O&G Companies Prevent Corrosion with Intercept Technology

Intercept allows industrial companies to protect equipment and vehicles shipped overseas, or stored for extended periods on site regardless of humidity or temperature. Intercept is superior to other forms of packaging because Intercept is clean, safer, long-lasting, and all encompassing.

External corrosion forces the O&G industry to prematurely replace billions of dollars of installed and stockpiled equipment, and it causes worker and public safety problems while inviting government regulation. The causes of external corrosion are varied but mostly are caused by contaminants. The atmosphere is full of corrosive gases (chlorides, sulfides, nitrous oxides, ozone), and their concentrations increase dramatically near the ocean, industrial areas, and vegetation. Corrosive gases, present even in packing facilities, are trapped during initial packaging, and additional gases quickly migrate through nearly all packaging materials. Moisture absorbs these contaminants and carries them to the surface where corrosion starts. Such corrosion occurs in nearly all ferrous and nonferrous metals, but also in elastomeric materials. The result is that environments such as ocean transport can take years off equipment life. Instead of reacting to this chemistry, Intercept the problem gases with Intercept Technology.

Made with Bell Lab’s Intercept Technology reactive copper polymer, Intercept packaging sacrificially removes the corrosive ions trapped within the packaging and prevents further migration through the packaging for up to 10 years in a hot or cold, wet or dry environment. In tropic and ocean shipping environments corrosion can dramatically reduce the life expectancy of the equipment in as little as a month. Because all wood releases acetic and formic acid, Intercept, when used as a crate liner, removes these corrosive vapor, turning crates into anticorrosive storage containers. As an example of this application, the US Army Tank, Automotive, and Munitions Command (TACOM) specified Intercept be used to line the 2500 up-armored truck cab crates being shipped to Iraq, thus effectively turning corrosive wood crates into anticorrosive shipping and long-term storage containers. After the up-armored cabs were delivered the crates were then employed to store the standard cabs for the ensuing years.

Many independent tests show why Intercept outperforms competing products. One DuPont test demonstrated that a coastal layer of chlorine gas passes through regular polyethylene about 700 times faster than Intercept. Foil packaging, often a standard of electronics packaging, fails with a single pinhole leak, bad seam, or customs inspection. ASTM B-117 testing shows repeated Intercept success in preventing corrosion over volatile corrosion inhibitors (VCI) and corrosion inhibitors tend to have a reduced range of humidity and temperature, protect a limited range of metals, can cause damage to some materials, and because they coat the equipment, can have issues with safety and compatibility.

Intercept packaging applications are widespread. Intercept can be used to wrap pipelines or storage tanks; protect electronics; protect all spare parts; store spill containment equipment in the field; be used to ship or store vehicles, bulk materials, or large structures. Shrinkwrapping has demonstrated that large irregular shaped items easily are wrapped with shrinkfilm as was done with a three-story “Brilliant Pebbles” rocket launcher for the National Missile Defense Program; or many multi-storied building for asbestos abatement, painting, or sandblasting. Ships in dry-dock, and highway bridges, are routinely shrinkwrapped to provide a protective envelope for sandblasting and painting. So too can oil platform sections, derricks, storage tanks be wrapped. Shrinkwrapping is the most cost effective packaging you can employ. It keeps shipping dimensions down, adds little weight, takes little labor or time to install, and can be done nearly anywhere. It adds flexibility in design and access, is easily fixed if damaged, and can be installed by almost anyone. Add Intercept and you have packaging that easily outperforms the others.

Intercept packaging is the only anticorrosive packaging material to win a European Environmental Award. Intercept doesn’t emit any chemicals, is RoHS (EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant, will meet any EU REACH chemical safety requirement, and is recyclable as colored polyethylene. Intercept doesn’t use chemicals so it can’t contaminate your equipment or your people and Intercept is not a VCI (volatile or vapor phase corrosion inhibitor).. Chemical preservative companies can’t fairly make similar claims. And the copper won’t separate from the polymer as demonstrated in a Roll Royce plc acid extraction test. Intercept is completely different from any anticorrosion measure you likely have used. The value is increased because the simplicity of packaging allows many companies to install it themselves, on their schedule, in nearly any location.

Intercept has been used very successfully by companies such as Rio Tinto, BHP, Austral, Komatsu, Caterpillar, and others to ship mining equipment and vehicles to the tropics. Engineering firms such as Bechtel and KBR also have been involved with Intercept protected equipment. Additional categories of Intercept users include automotive companies, museums, national mints, NASA, and militaries.

Intercept products available include: Shrinkfilm, Laminated Fabric, Stretch Wrap, single/multi-layer bags, single/multilayer sheeting, plastic board, coatings and inks, and Coated Corrugate. These are all made possible by Engineered Materials Inc. (EMI), www.staticintercept.com, the licensee to Lucent Alcatel for Intercept Technology product development.

FPM Inc. is the ISO 9001/14001 certified company www.shrinkwrapping.com that invented boat (1981) and aircraft (1985) shrinkwrapping. FPM brings Intercept to the shrinkwrapping, crating, and reusable cover industries. FPM and its global associates (across US & Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia, South America) provide technical expertise, service, materials, and equipment to help the O&G industry solve their corrosion problems. FPM is a founding member of the International Shrinkwrapping Association (ISA) and the Intercept Technology Group (ITG). Visit FPM website www.InterceptShrinkfilm.com for more information. For sales in the US or Canada call (800)222-4449 or outside US +01-(734) 783-1411; email: redb@shrinkwrapping.com. For technical information email InterceptShrinkfilm@gmail.com.