Selecting Heat-Resistant Coatings: Beyond NORSOK Standards

Abstract The NORSOK standards are developed by the Norwegian Petroleum Industry for safe and effective operations in the industry. In the seventh edition of NORSOK M-501 standard (Nov 2022), new coating system specifications were added for high temperature service – systems 1D, 6C, 10A, and 10B. The standard allows for pre-qualification of such systems through performing tests according to international standards such as ISO 19277 (coating systems under insulation) and other high temperature tests. However, these tests are not designed to identify the limits of the coating performance. Further testing is needed to identify coatings for a specific application. Therefore, a comparative test program was undertaken which involved different heat-resistant products within a similar temperature range. The tests were designed to show performance differences under various conditions and to test the performance limits of the coating. The results indicate significant performance differences among products within the same category, despite most of them passing NORSOK testing. The study highlights that selecting a heat-resistant coating should not depend only on standard approvals like NORSOK but also on factors like surface tolerance, application conditions, and in-service requirements