ALPURE Ballast Water Treatment System Successfully Completes Corrosion Testing Program
FORT WASHINGTON, Pa. – 9 March 2011 – The BALPURE ballast water treatment systemfrom Severn Trent De Nora satisfies corrosion test recommendations of the IMO MEPC 59/2/16. The corrosion testing, performed by an independent third-party institute, proved the BALPURE system has no effect on coated steel, naval bronze and Cu-Ni alloys. Testing proved an insignificant effect on bare steel – so small that the acceleration of corrosion due to the presence of free chlorine has minimal practical implications in ballast tanks.
SSPC Publishes Visuals for Waterjetting, Blast Cleaning
SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings has published two new collections of surface preparation reference photographs: SSPC-VIS 4 and SSPC-VIS 5. SSPC-VIS 4 illustrates the appearances of steel surfaces prepared by waterjetting while SSPC-VIS 5 shows steel surfaces prepared by wet abrasive blast cleaning. Both contain a written guide and explanatory notes, as well as additional photographs that depict degrees of flash rust after cleaning. SSPC-VIS 4 and SSPC-VIS 5 were developed in collaboration with NACE International under the direction of the SSPC/NACE Joint Task Group on Wet Blast Visual Standards. SSPC visual standards and reference photographs are used to access the condition of coated and/or uncoated steel before and after cleaning…
Hyper-Accelerated Corrosion Found In Doomed Tanker
Investigators hoping to find the cause of why an assumed healthy ship developed a near fatal deckplate crack - an incident which led to a 39-day saga which will serve as an impetus for change in the rules of the way ships in distress are handled - have issued a preliminary report. Following an exhaustive inspection and analysis of the damaged product tanker Castor, the Cyprus Department of Merchant Shipping and ABS have jointly announced preliminary findings that point to hyper-accelerated corrosion as the probable principal cause behind the structural failure. "The Castor has become a floating laboratory which is providing us with some surprising findings," said ABS Chairman and CEO Frank J. Iarossi.
Castor's Downfall: Hyper-Accelerated Corrosion
Few marine incidents have vexed the collective international marine community as much as the recent situation with the damaged product tanker Castor, a ship, which experienced a near fatal deckplate crack in mid-voyage and then was denied safe harbor for fear of the ship splitting open and spewing its gasoline cargo. Though the ship was eventually docked safely without environmental incident, the name Castor will serve as a lightning rod in the IMO to more firmly establish rules and procedures for ships in distress at sea. As the political wrangling and finger pointing start to subside, attention is now turned on the ship itself, and more accurately finding out the reason that an assumed healthy ship developed a near fatal deckplate crack.
