Development of Gaskets and its Accessories for Electrical Insulation of Pipelines

Abstract

Insulation gasket kits are used to prevent electrochemical corrosion often observed in metal pipe system with dissimilar flanges materials or in buried pipelines. This insulation kit is typically used in refineries, pipelines, chemical plants and especially in offshore installations, such as oil platforms. The market offers a great range of materials to meet these applications, which are based in phenolic resin, epoxy, rubber, etc. However, end users, frequently, do not have a complete understanding of all the requirements to do a proper specification of the insulation kit to meet their needs. A correct selection of the insulation kit requires knowledge about its physical as well as its electrical features in order to avoid a potential failure in the field. Therefore, this paper proposes an overview of the main physical and electrical parameters for a reliable insulation kit, as well as alternative materials.