Piping Asset Preservation for Static Equipment

Static equipment like vessels and heat exchangers represent the heart of your facility. Whether you are breaking an N2 purge for final fit-up or staging equipment for long-term storage, P3’s patented preservation systems provide a fail-safe barrier against corrosion and debris without the high cost of continuous gas monitoring. The process below is when N2 purge is removed before connecting piping to static equipment.

Materials:

• flangeDOT + VCI or flangeDOT +Tag+VCI
• flangeBUMPER or flangeBUMPER + Gasket
• multi-NUTS or full sized nuts/bolts
• Tags-“N2 Removed” Tags
• SNOOP (soap/leak detection liquid)
• Project approved outdoor flange face corrosion inhibitor
• P3-GIT

Preservation procedure:

1. Safety First: Establish a 10-foot exclusion zone. Use an Authorized Gas Tester (AGT) to monitor N2 levels. Never breathe vented nitrogen directly.

2. Controlled Venting: Loosen flange bolts slowly at the highest point. Use a leak detection liquid (SNOOP) to monitor the escaping gas until the gauge reads zero.

3. Internal Inspection: Open low points to ensure no hydro-test water or condensation is present. Conduct a flange face inspection using the P3-GIT (Gramophone Inspection Tool) to verify surface integrity per PCC-1 guidelines.

4. VCI Encapsulation: Apply flangeDOTS® +VCI directly to the flange or nozzle faces. This creates a molecular barrier that protects the internal surfaces of the vessel or exchanger.

5. Mechanical Shielding: Install flangeBUMPER® or flangeBUMPER® +Gasket and secure with multi-NUTS™. This protects the critical sealing surfaces from impact during final positioning and construction.

6. Documentation: Apply "N2 Removed" tags and update asset preservation logs to reflect the transition to passive preservation.

*Ensure manufacturers short/long term preservation and storage procedures are followed...  Follow OEM recommendations where possible*

Key Benefits:

• Eliminate N2 Costs: Remove the need for weekly pressure checks, re-purging, and specialized gas monitoring equipment.
• Enhanced Safety: Reduce the risk of nitrogen asphyxiation in staging areas by utilizing non-hazardous passive VCI technology.
• Ready-to-Install: Equipment remains sealed and protected until the moment of final bolt-up, preventing last-minute cleaning or refacing.
• Corrosion Neutralization: flangeDOTS® +VCI protect against "flash rust" that occurs the moment a vessel is opened to the atmosphere.