Saltwater Corrosion

[RustyHinges]

Thanks for letting me join the group and let me know if I'm in the wrong place.

I work at BP in Texas City, TX and have a problem with our dock areas. All of our PVC coated condut and fittings don't last long due to the salt. This is also put us in a pickle with our cable trays, push button stations, j-boxes etc.

Just wondering if besides copper free aluminum if that's the magic material has anyone had any experience in materials that last near salt in the instrument / electrical disiplines.

Thanks, Rusty Hinges

 

[DaveVikingPE]

Have you considered structural fiberglass like Extren (I still think it's called that) from Strongwell?

 

[RustyHinges]

We have a Cooper / Crouse Hinds rep coming in next week to show us some products they handle. Seems they do have a product similar to HDPE pipe as for as the outer shell to house most all devices. The real problem area is the conduit fittings. The salty condensate eats from the inside out to the point the wires short and the fitting covers explode open with rust. We have tried all of the best rust inhibitors and they don't last long. I imagine if we can route most things in a fiberglass tray, the drops and fitting are our only area of concern for longevity of life. BP is shelling out some money to fix this popular plant and we are tired of band aids. They have got us in trouble before.

Thanks, Rusty

 

[RustyHinges]

One more thing to add. We have two problems, extreme UV and salt.