Protective paintwork is an important item in construction and maintenance operations in
industrial plants. A properly selected and applied coating system will reduce the rate of corrosion and
therefore the costs associated with corrosion. In industrial plants, coating failures may occur if incorrect
coating material is used or the materials are poorly applied. Coating failures may appear during
application, during drying/curing, or after a certain period of service life. There are many reasons why
coatings fail and it requires a lot of experience to find the exact cause. In this paper, case studies of
coating failures that were experienced in industrial plants will be presented showing how the varied
causes of failure were established as well as the remedial actions that were undertaken. The goal is to
demonstrate how to specify the most cost effective coating systems and application procedure for
various requirements in plants.
Keywords: Protective paintwork, coating selection, corrosion under insulation, coating failures, coating
deterioration