Sherwin-Williams has launched Heat-Flex ACE, a high-performance primer designed to combat corrosion under insulation (CUI), a costly and often hidden issue in the oil and gas industry.

CUI occurs when moisture penetrates insulation and reacts with steel, causing financial losses, downtime, and safety risks.

Traditional epoxy coatings have struggled with application difficulties, underperformance, and limited temperature ranges.

Heat-Flex ACE overcomes these challenges, forming a strong barrier against moisture, offering wide temperature tolerance (-196 deg C to 232 deg C), and resisting corrosion creep and cracking.

Tested to ISO 19277:2018 CUI2 and CUI3 and Norsok M501 standards, it is suitable for carbon and stainless steel, insulated or not, in both new construction and maintenance.

The primer enhances operational safety, reduces maintenance costs, and extends asset life.

Neil Wilds, Global Product Director – CUI/Testing said: "The battle against CUI is never-ending, as coated steel encapsulated in insulation will inevitably corrode over time. Our goal is to mitigate that corrosion process for as long as possible. Developed with a functional chemical enhancement, Heat-Flex ACE surpasses the performance capabilities of traditional solvent-based epoxy phenolic and novolac coatings. CUI has long been considered an unavoidable cost of doing business. With Heat-Flex ACE, that is no longer the case."