Thermal Insulation Coating Testing

Element delivers comprehensive mechanical, environmental, and chemical testing services to evaluate your coating systems' complete performance profile. Our ISO 12736 Simulated Service Testing provides long-term qualification at pressures up to 300 bar, complemented by specialized tests for wet ageing, water absorption, pressure effects, ring shear, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) analysis.

Our capabilities include:

• Pre-qualification testing for factory-applied and field-joint coatings to validate adhesion, thermal stability, and mechanical durability
• Simulating environmental and operating temperatures at sub-sea conditions
• Short- and long-term exposure testing
• Insulation materials testing
• Hydrostatic water testing to assess pressure resistance and long-term integrity under submerged conditions
• Validating coating integrity
• Developing new subsea pipeline coatings
• Determining failure modes and how to prevent them
• Wet ageing
• Water absorption
• Pressure effects
• Ring shear
• CTE

Our testing capabilities cover the complete spectrum of thermal insulation coatings for subsea applications, including factory-applied coatings, field-joint systems, wet insulation materials, pipeline components, subsea equipment, and structures. We evaluate coatings on pipelines, flowlines, components, and subsea equipment to validate both thermal performance and additional protective properties including corrosion inhibition and impact resistance.

• Factory-applied pipeline coatings
• Field-joint coating systems
• Wet insulation materials
• Subsea equipment and structures
• Flow lines and components

Our testing methods replicate real-world subsea conditions by combining precise environmental and operating temperature control with advanced hydrostatic pressure testing. We provide both short and long-term exposure testing programs, supported by expert analysis of coating performance and integrity throughout the testing cycle.

• Simulated service testing (SST)
• Wet thermal insulation qualification
• Long-term exposure assessment
• Field-joint coating evaluation
• Custom testing program development

ISO 12736 - Simulated Service Test (SST)
Our labs specialize in wet thermal insulation coating qualification using simulated service testing as outlined in ISO 12736. We test full-scale pipes with factory-applied coatings and field-joint coatings, conducting long-term tests at pressures up to 300 bar. Testing conditions range from external temperatures of 4-10°C to internal temperatures of up to 200°C.

Our SST services cover a wide range of wet insulation materials used in subsea deployment, including pipelines, flow lines, components, and subsea equipment.

Our unique SST capabilities allow us to conduct full-scale testing on two 5-meter pipes simultaneously, as well as additional subsea pipeline equipment such as flowlines and components.

For projects with specific requirements, our experts can assist in designing and implementing custom or specialized test programs.

Our advanced SST facilities enable testing at pressures up to 300 bar, with precise temperature control ranging from 4-10°C external to 200°C internal. We maintain specialized equipment for hydrostatic water testing, wet aging simulation, and comprehensive coating performance evaluation under real-world conditions.

Our unique facility accommodates simultaneous testing of two 5-meter pipe sections, enabling efficient evaluation of complete pipeline systems. We offer custom test program development for specialized requirements beyond standard protocols, supporting your specific project needs with tailored testing solutions.