CLOCK SPRING®
Application Note
Cathodic Protection and Electrical Properties of Clock Spring®
While in service, the Clock Spring® composite sleeve will experience conditions
much like an anti-corrosion coating. The composite will be exposed to a variety
of conditions generated by the soil, cathodic protection system, and pipeline
operation. The Gas Research Institute, GRI, undertook a broad research
program to evaluate the engineering design, application procedures, and
chemical and mechanical properties of the glass-fiber composite and adhesive
system used in the Clock Spring® repair. Specifically, GRI report No. GRI-
95/0072 “Engineering Properties of Clock Spring® for Repair of Defects in
Transmission Pipelines,” addresses prolonged exposure to cathodic protection
environments, the electrical resistivity and physical properties of the Clock
Spring®, which could influence the potential for shielding.
This study used experiments to evaluate the propensity of Clock Spring® to
shield cathodic-protection currents and the changes that occur in electrical
resistivity and physical dimensions to the Clock Spring® materials when moisture
is absorbed from ‘worse case’ simulated pipeline environments, such as, pH
levels 3 to 13.5, fully saturated soil and temperature ranges up to 160° F. The
following conclusions were drawn from this study:
• Estimates of the electrical resistivity of the Clock Spring® composite
sleeve and adhesive materials after 1, 10, 50 years of exposure to various
aqueous environments indicated the resistivity will be in the range from
10 9 to 10 11 ohm-cm. The estimates are in the range of bitumen (coal tar),
epoxy, polyurethane, and polyethylene pipeline coatings after exposure to
actual field conditions from 3 to 20 years.
• Clock Spring composite can be expected to absorb some amount of
moisture in wet environments. Reactions of the composite with that
moisture would likely produce an internal environment that could conduct
current. The amount of moisture absorbed ranged from 0.3 to 0.5 percent
by weight at room temperature for the composite and 0.6 o 4.0 percent by
weight for the adhesive. The low levels of moisture that can be absorbed,
combined with the relatively large thickness (0.5 inch) of the Clock
Spring® compared to other coating system, suggests that long-term
integrity of the composite material is not likely to be a concern.
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Clock Spring is a registered trademark of NCF Industries Inc. All rights reserved. Manufactured under license from NCF Industries, Inc. The Clock
Spring symbol is a trademark of Clock Spring Company L.P.
• Maintaining instant-off potentials close to –1000mV (Cu/CuSO 4 ) may be
more effective in reducing the likelihood of shielding. It should be possible
to achieve the –850mV (Cu/CuSO 4 ) polarized (instant-off) potential
criterion or the 100 mV polarization criterion for cathodic protection under
the Clock Spring®. Also, the moisture absorbed by Clock Spring® can act
as a barrier to oxygen transport to the steel surface. This will (1) reduce
the current required to attain the –850 mV (Cu/CuSO 4 ) potential and 100
mV polarization criteria values, (2) reduce the corrosion rate of
unprotected steel should a cell be present and the cathodic protection
current be shielded, and (3) limit buildup of alkalinity from the cathodic
protection reactions.
Resistivity of Pipeline Coatings and Clock Spring®
Composite
Thickness Age Resistivity
Coating (Inches) (Years) (Ohm-cm)
Field
Coal tar 0.1 > 43 8 - 60 x 105
Cold applied coal tar 0.1 35-43 6 -12 x 106
Bitumen + jute 0.15 28-35 4 - 15 x 106
Bitumen + felt 0.15 18-28 1 - 4 x 107
Bitumen + felt 0.15 10-18 4 - 8 x 107
Bitumen + glass fiber 0.15 5-10 4 - 15 x 107
Bitumen + glass fiber 0.28 0-5 9 - 14 x 107
Bitumen 0.39 20 3 x 109
High pressure polyethylene 0.08 3 2 x 1010
High pressure polyethylene 0.08 8 3 x 1010
PE tape + reinforcement 0.03 5 3 x 109
PE heat shrink sleeve 0.12 10 3 x 1011
Epoxy tar fiberglass reinforced 0.08 20 1.5 x 1011
Urethane tar 0.1 10 4 x 1013
Laboratory
Bitumen + glass fiber 0.016 New >2.5 x 1013
Bitumen + glass fiber 0.016 15 2.5 x 1010
High pressure polyethylene 0.08 New >5 x 1013
High pressure polyethylene 0.08 9 >5 x 1013
PVC tape 0.012 0.5 1 x 1014
11 polyamide 0.012 0.5 1 x 109
Epoxy resin 0.008 1 4 x 106
FBE (206N) 0.026 2 >108
E-glass polyester (this study) 0.5 1 2 x 1011
E-glass polyester (this study) 0.5 50 3 x 1011
E-glass vinyl ester (this study) 0.5 1 5 x 1011
E-glass vinyl ester (this study) 0.5 50 1 x 1010
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Clock Spring is a registered trademark of NCF Industries Inc. All rights reserved. Manufactured under license from NCF Industries, Inc. The Clock
Spring symbol is a trademark of Clock Spring Company L.P.
Clock Spring's Predicted Average Electrical Resistivity at
Year 50 In Various Environments (Ohm-cm)
Temperature (F)
pH level 74 100 120 140 160
3 4.05 x 109 6.93 x 108 2.18 x 108 2.73 x 109 5.31 x 108
6 2.28 x 109 1.05 x 1010 2.55 x 108 3.70 x 108 5.71 x 108
10 9 8 7
8 7.22 x 10 3.37 x 10 4.95 x 10 3.52 x 10 8.01 x 108
10 7.84 x 108 - - 2.99 x 108 -
12
12 1.03 x 10 - - 5.19 x 1011 -
13.5 1.13 x 1012 - - 4.85 x 106 -
"Experiments on full-scale Clock Spring®-wrapped pipes in soil boxes in the
laboratory suggest that shielding of cathodic protection currents is not likely."
GRI 95/0072, "Engineering Properties of Clock Spring® For Repair of Defects
in Transmission Pipelines".
Simply the smartest pipeline repair decision you can make!
Clock Spring Company L.P.● 14107 Interdrive West ● Houston, Texas, 77032
Telephone 281.590.8491 ● 800.471.0060 ● Fax 281.590.9528
Clock Spring ● 4A The Causeway, Godmanchester, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE29 2HA, England
Telephone 011 44 1480 414 703 ●Fax 011 44 1480 414 705
[Link]
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Clock Spring is a registered trademark of NCF Industries Inc. All rights reserved. Manufactured under license from NCF Industries, Inc. The Clock
Spring symbol is a trademark of Clock Spring Company L.P.
