witness all processing and
testing phases according to an approved inspection and test plan (ITP).

4.1.3 The Company's Inspector shall be the final authority on the acceptability of surface preparation and coating
application.

4.1.4 The Company's Inspector shall have access to each part of the process and shall have the right and opportunity to
witness any of the quality control tests and/or to perform such tests himself on a random sampling basis.

4.1.5 The Company's Inspector shall have the right to halt the coating of pipe/bend pending alterations or corrections
to the process to correct all faults found in the work that result in failure of the work to conform to these
specifications.

4.1.6 The coating Applicator shall keep the records indicated in Table 1 below and submit these records to Company
Inspector daily for verifications to the Company's satisfaction.

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Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

TABLE 1

Required Records

COATING / REQUIRED
INSPECTION STEP FREQUENCY
Surface Profile Check three locations per pipe joint / bend:
a) At beginning of each eight-hour shift and every two hours throughout the
shift.
b) Whenever any change in abrasive type or blast pressure is made.
(See Section 4.2).
Thickness Five measurements per joint of pipe/bend.
(See Section 4.4)
Repaired Holidays 100% inspected. Record number of repaired holidays per joint / bend.
(See Section 4.5.5)

Note: Company Inspectors need to review the work and the record submittals in a timely way in order to correct
errors.

4.2 SURFACE PREPARATION

4.2.1 Surface cleanliness shall be judged against both written (NACE No. 2, SSPC-SP10) and visual (NACE TM-01,
SSPC VIS-1) standards. Surface cleanliness must be inspected constantly.

4.2.2 The surface profile shall be checked at the beginning of every eight-hour shift and every two hours throughout
the shift (See Paragraph 3.2.3). The anchor pattern shall be determined at three different places on the pipe/bend
joint. The readings shall be recorded. Anchor patterns shall also be checked if abrasive material or blast pressure
is changed and after grinding of surface defects.

4.3 PREHEAT TEMPERATURES

Optical pyrometers and/or thermometers shall be used to assure correct pipe temperature (See Section 3.3).
Tempilstiks may be used to check accuracy of the pyrometers and/or thermometers, but their use must be
minimized (See Section 3.3.3).

4.4 THICKNESS

4.4.1 The dry coating thickness of each pipe joint/bend shall be measured using a non-destructive magnetic or
electronic thickness gage. The gage shall be calibrated twice per eight-hour shift using coating thickness
calibration standards with traceability to an international standard.

4.4.2 A minimum of five (5) measurements randomly distributed along the length of each joint of pipe/bend shall be
made and recorded, with notation of the minimum, maximum, and predominant thickness measured.

4.4.3 Any joint of pipe/bend with a measured thickness less than that specified in this specification shall be rejected.
Refer to Section 5 for procedures to recoat rejected pipe.

Note: All parties should use the same thickness gage.

4.5 HOLIDAY DETECTION

4.5.1 All coated pipe/bend shall be 100% inspected for holidays. Either a pulsating or a non-pulsating spiral coil or
wet sponge detector is acceptable, provided it meets and is operated according to the requirements in NACE
Recommended Practice RP-02-74/RP-04-90. If available use NACE "Holiday Detection of FBE of 10-30 mils".
Use 100-125 volts/mil or as recommended by the coating manufacturer. The holiday detector shall have an
audible alarm.

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Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

4.5.2 The holiday detector voltage shall be measured and recorded every hour with a calibrated DC voltmeter. The
holiday detector shall be recalibrated after recording its voltage or during noticeable changes in handling.

4.5. The detector electrode shall be in direct contact with the entire surface of the coating being inspected. There shall
be no gaps in the electrode or separations between the electrode and the surface of the coating, including the
surfaces on either side of the longitudinal seam of the pipe.

4.5.4 The travel rate of the detector's electrode shall not exceed 1 foot/second and shall not be allowed to remain
stationary while the power is on. Refer to NACE RP-02-74/RP-04-90 to determine rate of travel.

4.5.5 All holidays and other coating defects, including without limitation primer blister, excess powder mounds,
crazed coating, lifted and unfilled pipe scabs etc., shall be marked with a non-grease marker and the number and
nature of holidays and coating defects in each pipe joint/bend recorded as per Section 4.1.6

Pipe joints/bend not meeting the requirements below shall be rejected:

− The number of pinholes (defects less than 1mm in diameter) shall be limited to one per 25 ft² for any given
pipe joint and one per 10.75 ft2 for any given bend.
− The number of larger holidays (to a maximum size of 3 in²) shall be limited to one per joint. Any holiday
greater than 3 in² is unacceptable.

Rejected pipe/bend shall be handled as described in Paragraph 5.1. Non-rejected pipe/bend joints that have
defects shall be repaired as described in Paragraph 5.2.

5.0 COATING REPAIR

Each coated pipe/bend leaving the Applicator's premises shall be free of holidays and visual coating defects.

5.1 REJECTED COATINGS

All rejected coatings (those coated joints that fail to pass the criteria listed in Sections 4 & 6) shall be completely
removed from the entire joints of pipe/bends and the pipe/bend surface re-prepared re-coated in conformance
with the foregoing sections at no additional expense to the Company.

5.2 HOLIDAY REPAIR

All coating defects disclosed by visual or holiday detector inspection shall be repaired at no additional expense
to Company. For all holiday repairs where repairs are approved by Company Inspector, the following procedure
shall be followed:

5.2.1 Pinholes (defects less than 1mm in diameter) need no more surface preparation. The pipe/bend to be repaired
shall be cleaned to remove all dirt and damaged or disbonded coating using approved means. The edges of the
original coating shall be abraded around the area to be coated 1/2-1 inch out from the pinhole and all dust wiped
off before applying the patch coating. Files shall not be used.

5.2.2 Large holidays require surface preparation of the steel. Any exposed metal must be treated to remove
contaminants such as corrosion products, salts, dirt etc. using abrasive blast or other means approved by the
Company. The FBE must also be abraded around the areas to be coated 1/2-1 inch from the edge of the coating
and all dust removed before applying the patch coating. The patch coating shall be applied in accordance to
manufacturer's recommendation to a minimum thickness of 25 mils and shall overlap the existing sound coating
by a minimum of 1 inch.

Note: The surface must be made just as clean now, in accordance with clause 3.2, as it was before the original
FBE coating was applied. Again, avoid the use of files and grinding wheels, which can enlarge the defect.

5.2.3 The material for patching repairs in the mill shall be those specified in Section 2.4 of this specification. No
thermoplastic patch sticks shall be used.

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Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

5.2.4 The freshly patch-coated areas shall be allowed to cure fully according to the coating manufacturer's
specifications prior to handling those areas.

5.2.5 After curing, all patches shall be visually inspected and holiday tested with a wand electrode of fine brass
whiskers at a voltage of not less than 100 volts/mil and tested for adhesion by knife lifting. The use of a wet
sponge detector set at the manufacturer's recommended parameters is also acceptable. The patch shall be
holiday-free and shall not disbond when lifted with a knife.

6.0 QUALITY CONTROL TESTS

The following quality control tests are applicable for both pipe joints and bends.

The Applicator shall perform the tests listed in this section. The Company Inspector may be present during the
tests. Test results must be made available within 72 hours of taking the sample. No pipe/bend lot shall be
accepted before the test results from the representative samples are known. If any test results do not meet the
specification, the Company will specify additional samples to be tested at Applicator's expense. In addition, the
Company reserves the right to test additional samples at Company's expense.

6.1 SAMPLE FREQUENCY

From the pipe joints / bends listed below, the Applicator shall cut an 18-inch long strap from the pipe joint/bend
for coating tests. The cut pipe joint/bend ends shall be re-bevelled and all burnt coating removed.

SAMPLE NO. FROM JOINT / BEND NO.

1 1
2 75
3 200
4 500
Etc. Every 500 joints thereafter
Last The last joint

6.2 BEND TEST

The Applicator shall perform bend tests per Appendix I on each sample listed in Section 6.1.

6.3 DIFFERENTIAL SCANNING CALORIMETER ANALYSIS

The Applicator shall perform a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis on each coating sample listed in
6.1. Delta Tg shall be less than 5°F for the coating to be considered fully cured.

If analysis shows any sample to be partially cured, it must be determined which pipes of the lot were not
properly cured. Those joints not properly cured will be rejected and shall be totally recoated..

6.4 ADHESION TEST

At production start up, after production interruptions, at the start of using a new batch of powder, and once every
hour or 20 pipe lengths (whichever is more frequent), the adhesion of the coating will be determined at one
location on the pipe. If three tests have been successful, the frequency may be reduced to once every two hours
or 50 pipe lengths, whichever is sooner.

6.4.1 With a sharp knife of narrow width blade, two approximately 0.5 inch long incisions shall be made through to
the metal substrate to form an X.

6.4.2 At the intersections of the X, at attempt shall be made to force the coating from the steel substrate with the knife
point. Refusal of the coating to peel constitutes a pass. Partial or complete adhesion failure between the coating
and the metal substrate constitutes a failure.

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Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

6.5 FOAM STRUCTURE TEST

The Applicator shall ensure excessive foaming does not take place. A cross-section examination of the coating
under a 40 power magnification shall be made and shall fall within the 2-5 grade range per the attached
Appendix II. The test shall be performed on coating chipped from the first joint coated each day and once per
shift thereafter and on chips from the bend test specimens.

6.6 CATHODIC DISBONDMENT TEST

The following cathodic disbondment test shall be conducted on the samples listed in Section 6.1.

A 4 inch x 4 inch plate is cut from the production coated ring sample. A 1/8 inch holiday is drilled through the
coating to the steel. A 3 inch diameter PVC cell is centred over the intentional holiday and fixed to the coated
surface with silicone. The cell is filled with 3% NaCl electrolyte and a platinum wire anode is inserted below the
electrolyte level. A 3.5 DC voltage (reference saturated calomel) is impressed and the entire test plate and
apparatus are maintained at 150 °F for 24 hours.

At test completion a 30 degree "V" cut is made through the coating originating at the intentional holiday. The
amount of coating removed in the "V" is evaluated and expressed in millimetres radius (mmr), as measured from
the holiday edge to the area where well bonded coating exists.

The maximum disbondment allowed is 8 mmr.

7.0 HANDLING & STORAGE PROCEDURES

7.1 The Applicator shall be solely responsible for the condition of the pipe/bend from the time it is received until
after it has been loaded for shipment.

7.2 All booms, hooks, clamps, forks, supports, and skids used in handling or storing coated pipe/bend shall be
designed and maintained in such a manner as to prevent any damage to the pipe/bend or to the coating and shall
be approved by Company's Inspector.

7.3 All pipe/bend shall be stored on padded elevated racks or polyethylene - sheathed sand berms until time for
delivery. Non-compressible rubber pads 0.5 inch thick or hoops of 5/8 inch nylon rope, three per 40 foot length,
shall be used to separate the pipe for yard transportation and storage.

7.4 The Company's representative will have authority to stop any storage procedure or means of transport from the
yard, if in his opinion there is a possibility of damage to the coating because of improper procedures.

Any pipe/bend damaged by Applicator shall be repaired in accordance with Company's pipe specifications and
applicable API Standards at Applicator's expense.

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Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Pipes & Bends 12 September, 2005

APPENDIX I - BEND TEST PROCEDURE

Scope

This procedure checks degree of cure and adhesion of FBE coated pipe.

Equipment

Four point bend apparatus

Procedure

1. Cut a minimum of four 8 inch (longitudinal) x 1 inch (circumferential) x thickness (pipe + coating) straps out of
the coated pipe. Fill all edges smooth.

2. Using a four point bend apparatus, bend each strap until failure, which is the point where cracks begin to be
visible in the coating when viewed with no magnification.

3. Measure the strap thickness (pipe + coating), t, and the deflected angle, A, as shown in Figure 1.

A
fixed pins

t
d

Before bend After bend Angle measurement

4. Calculate the amount of bend in degrees / pipe diameter.

degrees / pipe diameter = (A.t) / d

Where A = deflection angle in degrees

d = distance between two centre points in bend test rig (where strain is constant), usually 2 inches.

t = pipe wall + coating thickness

5. To pass, the average of the values from Equation 1 for the four (or more) samples must be greater than 2.9
degrees/pipe diameter. Any single value must be at least 2.3 degrees/pipe diameter. In addition, the coating shall
show full adhesion to the steel in the bend, with no splitting, cracking, or flaking occurring before a bend of 2.9
degrees/pipe diameter is obtained.

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APPENDIX II - FOAM STRUCTURE TEST PROCEDURE

Scope

This procedure covers the test method to determine the degree of foaming experienced by the coating during
application.

Equipment

Sharp knife.

40 power magnifier (or microscope).

Procedure

Use the knife to "snap" off coating from surface and examine cross-sections under magnification. Rate the presence of
voids according to the examples in Figure 2.

1 6

2 BEST FILM 7

3 8

4 9

5 10

EXCESSIVE FOAM ING

Note: The coating must be snapped off because saw cutting with a knife can distort the edge of the coating.

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