Commercial Sand Blasting and Painting (CSBP) has supported the mining and mineral processing industry since 1968 with the provision of abrasion-resistant lining solutions. We have worked with our customers and supplier partners to provide solutions for the potash industry that extend the service life of tanks, piping and process vessels, while reducing costs.
Critical wear and abrasion protection
High-velocity flow of varying particle-sized potash slurry erodes vessels, chutes, and pipes. When an asset is properly protected, erosive wear is decreased and asset life increased. This allows your equipment to contribute to the bottom line with less downtime and maintenance, creating cost savings.
From concrete to tile: Evolving wear protection
The evolution of wear and abrasion-resistant linings for the potash industry started in the late ‘70s. Prior to this, in the industry a wear lining was expanded steel mesh and hand-troweled concrete. This system had a short life expectancy because of the week tensile strength of the concrete surface that was subject to object impact and chloride, causing spalling and cracking. Once the concrete was compromised, the expanded corroded mesh would dislodge the concrete which caused flow issues and plugged systems.
In the late ‘70s, after testing, Commercial Sand Blasting and Painting (CSBP) brought forward epoxy and ceramic bathroom tile systems that bonded directly to the steel surface, with no welding required. The epoxy of choice was originally a high-end, sand-filled epoxy with good chemical resistance. The system provided longer service life; the issue was that tile was square with straight grout lines that became wear points. Once the grout was worn, the tile could pop off, leaving exposed steel that would quickly wear. This system was the standard in potash until the ‘90s.
Integrating experience and supplier partnerships for improved performance
In the ‘90s, improvements in formulations of beaded wear compounds and high-strength adhesives offered longer service life and better wear resistance. CSBP started to experiment with beaded compounds and butted alumina tile that was standard in the coal industry. Again, CSBP’s diverse industry knowledge and solutions focus helped to push technology forward in the potash industry. Although the beaded compounds were economical and easy to repair, there was still room for improvement in higher wear areas. The butted alumina tile performed exceptionally well for wear resistant but was vulnerable to external forces, impact, expansion, and contraction. These forces could cause the tile to come loose and swirl in the tanks which would knock off remaining tile, plug pipes, pumps, and nozzles.
Providing solutions – not just protection
In the mid 2000’s, Potash Corp. came to CSBP for a solution and they began testing and partnered with suppliers. Suppliers stepped up and partnered with CSBP to formulate speciality epoxies for tile adhesion and wear resistance. Testing also started on alumina hex tiles, instead of the standard square. The hex shape reduced the issues with wearing of the lateral grout lines, and the smaller pieces would not plug pipes, pumps, or nozzles if one did become dislodged.
CSBP worked in partnership to develop the alumina tile and beaded wear system that is now industry standard. Hundreds of thousands of square feet of CSBP’s tile system has now been installed in Nutrien, Mosaic, and K+S tanks, chutes, equipment, and piping across Saskatchewan.
As the potash industry has changed and grown, CSBP has been a key part of this evolution. Offering long-lasting solutions that reduce costs and downtime while extending the life of equipment, chutes, pipes, and tanks. Commercial Sandblasting and Painting continues to lead the industry by taking the time to listen, innovate, and test products and systems, in partnership with our customers and suppliers.
Continuing the evolution
Commercial Sand Blasting and Painting has been pioneering solutions for a variety of industries and issues for over 50 years. By developing strong supplier relationships and taking the time to listen to customers, CSBP continues to engineer custom formulations, along with dedicated suppliers. These are just a few of the innovations we have pioneered with our partners:
- Wear-resistant epoxy 100 per cent solid system
- Ceramic repair compound for bonding, grout linings, and overlay
- 90 per cent Alumina quarter-inch and half-inch hex tile varieties
- 100 per cent solids pipeline coatings for TransCanada pipelines in the early ‘90s
- 100 per cent solids plural tank linings systems for Enbridge in the late ‘90s
- Cement-sprayed ceramic-insulating coating and sound-dampening systems for potash mining
- Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) repair for rebuilding of tanks, ducting, and stacks
Learn more about how Commercial Sand Blasting and Painting can help extend the life of your assets. Visit us at www.csbp.com, call us at 306-931-3344, or email info@cspb.ca today.
