Tanker safety: Lifetime reduction &

structural compromise - where are

we now?
Drs Les Callow & Jane Lomas.
Amtec Consultants Ltd.
Tel: +44 1928 734996
Fax: +44 1928 734998
Email: lcallow@amteccorrosion.co.uk
www.amteccorrosion.co.uk

Cargo Oil Tanks - the problem.

Severe corrosion of ullage space.
Accelerated pitting of tank tops.
Failure of uncoated areas to form a protective
scale.
Faster wastage of uncoated tank structures in the
mid-tank area.
Thinner scantlings, corrosion from both sides &
reduced rolling allowances, lead to shorter
service life.

Contributory factors.

Temperature.
TMCP high tensile steel.
Vibrations and flexing of structure.
Detachment of protective scales.
Microbial corrosion.
Sulphur from cargo and inert gas.

Contributory factors - temperature.

Major factor is temperature, due to insulation effects from
double hull.
Effects include:
Corrosion rate can double with every 10oC rise.
Corrosion deposits become porous at higher corrosion rates.
Microbial corrosion increases to a maximum at typical
operating temperatures.
Deposition of sulphur from inert gas occurs at high rates on
porous surfaces.
Sulphur in corrosion products makes later stages of pitting
worse.

Contributory factors
- TMCP high tensile steel.
Used because of superior uniformity of properties &
faster welding speeds during ship building.
Very lamellar structure.
Side to side variation in surface condition during
manufacture.
Lower sides can retain contaminants from production
process.
Contaminants lead to pit initiation sites.
Pitting van be more severe with TMCP steel.
Behaves differently in laboratory tests and in service.

Contributory factors
- detachment of protective scales.
Scales are loose & friable due to high corrosion
rates.
Scales contain weak sulphur layers like rings in a
tree.
Scale removal occurs due to:

Mechanical shock.
Vibration from winches.
Structural flexing.
Impacts from COW systems.

Remedial actions 1.
Design tanks to avoid excessive vibration and
flexural hot spots.
TMCP steel requires extra attention to surface
condition during shot blasting at new building.
Use of high zinc shop primers during construction
- especially on areas that will not be coated.
Ideally coat the whole tank with high quality
coatings.
Careful cleaning of tanks prior to the first cargo.

Remedial actions 2.
Install flush mounted sacrificial anodes in critical
areas.
Avoid sea water washing whenever possible.
Modify COW systems to lower the rate of scale
removal in uncoated or partially coated tanks.
Design Inert Gas systems to remove more
sulphurous gases.
Increase corrosion allowances where possible,
especially in uncoated, critical areas.