Water transport through epoxy-based powder pipeline coatings

Hydration of epoxy coatings reduces adhesion performance and causes degradation of the material, such as microstructural failures. Quantification of water vapor transport at elevated temperatures is fundamental to understanding polymer coating performance, especially when the coating is exposed to extreme operating conditions. As the water activity increases, the permeability/selectivity of polymers against other permeants changes. In this study, we examined the water permeation kinetics of two common epoxy-based powder coating systems for pipelines (fusion-bonded epoxy, FBE, and high-performance powder coating, HPPC) across a range of industrially-relevant temperatures (from room temperature to 80°C). Specifically, we utilized vapor permeation features of FBE and HPPC films with quantification of equilibrium flux as a function of temperature and pressure. In addition, we analyzed the nonlinear dependency of water transport on the vapor concentration at 65°C. The vapor transport analysis demonstrated that although data for FBE were indicative of a decrease in permeability around 65°C, perhaps due to self-association of water molecules, the coating was likely to experience a plasticization pressure around this temperature. We also examined microstructural changes of the epoxy network due to water transport. Our results revealed evidence of irreversible damage to epoxy coatings under wet-state conditions above 65°C. It appears that the combination of thermal exposure and internal stresses in the glassy epoxy lead to a phase separation of filler particles from the epoxy matrix, as well as to a distinctive cavity formation in the coating membrane. Yet, despite formation of percolating paths for water transport, our results indicate that vapor permeation is primarily restrained due to self-association of water molecules. The vapor transport flux and its permeance are lowered by one order of magnitude in the multilayered HPPC thanks to the moisture-resistant polyethylene topcoat, thus reducing the extent of damage to the underlying substrate. Since barrier protection against gas phase diffusion is controlled by the FBE primer, however, consequences of coating hydration are more pronounced in the overall selectivity toward gaseous transport. Hydrothermal exposure is likely to increase aggregate porosity of the coating and a conservative implementation of standard coating requirements is therefore reasonable to avoid early degradation issues.