Oil spills present a unique challenge in the surface preparation world. In these scenarios, the oil needs to be properly removed prior to painting or coating surfaces, as any residue left on the surface can cause significant problems down the line. When oil is spilled on equipment where the coatings are still in good shape, it is important to remove all the oil without damaging the current coatings.
When a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) burner overcharged and spewed out crude oil at a Pemex LPG processing plant, it presented this type of unique cleaning challenge. This oil contamination affected adjacent equipment and tanks, which still had coatings that were in good shape. Management needed a tool that would clean the oil from the affected areas without affecting or removing any of the currently well-adhered coatings. They also required a solution that would allow the plant to continue operations during the cleaning process.
After evaluating several options, the facility decided that it was important to use a dry cleaning process, with no water or detergent added in order to simplify containment and disposal. Ultimately, they decided that Sponge-Jet Sponge Media™ would be the most effective cleaning solution. Not only is Sponge Blasting a dry abrasive blasting process with the ability for precise cleaning based on their needs, but it would also allow for the plant to stay open with minimal interruptions to their normal operations.
More specifically, Pemex management chose to use Green Sponge Media. This minimally aggressive abrasive allows for contaminant removal and absorption without the presence of moisture, making it the best solution for removing tough contaminants such as oil. The facility owners were happy with the speedy removal of the oil, which had a production rate of 15 m²/hr (162 ft²/hr).
One of the primary advantages of using Sponge-Jet products was its ability to remove the crude oil
from the contaminated equipment and tanks without compromising the existing coatings. Ordinary abrasive blasting methods might have damaged or stripped the coatings from the underlying surface, which would require an expensive reapplication of the coatings. By avoiding this extra step, this solution saved the facility time and money.
The facility owners were pleased with the small amount of waste generated during the process, thanks to Sponge Media’s on-site recyclability. Care was taken to monitor the blasted steel for recontamination, which was not an issue despite media reuse.
This project highlights the importance of choosing the right cleaning solution for your facility maintenance projects. The inability to shutdown or disrupt production has led many facilities to forgo critical infrastructure projects in the past, placing stress on assets. When choosing a solution, look to Sponge Media to effectively clean and prepare surfaces without needing to wait for plant shutdowns.
