By Eng. Carlos F Molina
To protect metal from corrosion, there are several things that can be made
A tank bottom can make good use of cathodic protection and coatings. The most effective protection for a tank bottom is a combination of a corrosion resistant coating and a cathodic protection system (says API 571 and NACE RP0193). The provision of an insulating coating to the structure will greatly reduce the current demand for cathodic protection.

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By Eng. Carlos F Molina

The following article is about API RP 652 for the API 653 certification exam. What do you think is the difference between a lining and a coating? Between a coating and a paint?….. Before you continue reading, share your thoughts in the comment section.

As far as I know,  paint is a liquid or paste that, when applied in a substrate, coats a layer over the surface, protects it and then gets to be known as a coating. Any material applied to the internal surfaces of a tank to serve as a barrier to corrosion and/or product , it is known also as a lining. Right now we are going to study linings. If you are preparing to take the API 653 certification exam, do me a favor an read the 652 RP. (more…)

By Eng. Carlos Molina

To download 52 questions for your own study, based in SOIL and CAUSTIC corrosion in the API 571 RP, click here

Both DM ares listed in the API 571 RP under the “Uniform or Localized Loss of Thickness” (more…)

By Carlos F Molina

To professionals all around the industry, I am here to present you a problem. We have  shortage of personnel for our industry. The average age of a welder in the USA is 55; the wave of coming retirements will leave manufacturers at a disadvantage. The American Welding Society estimates that by 2020 there will be a shortage of 290,000 professionals, including inspectors, engineers, and teachers. “We’re dealing with a lost generation”, they say (link)

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By Carlos Molina

Hi friends. I am longing to make it in the integrity field. I mean, I want to make it in the tanks, in the pipes and in the pressure vessels and static equipment.

Tank level seen with Infrared camera

Yo can see tank levels at once with infrared cameras

Here is a gift for you

Today I am writing you about the API 580 certification, the same I talked about in this article

On february 2, I received this mail from the guys of prometric that contained a pdf file. I opened up the PDF file and read that I  achieved a passing grade and i am now certified to conduct rbi inspections. I dont have the experience yet though. Here is a screenshot of the document.

API-580-Certified

But as for the exam, I actually just studied some 3 days total. I really didn’t have much time in the previous months to study, and just one month before the exam, the API 580 course I was due was cancelled. I thought I had no chance. In the last week, I read the RP on the bus while in my conmute, I read the RP while I was having my lunch, and I reviewed some questions and answers I had in an spaced repetition software (in a very disorderly way).
I almost flunked. I got 50 questions right, just to a little over the 71% needed. What helped me was that I can understand english well and generally have been good in multiple choice exams troughout my life.

During the exam, all you had to do is make sure that you get the 49 questions you need in order to pass. Be sure of 49, and you can do anything to the others, from guessing to discarding to whatever. And if you passed, congratulations on this significant professional acomplishment.

And continuing with my goal to completely prepare you for these exams, here are more questions for the API 653 Certification examination.

MICROBIOLOGICALLY INDUCED CORROSION QUESTIONS

I am bringing you today 25 questions about Microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC). You can download them Here. Microbial corrosion, also called bacterial corrosion, bio-corrosion, microbiologically influenced corrosion, or microbially induced corrosion (MIC), is corrosion caused or promoted by microorganisms, usually chemoautotrophs. It can apply to both metals and non-metallic materials (Wikipedia)

For the exam, I can´t tell you how many questions about this subject will show up. Maybe none. Anyway, I prepared these questions with the intention to make you really knowledgeable to the subject.

More pages on the API 653 questions series

1. Beginning the path: API 653 Questions

2. General and definitions. #2 in the API 653 questions series.

3. In the core of API 653. Path # 3.

4. Damage mechanisms for API 653 inspection. Path #4

5. Corrosion Under Insulation