Introduction
Offshore operators are currently looking to extend the
design life of offshore facilities, structures and components
to improve the affordability, and to increase their
availability in later years of operation. Duplex stainless
steels (DSSs), often used in offshore structures, are susceptible
to localized corrosion and environmentally
assisted cracking when subjected to loads and temperatures
approaching their material design limits in marine environment.
Conventional organic coatings (paints) provide
limited mitigation because of their rapid degradation at
elevated temperature, particularly in hot risers. While the
use of thermally sprayed aluminum (TSA) to mitigate the