How Stopaq is protecting infrastructure with innovative corrosion solutions

Dinko Cudic, markets and applications development director at Henkel Adhesive Technologies, shares how the company’s Stopaq brand is protecting infrastructure with innovative corrosion solutions

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES THAT SUBSEA ASSETS FACE IN TERMS OF CORROSION, MECHANICAL DAMAGE, AND LONG-TERM COATING PERFORMANCE?

The subsea environment is inherently hostile. Constant exposure to saltwater, oxygen and environmental aggressors create the perfect environment for corrosion. This is compounded by damage from currents, marine life, floating debris, vessels and tidal impacts in addition to constantly changing temperatures.

Surface preparation can be difficult, expensive and variable in what can be achieved. You might be contending with marine growth, aged assets deteriorating or coatings that have failed. Typical approaches involve abrasive blasting which is challenging and resource intensive to achieve with constant tidal movement and underwater. Not to mention, abrasives and old coatings ending up in the ocean.

If the coating is rigid there is risk to mechanical stress from bending, vibrations, trawlers, anchors or vessel impact – one small crack and the risk for corrosion to creep and spread is high. Cathodic protection systems are often deployed to reduce corrosion but they rely on both consistent electrical signal and coating integrity. There can be risks to interference from local vessels/equipment interrupting that signal, under protection or over protection, challenges in deepwater or even from coating failures themselves.

Additional challenges come from complex geometries to be protected, inspection and repair is notoriously difficult to perform, not to mention the cost, aging assets in situ, restrictive windows for operation due to tides, weather and traffic in the area. Overall, it’s a tough situation to manage.

HOW DOES VISCO-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY DIFFER FROM ALTERNATIVE SUBSEA COATINGS?

Visco-elastics offer significant advantages over alternative coating systems. They remain in a viscous state throughout their lifetime, maintaining fluidity even at low temperatures. This unique property allows them to provide immediate and constant surface adhesion, creating a self-adhering effect, to both steel and factory applied coatings, form an instant barrier against oxygen and water, adapt to thermal expansions, contractions, and asset movements and penetrate surface pores effectively, ensuring lasting encapsulation from the environment.

SURFACE PREPARATION IS OFTEN A CRITICAL BARRIER IN OFFSHORE WORK. HOW CAN VISCO-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY MITIGATE THIS ISSUE?

When we get to the application stage, we mitigate many of the issues typically seen as the process is so simple. 

Visco-elastics require only minimal surface preparation, simply removing loose existing corrosion or coatings, oil, or grease from the substrate - significantly fewer steps to achieve the required surface cleanliness. It is then applied by hand and hand tools, sometimes with robots, but we leave that for another time, without the need for harmful or labour-intensive coatings.  And we wrap it up with no curing times or shutdown requirements: application can be done without interrupting operations or delaying service start in the case of applications on new construction. Simplicity allows for easy mobilisation and demobilisation, even within hours.

We are looking at reduced labour costs, as the application process doesn’t require highly skilled workers with intense training, complex equipment, and intense inspection before, during, and after the application process. This also leads to a streamlined application process which reduces the application to commission time, and we avoid costly shutdowns since equipment remains operational.

CARRYING OUT WORK OFFSHORE CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE. WHAT PRACTICAL LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM DEPLOYING YOUR TECHNOLOGY IN THE REAL WORLD, ESPECIALLY AROUND INSTALLATION SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY?

The real world of subsea is tough and rarely predictable. Stopaq has proven time and time again to be the ideal solution because we can avoid the issues that unpredictability brings. 

We don’t need that perfect surface to wrap, so whether it’s by hand or robots it can be done with speed and without curing delays, just apply and its ready for service. Application on wet substrates is also not an issue. Imagine the “magic” of a coating that can be applied submerged, not entrapping water, but absorbing water to maintain full adhesion to the substrate. We have minimal waste and no hazardous chemicals meaning safety for both applicator and the surrounding environment.

We know it is insulative enough to protect from any current discharges from vessels in the area and it doesn’t require ongoing maintenance. The product has a proven track record of more than 25 years – operators can avoid repetitive maintenance that puts personnel at risk or even avoid the risk of structural failure. 

LOOKING AHEAD, HOW DO YOU SEE VISCO-ELASTIC COATINGS EVOLVING FOR SUBSEA PIPELINES AND THEIR ASSOCIATED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE?

We can’t avoid the harsh reality that our infrastructure is aging, and some of those assets are already operating beyond their original design life.

Rigid coating failures are why a more fluid and flexible solution is needed, one that can be applied with minimal manpower and in challenging conditions. The future of robotic application (which we are already doing with Stopaq) will increase efficiency even further and mitigate even more of the challenges we see today.

With the pressure to use safer and cleaner materials offshore we expect visco-elastic solutions to play an even larger role in subsea protection. The future of critical infrastructure is not just about maintenance, it’s about planning and strategic investment in technologies that keep essential assets running safely and efficiently for decades to come. We are ready to be part of the solution.

For more information visit: www.stopaq.com