Ensuring the long-term protection of parts exposed to the extremely harsh conditions found in offshore environments requires specialized anti-corrosion coatings. For example, thermally sprayed aluminum (TSA) – used to protect stainless steel against corrosion even at high temperatures – can withstand marine influences for decades. However, to achieve such longevity, the TSA must have a certain coating thickness, making quality inspections mandatory.
FISCHER’s handheld PHASCOPE® PMP10 instrument, together with the probe ESD20TSA, is used for measuring TSA coatings in situ. Calibrating the probe is easily done, as the user is guided step-by-step through the instrument’s software: first measurements are taken in air and of the base material (e.g. stainless steel), then of the saturation-thick TSA coating (material depending, but ˃1 mm, on the same steel base); and finally, measurements are taken on real samples at the higher and lower ends of the expected range.
Determine thickness of thermally sprayed aluminum coatings for:
- Offshore steel structures
- Pipelines
- High pressure valves
- Gas turbines
The ESD20TSA probe for measuring TSA
Thermally Sprayed Aluminum Process
FISCHER PHASCOPE® PMP10 with ESD20TSA probe
