How it is applied
FBE is a plant process. Pipe is cleaned and abrasive blasted to the specified cleanliness and profile, sometimes chemically pretreated, then induction heated into the powder's application window. The powder is sprayed electrostatically onto the hot pipe, where it melts, flows, gels and cures from the stored heat. The pipe is then water-quenched and inspected: a full-length holiday test, thickness checks, and laboratory tests on production samples. The controlled environment — temperature, cleanliness, film build — is what makes plant-applied FBE consistent.
System types
| System | Build | Typical purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Single-layer FBE | One FBE coat | General buried and submerged service |
| Dual-layer FBE | Corrosion-resistant FBE base plus a tougher FBE outer layer | Abrasion and gouging: directional drilling, bores, rocky backfill |
| FBE primer in 3-layer polyolefin | FBE, adhesive, polyethylene or polypropylene | Heavy mechanical protection, see 3LPE |
FBE adheres well and, when it does disbond, it is generally regarded as not shielding cathodic protection current from the steel — one reason it pairs well with cathodic protection on buried lines. Resistance to cathodic disbondment is one of its qualification tests.
How it is specified in Canada
CSA Z662, the oil and gas pipeline systems code, requires external corrosion protection on buried and submerged pipe and refers to the CSA Z245 series for how coatings are made. Plant-applied FBE falls under CSA Z245.20, which covers single-layer and multi-layer FBE systems and sets their qualification and production tests, including cathodic disbondment, flexibility, impact and hot-water adhesion. ISO 21809-2 is the international counterpart for FBE pipeline coatings.
Field joints and repairs
Pipe leaves the plant with bare cutbacks at each end so it can be welded. After welding and inspection, the girth weld zone is coated in the field: field-applied FBE with induction preheat, heat-shrink sleeves, or liquid epoxy systems, all under CSA Z245.30. Repairs to damaged mill coating use materials qualified as compatible with FBE. The pipeline coatings and field joints article covers what the applicator has to prove at the joint.