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An international effort to predict coating performance
A global alliance
As part of an international research effort within the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI)—Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)—and Curtin University Corrosion Research Alliance, our teams are leading breakthrough research on coating performance in harsh atmospheric environmental conditions.
HBKU, Curtin University, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) are currently participating in this global study. Since 2019, the QEERI–Curtin Corrosion Research Alliance has been working hand-in-hand with industry stakeholders to tackle corrosion challenges in Qatar’s and Australia’s unique environmental conditions. This project is one of four research themes that are part of the QEERI-Curtin partnership.
The challenge
Coating degradation and the associated corrosion of industrial assets is a major concern for various industries. Considering the severe environmental conditions in Qatar, Australia, and Norway, the selection of coating systems can be challenging given the limited knowledge about the effects of environmental factors on degradation mechanisms. Material degradation is of chief importance in service. Protective coatings are exposed to corrosive environments, either as part of the normal operations or service in specific geographical locations with extreme conditions, or both.
Purpose
The primary goal of the project is to determine the effectiveness of commercial coating systems in managing atmospheric corrosion under challenging and climatologically diverse locations in Qatar, Norway, and Australia. The project will determine the critical factors affecting coating performance in these different climates.
Vision
The one-of-its-kind study will elucidate the mechanisms associated with coating degradation processes as a function of environmental and materials variables. Likewise, the investigation will correlate the corrosion protection performance of state-of-the-art commercial coating systems subjected to laboratory-based accelerated qualification testing protocols with their performance in extreme corrosive service environments.
A unique approach
This significant multinational undertaking addresses various aspects of coating degradation phenomena, including fundamental mechanistic degradation studies, laboratory-based accelerated corrosion testing, and long-term outdoor service exposure to assess coating durability.
Autonomous testing sites
A custom-built coating test rig has been designed and fabricated and will be commissioned in Q1, 2021. The test rig will house state-of-the-art in-situ and real-time environmental monitoring systems. The autonomous system will periodically photograph each panel's condition and capture critical parameters such as ambient temperature, humidity, rainfall, solar radiation, wind speed, wind direction, and air quality at the respective test locations. The test racks have been designed to hold four candidate coating systems for outdoor exposure for a total duration of 3 years at the respective locations.
Machine learning
The data gathered from the test sites will be used to train machine learning models designed to recognise coating degradation mechanisms and the extent of the damage.
Benefits
Our systematic study will advance the energy sector’s understanding of the performance of the selected coating systems. The outcome of this investigation will guide subject matter experts and support coating selection best practices for the specific service and environmental exposure conditions. Additionally, the project will provide valuable data to international standards organizations to improve the design guidelines and coating selection.
Join us!
We are seeking industry partners to help us deploy our test rigs across the globe.
Important dates
- Expression of interest opens 20 February 2021.
- Expression of interest closes 31 March 2021.
If you are interested, please Contact Us!
More information in the PDF brochure
