PIPELINE CORROSION AND FRICTION REDUCTION COATINGS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILLITY OF COATING MILITARY PIPELINES WITH LOW FRICTION AND CORROSION INHIBITING COATINGS. CORROSION INHIBITIVE COATINGS WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND INVESTIGATED FOR APPLICATIONS TO BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SURFACES OF THE PIPELINE. THE INTERNAL PROTECTIVE COATING OR LINER WILL BE BIFUNCTIONAL IN THAT IN ADDITION TO CORROSION PROTECTION, IT WILL ACT AS A LOW FRICTION COATING DURING PRODUCT TRANSPORT THROUGH THE PIPELINE. COATING MATERIALS WILL BE EVALUATED IN ACCELERATED CORROSIVE AGING ENVIRONMENTS. FOLLOWING AGING, ACCEPTABLE COATINGS WILL BE EVALUATED FOR FRICTION REDUCTION. IDEALLY, COATINGS OR MATERIALS POSSESSING LOW SURFACE ENERGY WILL OFFER THE MOST ADVANTAGE FOR REDUCED FRICTION. THESE LOW FRICTION COATINGS WILL BE EXAMINED FOR THEIR INTERNAL PROTECTION. REFORMULATION OF THE BEST CANDIDATES THROUGH THE ADDITION OF MODIFIERS AIDING IN IMPROVED SURFACE TEXTURE AND LUBRICITY WILL ACT TO REDUCE FRICTION AT THE SURFACE. FOLLOWING MODIFICATION, ACCELERATED AGING AND FRICTION MEASUREMENTS WILL BE DETERMINED. SURFACE FLUORINATION WILL ALSO BE EXAMINED AS A MEANS OF REDUCING SURFACE ENERGY AND PRODUCING A LOW FRICTION SURFACE.