CoolMet to Complement SoundMet at Gastech 2015

Along with SoundMet at Gastech 2015 in Singapore, we will also be showcasing its complementary paint system (PVDF) - CoolMet. This exterior paint has been developed alongside Soundmet and confers a host of benefits to the metal jacketing it is applied to - we expect the product to be of particular significance to LNG (liquefied Natural Gas) producers, processors and distributors.

The cost-effective qualities of our SoundMet material are further enhanced with the use of CoolMet, increasing its importance particularly to large-scale projects. The tough, hardwearing paint is applied directly to the exterior of SoundMet mass loaded vinyl-lined metal jacketing, where its exceptional emissivity level of 0.87-0.9 begins to immediately reflect absorbed radiation and provide a high level of reflectance of incident radiation.

This ensures that the ideal surface temperature can be achieved, potentially allowing a smaller thickness of insulating material to be used which would also significantly improve plant pipe density. A reduction in surface temperature means a concurrent rise in employee health & safety levels and effectiveness of the system.

Corrosion can occur both beneath and above insulation; both can be the cause of serious system damage and frequently are in many systems. In comparison to more traditional coatings of PVDF, CoolMet offers dramatically enhanced durability and is more akin to laminate in terms of its properties - all except the high cost. CoolMet’s superior resistance to corrosion makes it of vital importance to FLNG (Floating Liquefied Natural Gas) applications.

Extensive tests have shown CoolMet to be much more efficient at resisting corrosion that standard untreated stainless steel of grade 304. In gruelling salt-spray tests, untreated steel showed signs of pitting after just 250 hours while opposing CoolMet withstood 750 hours and remained entirely stable. Electrochemical corrosion tests proved CoolMet to be similarly superior.