Major oil pipeline companies have been using Cortec’s patented CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler to address the insidious problem of corrosion at cased pipeline crossings. Over the years, countless cased pipelines have been installed under road crossings to protect against physical damage and allow pipeline maintenance without excavating the road. Unfortunately, these cased crossings often trap moisture and debris that can accelerate corrosion and ultimately threaten pipeline integrity if left unprotected.
Cortec® Corporation designed CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler to meet the long-term protection needs of cased pipeline crossings. The United States government recognized the uniqueness and innovation of this
CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler technology by granting US Patent #9,518,328 to Cortec® Corporation in December 2016. An additional patent affirming Cortec’s intellectual property of the technology is pending.
CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler contains a special blend of Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors that offer protection in the liquid-phase, in the vapor-phase, and at the air-water interface. This multi-phase package of corrosion inhibitors is designed to migrate under disbonded coatings, form a protective molecular layer in void spaces, and inhibit corrosion even in the presence of moisture.
CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler consists of two components that form a corrosion-inhibiting gel when injected into pipeline casings or other tubular void spaces. The liquid VpCI® component (Part A) can be diluted onsite to the appropriate concentration. The powder gelling agent (Part B) is added just prior to application and causes an increase in viscosity that ultimately forms a gel over a pre-determined time period (usually within a few hours).
CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler has several advantages over traditional methods of protection. First, the gel consistency enhances the filler effectiveness by discouraging the ingress of water and other contaminants. It is also a good alternative to wax or petrolatum-based fillers in terms of corrosion protection (traditional fillers degrade and offer insufficient protection over time) and the environment (CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler has a lower environmental impact in case of leakage).
Interestingly, CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler gel is also electrically conductive, allowing it to be used in concert with cathodic protection (CP) to deliver the cathodic current to the carrier pipe. However, unlike cathodic protection, it does not require a constant source of electricity, and it continues to protect the pipeline even if the CP electricity source should fail.
Cortec® Case History 628 describes how a major oil company used CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler to protect eighteen-inch (46 cm) fuel oil carrier pipelines enclosed in 30-inch (76 cm) steel casings at two road crossings. Before application, the casings were thoroughly flushed with VpCI®-649 BD hydrotest water to ensure the cleanest possible surfaces for filler application. After cleaning and pressure testing, workers injected the two-component CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler into each pipeline casing until the spaces were filled. The application vents were closed, and the CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler was left to form a gel that would continue to emit Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors for longterm protection. The application was considered an effective and costsaving method of protecting and extending the service life of these two cased pipeline crossings.
In addition to this application, CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler has become a market leading system used to protect many cased pipeline crossings across the United States. It is a viable, advantageous alternative to traditional methods for protecting pipeline casing trouble spots.
To learn more about CorroLogic® VpCI® Filler, please visit: https://www.cortecvci.com/Publications/PDS/CorroLogic_VpCI_Filler.pdf