Cleaning of Fabricated Piping: 1. Scope

This copy belongs to Alstom Power Inc.
PFI Standard ES-5

| Denotes Revision (Revised September 2002)
CLEANING OF FABRICATED PIPING
1. Scope 4.2 Special Methods – Ferritic Materials

This standard describes cleaning methods normally 4.2.1 Rotary Tools
used to clean fabricated pipe assemblies, the
limitations of the methods and results to be Rotary type (turbinizing) tools will
expected. Acceptance Criteria for various levels of substantially remove most loosely adhering
cleanliness shall be a matter of prior agreement mill scale and a significant portion of very
between the fabricator and purchaser. heavy rust. They will not remove tight mill
scale, heat treatment scale, medium to fine
rust or any pitting. This type of cleaning is
2. Selection of Cleaning Method limited to internal surfaces only.
2.1 General 4.2.2 Wire Brushing
The need for and degree of cleanliness on Steel wire brushing will remove medium to
fabricated piping assemblies are dictated by the light rust, but will not remove tight mill or
system requirements, the degree to which the heat treatment scale. It is limited to readily
system can be cleaned after installation and the accessible surfaces only.
need for removal of contaminants picked up 4.2.3 Grinding
during fabrication.
Grinding will remove rust, tight scale, pits,
2.2 Size and Configuration of Assembly etc. from readily accessible surfaces only.
Appropriate care must be taken to avoid
In selecting a method of cleaning, the size and grinding below the minimum allowable wall
configuration of the part or assembly must be thickness.
considered to permit visual examination of the
interior and to allow complete drainage or 4.2.4 Blasting
removal of the cleaning materials. The most common method for removal of
tight mill or heat treatment scale is blasting
3. Standard Cleaning with sand, steel shot, or grit. This is most
effective in producing a bare metal surface.
Unless otherwise specified by the customer,
Both internal and external surfaces may be
cleaning will consist of removing all non-
cleaned by this method, but proper cleaning
adhering material such as loose scale, sand,
of piping internals is limited by accessibility
weld spatter particles, rust, cutting chips, etc.,
to blasting equipment. Care should be taken
from the inside of the piping assembly by any
in establishing configuration of fabricated
suitable means.
piping assemblies, which require internal
blasting after fabrication so that all internal
4. Special Cleaning surfaces will be accessible to blasting
4.1 General equipment. See PFI Standard ES-29 for a
more thorough explanation of this cleaning
When a greater degree of cleanliness is method.
required, either the cleaning process or the
acceptance criteria should be outlined in the 4.2.5 Pickling
purchaser's design specifications. For pipe requiring internal cleanliness
substantially equal to bare metal, pickling is
In all cases, the method of cleaning and the an effective overall method of removing
acceptance standard will be a matter of scale, rust, etc. However this method limits
agreement between the purchaser and the configuration of fabricated piping
fabricator. assemblies to the tank size available and the
ability to get acid flow to internal surfaces.

PFI Standard ES-5

| Denotes Revision (Revised September 2002)
4.3 Special Methods – Austenitic Materials This is performed as follows:

All surfaces of all assemblies will be steam
4.3.1 Degreasing
cleaned using spray nozzles and chemical
Generally stainless steel materials, which have additives such as tri-sodium phosphate with
not been subject to heat for forming or detergent. Nozzles will be passed along the
bending, require only a degreasing operation. pipe centerline throughout its entire length to
This may be accomplished by immersion in, the maximum extent practical.
or wiping with, a clean cloth saturated with a
Demineralized water used in preparing the
suitable solvent, or by steam degreasing as
chemical solution for steam cleaning as well
described in 4.3.4 below.
as for rinsing shall have a conductivity of not
4.3.2 Pickling and Passivating more than 20.0 Micromhos/cm and a pH
range between 6.0 and 8.0 or as agreed
For stainless steels, which have been heated
between the purchaser and fabricator.
for forming or bending and subsequently
given a solution heat treatment, or for solution Internal and external surfaces of pipe spools
heat-treated materials, which exhibit a rusted will then be spray rinsed with cold
appearance due to some type of contact with demineralized water without chemical
ferritic materials, the most effective cleaning additives. Rinsing will be done using a spray
is a pickling and passivation. See ASTM nozzle to thoroughly flush internal surfaces
A380 and A967 for recommended cleaning of the pipe until complete cleanliness to the
solutions. However this method limits the specified acceptance standard is attained.
configuration of fabricated piping assemblies After rinsing, spools will be tilted to insure
to the tank size available and the ability to get complete drainage and left to "drip-dry".
acid flow to internal surfaces.
5. Acceptance Criteria
4.3.3 Blasting
5.1 Visual
Scale or discoloration produced as a result of
heating for bending or solution heat treatment In all cases, assemblies will be visually inspected
may also be effectively removed by blasting to assure that the required degree of cleanliness
with iron-free silica sand or new aluminum- has been attained.
oxide grit. (Reclaimed sand or grit usually
contains scale particles, which will result in a NOTE: Unless specifically noted as unacceptable
rusted surface on exposure to water and is in a customer's specification, thin films of rust on
therefore not recommended). stainless steels should not be a cause for rejection
If localized rusting appears after blasting, the provided there is no visible evidence of corrosion
assembly may be passivated by swabbing with pitting.
a solution of nitric acid at room temperature
until the free iron is removed. Follow with a 5.2 Testing of Water Rinse
water rinse.
For certain nuclear applications the pipe assembly
4.3.4 Steam Degreasing and Rinse will be internally rinsed with water until the
Certain nuclear systems involving high level required acceptance level is attained.
radioactive service may require not only scale
removal, but removal of contaminants, Acceptance may be based on :
particularly halogens and sulfur, both
internally and externally. 1. pH range of effluent.
2. Conductivity of effluent.
An effective means of accomplishing this
objective is a combination of steam-detergent 3. Particle number and size in filter cloths.
wash followed by a rinse with demineralized
water.

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This copy belongs to Alstom Power Inc.

PFI Standard ES-5