Owners and operators of oil, gas and petrochemical facilities require durable and effective fire protection solutions that can be relied upon to provide the required protection throughout the operating life of the plant.
For over 35 years PPG’s PITT-CHAR technology has been trusted to safeguard personnel and equipment in hazardous environments around the world. Developed in PPG’s state-of-the-art laboratories, PPG PITT-CHAR NX builds on this track record and will continue to help protect lives and valuable assets, while creating value and efficiencies.
The oil and gas industries are facing ever more complex fire scenarios that can potentially involve pool fires, jet fires and explosions in both onshore or offshore environments. These projects also demand fast throughput during fabrication and application to maximize efficiency. Additionally, modular off-site fabrication is quickly becoming the popular approach for construction. While this is generally more cost-effective, it does add unique challenges.
Before they are assembled on-site, pre-fabricated steel sections travel long distances, sometimes across continents, and in vastly varying climatic conditions. Any damage to the PFP coating can impact its ability to perform effectively when the structure is in service or result in expensive repairs and potential delays to start-up.
PPG PITT-CHAR NX offers the solution. Not only is it fast to apply and capable of protecting against the full range of hydrocarbon hazards, its flexibility prevents the cracking and delaminating issues associated with traditional PFP coatings such as concrete, “lightweight” cementitious systems and rigid epoxy coatings.
This unique flexibility also reduces impact and abrasion damage during installation and commissioning. Once in service, it provides long-term durability, even under severe temperature cycling and mechanical stresses, ensuring its performance is maintained throughout the life of the asset.
PPG PITT-CHAR NX is PPG’s next generation flexible epoxy intumescent coating system, designed to resist the most severe hydrocarbon hazards – pool fires, jet fires and explosions.
Ideally suited to both onshore and offshore environments in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, PPG PITT-CHAR NX substantially reduces both the thickness and weight of Passive Fire Protection (PFP) coating allowing for lower costs and significantly faster application. PPG PITT-CHAR® NX is 15% lighter than any other epoxy PFP system on the market.
Extremely tough, yet uniquely flexible, PPG PITT-CHAR NX is designed to eliminate the risk of cracking and delamination during fabrication, transportation and construction. This toughness provides dependable performance against weathering and outstanding corrosion protection throughout the asset’s entire lifetime.
When exposed to the high temperatures of the fire, PPG PITT-CHAR NX expands to form a robust, insulating char that significantly reduces the rate of heat up of the protected item. The insulation maintains steel integrity, and hence buys crucial time for personnel to escape and equipment to function on demand.
By utilizing a carbon fiber mesh, PPG PITT-CHAR turns into a composite, greatly enhancing its toughness and significantly improving its fire resistance performance under extreme and accidental load conditions. The incorporation of the carbon fiber mesh not only reduces the weight of the coating system, but also improves the crack and damage resistance throughout all phases of the project, making the system even safer and tougher in the harshest environmental conditions.
PPG PITT-CHAR NX is fast to apply and capable of protecting against the full range of hydrocarbon hazards. Application time is typically done in one day, and it is possible to move the steel after a few hours fully protected and can have 60% efficiencies for application.
Its unique flexibility also reduces impact and abrasion damage during installation and commissioning. Once in service, it provides long-term durability, even under severe temperature cycling and mechanical stresses, ensuring its performance is maintained throughout the life of the asset.
For more information, go to www.ppgpmc.com
