The RRS Sir David Attenborough is one of the world’s most advanced polar research vessels. The ship was commissioned by NERC, built by Cammell Laird and operated by British Antarctic Survey. This new research platform will transform how ship-borne science is conducted in the Polar Regions. Corrocoat was asked to provide corrosion protection against seawater for a large number of seawater pipes due to be installed on the ship.
The commissioning of the RRS Sir David Attenborough is designed to keep Britain at the forefront of world-leading research in Antarctica and the Arctic. This £200m commitment represents the UK Government‘s largest investment in polar science since the 1980s.
Newly fabricated seawater pipe spools and slip-on flanges required corrosion protection against the corrosive effects of exposure to seawater.
On arrival at Corrocoat’s Leeds workshops, all machined surfaces were masked before abrasive blasting followed by a blowdown, sweep and vacuum to completely remove dust. Corroglass 600 was then applied, in multiple coats, using the Agmec internal pipe spaying method, to achieve the desired DFT.
Once cured all surface protection was removed, edges dressed and a full visual inspection completed. Thickness testing and spark testing was completed to ensure the quality of the finished coating system.
Corroglass 600 has excellent resistance to solvents, acids, and seawater, providing undercutting resistance and sliding abrasion resistance. The coating system will significantly extend the pipe’s service life.
As a supplier to the ship, and an event sponsor, Corrocoat were supplied 4 tickets to the ceremonial naming of the RRS Sir David Attenborough at Cammell Laird shipyard, Birkenhead on 26 September 2019.
A free prize draw was held to enable three Corrocoat staff the opportunity to attend this prestigious event with one of the company’s directors, and to see where their hard work ends up.
