Severe corrosion occurs in areas of pipes where water tends to accumulate due to the use of foam for sealing

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Severe corrosion occurs as a result of using foam to seal areas in pipes where water tends to accumulate; within production facilities, some pipes need to pass through the floor. To prevent sewage from flowing down through the openings, a water barrier should be placed around them, but this cannot completely stop sewage and debris from falling in. Some operators seal the annular gap between the pipeline and the water baffle with foam insulation material. During subsequent maintenance, it was found that the surface of the carbon steel pipes in the areas sealed with foam material had suffered severe corrosion, while the corrosion level in the rest of the pipes was normal. Analysis: Foam insulation materials create enclosed areas on the surface of pipes, causing water vapor to accumulate and thereby intensifying the conditions for corrosion, which leads to accelerated corrosion of carbon steel pipes. If it is a stainless steel pipe, when the foam material contains chlorides, this may lead to chloride concentration and subsequent stress corrosion cracking, resulting in damage to the pipe.