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TANKiT® – South America
Emergency composite repair solution for tank and pressure vessel reinforcement

Overview

The objective of the job performed by 3X ENGINEERING (3X) local distributor was to reinforce a crude oil storage tank by sealing a leak situated on the first ring of the tank (due to external corrosion).

Results

The repair was successfully performed by our distributor using our TANKiT® product and following 3X procedures. After 5 days, the repair was checked. No leak, drips or humidity were reported.

Defect type
Leaking defect
Details
Crude oil storage tank
Location
SOUTH AMERICA
3X Product type
TANKiT®

SCOPE OF WORK


After analysis of the tank and defect characteristics, it was decided to temporarily repair the installation using the TANKiT®. This solution is perfect for emergency online repair required by the client.

The work team carried out the surface preparation, using Bristle Blaster® machine, to remove the coating and to get a good surface roughness (greater than 60 µm) to ensure the adherence between the tank and the composite solution. Hygrometric conditions were checked and the surface was cleaned and degreased with ethanol.

Composite repair was then performed as per the following steps:

  1. F3XS1 filler was first applied over the defect to stop the leak and level the surface.
  2. F3X8 filler was then applied to create a barrier against the corrosive environment and to facilitate the adhesion of the metallic plate.
  3. Metallic plate was applicated over the defected area using a thick layer of F3X8 filler to seal the leak.
  4. Once the curing time of the fillers was reached, the patches installation was started. Kevlar® patches impregnated with R3X5 were applied to repair the tank. It was necessary to install 5 Kevlar® patches corresponding to 5 layers.
  5. Finally, anti-UV coating was applied to protect the repaired area and identification plate was installed for traceability.
external corrosion