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What are Protective Coatings and How to Ship Them

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The metals we use in the construction of the structures, when exposed to environmental conditions, can quickly deteriorate and lead to structural failure. One of the major issues that affect metals is corrosion. And the cost of corrosion is often very high. According to the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE), half of all corrosion costs could have been prevented, and one of the most effective ways is through the use of protective coatings. In fact, 85% of the various ways to prevent corrosion involves the use of some sort of protective coating.

But what are protective coatings? How do these formidable corrosion resistors work? What protective coating types do we have? And how would you ship them in bulk?

What are Protective Coatings?

Protective coatings, such as paints, are layers of solid materials that we apply to substrates to protect the substrates from corroding. A protective coating could be liquid, mastic composition, or liquefiable before use. But as soon as they are applied, they dry up and solidify to form a film that protects or decorates the application surface. Application options for protective coatings include spray, welding on, applying through hand tools, or plating on.

With the use of protective coatings on metals, we can significantly reduce the slow, but catastrophic, effects of corrosion. A common example of a protective coating is paint. Other examples include bitumen, tar, plastics, and pitch. And each of these coatings is used in various applications, such as infrastructure, water treatment, commercial architecture, power generation, marine, industrial maintenance, and oil and gas exploration.

Although corrosion is one of the major reasons we use protective coatings, protective coatings help to resist:

  • Chemical attack
  • Fire damage
  • Physical damage, and
  • Thermal degradation

Usually, we apply a protective coating after we are done with construction. And the number of layers of coatings to use depends on the constructor and the environmental demand on the coating. However, some metal pieces have to be primed by the manufacturer from the factory before they ship them to their final destinations to be used. There, the constructor installs the metals and gives them a final layer of coat.

The use of protective coating is non-negotiable because of the importance of the structures they protect. For instance, you wouldn’t want to risk using a metal pillar without a protective coating. And this is why protective coatings are generally valuable and expensive.

How do Protective Coatings Work?

The ways protective coatings protect the surfaces they are applied on are quite intuitive. They either prevent the corroding process from happening, inhibit the coming together of corrosion prerequisites, or redirect the process of corrosion so that it has no adverse effect on the material they are applied on. These three methods of operation help us to classify the protective coatings into inhibiting coatings, barrier coatings, and sacrificial coatings.

Inhibitive Coatings

Inhibitive coatings, often found among primers, are the ones that stop corrosion from happening at all. By interfering with the electrolytes that the corrosion process needs before it begins, inhibitive coatings ensure that corrosion is not even a problem in the first place.

For a long time, red lead was the perfect example of an inhibitive coating. However, when the harmful effects of lead came to light, its use has been regulated and reduced to a minimum.

Barrier Coatings

As the name suggests, barrier coatings form a wall that prevents corrosion requirements from coming in contact with the application surface. Although we can’t completely stop water and other corrosion ingredients from touching the substrate with barrier coating alone, the barrier coating still makes sure to rid the water of a significant amount of ions. So that even if corrosion was to happen, there aren’t enough ions to initiate a significant corrosive effect.

A lot of protective coatings fall into this category to some extent, if not completely. Thermal barrier coatings are a good example of barrier coatings. And they are often used to prevent corrosion on metals that are exposed to high temperatures during their lifespans.

Sacrificial Coatings

Sacrificial coatings are protective coatings that often contain metal, such as zinc, that corrodes faster than steel. When you apply a sacrificial coating to the surface of a metal, the coating does the corroding instead of the metal. And by doing so, protects the metal beneath it by forming a barrier of corroded zinc between the environment and the underlying metal. You could liken sacrificial coatings to the heroes who save the day in the movies but die in the process.

The Types of Protective Coatings

As you might expect, protective coatings are not all the same. Their areas of application are so wide that it is impossible to have just one protective coating for all purposes. Also, there are many materials we can use to make protective coatings, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, we have various types of protective coatings for different purposes.

1.    Two-Part Epoxy Coatings

The best thing about the two-part epoxy coating is that it contains a resin and a hardener. And with this combination, we can derive various coating properties, depending on how we manipulate the components. For instance, using bisphenol A as a resin for the two-part epoxy would yield different chemical and physical properties than using phenolic novolac. As a result of their property flexibility, epoxy coatings are used in heavy-duty industrial applications on iron and steel.

What might be a downside to epoxy coatings is that they are limited in their aesthetics properties. For instance, you shouldn’t rely solely on epoxy coatings to have excellent gloss retention or look striking. Fortunately, you can layer epoxy coatings on other types of protective coatings to get the best of everything. However, their functional effects are irresistible. Their chemical, water, and abrasion resistance properties are remarkable.

Advantages of two-part epoxy coatings

  • Excellent corrosion resistance properties
  • Resistant to friction
  • Resistant to corrosive fluids
  • Effective in extreme temperature applications
  • Retains its properties when submerged
  • Can be manipulated to derive various coating properties

Disadvantages of epoxy coatings

  • Poor aesthetics properties
  • Exposure to UV light chalks it

Applications of epoxy coatings

  • Excellent for interior tank linings
  • Marine conditions, such as bridges, hydroelectric facilities, offshore oil platforms
  • Oil and gas pipelines
  • Automotive applications (because of their resistance to heat)

Polyurethane Coatings

The strengths of the polyurethane coatings lie in their durability and their high abrasion resistance. Another remarkable property of polyurethane coatings is their excellent aesthetic property, which is more pronounced in the aliphatic polyurethanes, a category of polyurethane coatings. The aliphatic polyurethanes also manage to pull off an impressive performance under sunlight, which makes them suitable for coating exterior surfaces.

Aromatic polyurethanes, on the other hand, can’t boast of this sunlight-resistant performance. In fact, sunlight chalks them. However, use aromatic polyurethanes in marine applications and you’ll get the best from them. Generally, polyurethane coatings are preferred as topcoats over other layers of coatings.

Advantages of polyurethane coatings

  • Excellent abrasion resistance
  • Remarkable aesthetic properties
  • The aliphatic polyurethanes are suitable for use on surfaces exposed to sunlight
  • The aromatic polyurethanes are suitable for submerged surfaces

Disadvantages of polyurethane coatings

  • Polyurethanes are more expensive than epoxies
  • The presence of isocyanate (-NCO) makes it a harmful carcinogenic
  • Requires skilled workers wearing protective gear to apply

Applications of Polyurethane coatings

Polyurethane coatings are mostly used as topcoats in

  • Marine applications
  • Nuclear power plant coatings

Polysiloxane Coatings

Polysiloxanes have the excellent abrasion resistance of the other protective coating types. They also exhibit excellent weather resistance and aesthetics. But where polysiloxane coatings beat the others is when they’re combined with epoxies to form epoxy polysiloxanes coatings.

Epoxy polysiloxane coatings offer the best of epoxies and polysiloxanes. As a result, the combination provides unbeatable weather, abrasion, UV, corrosion, and chemical resistance. This combination makes up the master combination for various coating needs and applications. In addition to their versatility, epoxy polysiloxanes are easy to apply and more durable.

The only critical disadvantage of epoxy polysiloxane is that they are very expensive when compared to other protective coating types.

Advantages of Polysiloxane coatings

  • Excellent abrasion and weather resistance
  • Great aesthetics
  • They make two-coat applications possible (polysiloxane and a zinc primer), as opposed to the more popular three-coat application involving zinc, epoxy, and polyurethane. The result is a reduction in labor costs
  • Excellent performance under UV light
  • More resistant to high temperatures than the other coating types

Disadvantages of polysiloxane coatings

  • They are expensive

Applications of polysiloxane coatings

  • The versatility of epoxy polysiloxane makes them suitable for most applications.

Zinc-rich Coatings

Zinc-rich protective coatings are often sacrificial coatings. That is, they corrode in the place of the substrate they are applied on. This galvanic protection of substrates has proven to be very effective for various applications. Zinc-rich coatings also double as barrier protective coatings, as they form a wall between the environment and the substrate as they corrode.

The two types of zinc-rich coatings are organic and inorganic coatings. While the organic zinc-rich coatings contain polyurethane or epoxy binders, their inorganic counterpart contains silicate binders. And though the latter offers more effective abrasion resistance and galvanic protection, the former does not require extreme surface preparation before application.

The strong galvanic protection property of zinc-rich coatings makes them most suitable for applications where corrosion is the main villain.

Advantages of zinc-rich coatings

  • Excellent abrasion resistance
  • Very durable
  • Suitable for steel coating, as it offers both barrier and galvanic protection.
  • Zinc-rich coatings have high UV resistance
  • They are easy to apply, as long as the substrate surface is clean

Disadvantages of zinc-rich coatings

  • Zinc-rich coatings need to be top coated
  • The surface of the substrate needs to be well cleaned before applying inorganic zinc-rich coatings

Applications of zinc-rich coatings

Zinc-rich coatings are well suited for highly corrosive environments, such as:

  • Marine applications
  • Water treatment plants
  • Architectural applications
  • Pumps and compressors

How to Ship Protective Coatings in Bulk

Protective coatings are best shipped in trailers. These trailers must have had their interior linings covered with protective coatings themselves to prevent their chemical content from damaging their walls.

Another important factor to put into consideration is the hazardous nature of some chemicals that are present in some protective coatings. When wrongly handled during transport, these chemicals could spill out and cause bodily harm to anyone closeby. In addition to that, this could lead to penalties from regulatory bodies, such as the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), which are in charge of the transport of hazardous chemicals.

These same regulatory bodies have laid down an eternally long and ever-increasing list of regulations as regards the bulk transport of hazardous materials. And some protective coatings fall under this category. Failure to comply with every single one of these regulations is risking the ire of the unforgiving regulatory bodies.

How Total Connection Eases Your Bulk Protective Coatings Shipping

You could try to ship your bulk protective coatings all on your own, making sure to avoid breaking any of the regulations while still keeping up with updates on these regulations. Of course, that’s assuming that you have the right trailers to ship them and enough well-trained labor to handle the shipping and paperwork. Or you could leverage the expertise and experience of Total Connection logistics company in shipping bulk protective coatings. And you would be saving your company a lot of stress, expense, and unnecessary labor.

Total Connection is a third-party logistics company that prides itself in helping you tighten up your supply chain by offering affordable, efficient, and flexible services. Let us know what you would like us to ship for you by filling out the quote form below and watch us take it over from there.

Why are Protective Coatings So Important?

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Powder coating of metal parts. A man in a protective suit sprays powder paint from a gun on metal products.

Look around you. You’ll find metals all around you. And every piece of it has been coated with a protective coating. There is hardly any construction work, especially those that involve the use of metals like steel and iron, that does not require the use of protective coatings.

Studies forecast that the protective coatings market would be worth $52.31 billion, thanks to its broad applications across industries, such as oil and gas, marine, automotive, construction, aerospace, power generation, and more. As a result, the protective coatings market is not only a huge one, it is also one we can’t do without.

What then makes protective coatings so important? Why can’t we do without them? And how does it affect you, the consumer? The best way to show you the importance of these chemicals is to make you see what they are used for.

What are Protective Coatings Used For?

These are some of the most common uses of protective coatings:

1.    Corrosion Prevention

One of the biggest threats to the lifespan of metals is corrosion. What makes it worse is that corrosion doesn’t just start and end in a day. It happens over time, degrading the metal, and causing it to fail when you least expect it. And when the metal fails, the effects could be catastrophic, depending on where the metals are used. Therefore, we have to protect the metals from corroding, so we can extend the lifespans.

Protective coatings prevent corrosion in three major ways: inhibition, sacrificially, and through barrier formation. Some types of coatings merely serve as a barrier to protect the substrate from corrosive electrolytes. Other protective coatings serve as inhibitors to the formation of the electrolytes that lead to corrosion, preventing corrosion even before it begins.

Another way protective coatings, such as zinc-rich coatings, go about this is sacrificially. That is, they corrode in place of the metal substrate. And as the coating corrodes, it forms a protective barrier over the application surface to further protect it.

2.    Chemical Protection

Some surfaces get to come in contact with chemicals during their lifetime. For instance, the walls of a chemical factory need protection, and so does the interior lining of tanks that carry chemicals. Otherwise, the chemicals could destroy these surfaces. And this is where protective coatings wade in to save the day.

Some protective coatings have chemical protection properties that protect the surfaces they are applied on from being damaged by chemicals around.

3.    Weather Protection

The weather can be one of the biggest issues of structures that are exposed to it. The reason for this is that it is unpredictable, persistent, and unforgiving. As a result, the weather could easily wear some surfaces out over time, and make them lose their integrity.

An example of the damaging effects of the weather on structures is when steel is exposed to heat, water, and oxygen from the atmosphere. What we have is the recipe for corrosion. Another example is the damaging effects of UV rays on exposed wood structures, causing them to crack, warp, and slough off.

But with the right protective coatings, we can reinforce our structures against the weather.

4.    Hygiene

This is another important use of protective coatings. Some coatings won’t bow to influence from the microorganisms in the environment. Such coatings are often used in hospitals and laboratories to discourage the growth of bacteria and other organisms, such as mold and mildew. As a result, the rooms where they are used see lesser exposure to contamination by these microorganisms.

5.    Fire Resistance

Uncontrolled fire leaves a devastating effect on the surfaces that it is unleashed upon, including hard surfaces like steel and concrete.

Fortunately, there are protective coatings that have fire-retardant properties. When you coat the substrate with these fire-retardant coatings, you make its surface impervious to the damage fire can cause to it. These fire-retardant coatings also slow the spread of fire, thereby protecting other surfaces around.

Examples of where we would need fire-retardant coatings are in fire-rescue vehicles, combustible materials like wood and fabric, and in airplane interiors.

6.    Aesthetics

Although protective coatings are mainly for protection, as you may have guessed from the name, they can also be great aesthetic additions to structures. They bring color and life to the surfaces they are applied to.

In Summary

It is easy to see a painted structure and quickly assume that the painting is just for beautification. While this may be true, protective coatings do far much more than beautification. Protective coatings offer protection against the weather, chemicals, corrosion, fire, and other forces that attempt to damage our structures. And this is why they are so important.

But one thing that is just as important as the protective coatings is the way you ship them. Some protective coatings contain fumes that don’t bear good news when they are ingested. That’s why it is important to only rely on experts when shipping protective coatings in bulk.

At Total Connection logistics company, we seamlessly provide efficiency, affordability, and flexibility when it comes to the bulk shipping of just about anything. Find out how we can help you handle your shipping as well when you fill out the quote form below.

What is a Third Party Logistics Company and How to Choose One

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Times have changed. Far gone are those days when most companies handled their logistics services themselves. What they now do is to outsource their logistics services to third-party logistics companies, effectively freeing up time, space, and expenses for other pursuits.

In this piece, you’ll learn everything you need to know about a third-party logistics company. This includes everything from the different types that there are to their benefits they offer businesses, and to the factors to consider when hiring one.

Photo montage of freight/transport business activities, complex.

What is a Third-Party Logistics Company?

The definition of a third-party logistics (3PL) company may slightly vary from one industry to another, and from company to company. These differences are often a result of the different responsibilities the 3PL providers take on for these industries or companies. However, the fundamentals of the responsibilities remain the same. And we will define a 3PL company by its most fundamental responsibility.

So, What is a 3PL Company?

You can define a 3PL company as any company that other businesses outsource their logistics services to. It implements and the supply chain of its client companies. Third-party logistics services cover everything from the management of the transport of resources to the delivery of the resources.

The services that a third party logistics company offers include one or more of the following:

  • Freight Consolidation
  • Inventory management
  • Distribution Management
  • Public/Contract Warehousing.

Benefits of Outsourcing Your Logistics Services to a 3PL Company

Now that you know what a third-party logistics company is, you may begin to wonder what benefits they bring to your business. So, here are some benefits of outsourcing your logistics services to a 3PL:

●      3PLs are cost and time effective

If your business handles its logistics services itself, chances are that you have a warehouse that you have either bought or rented. You pay workers, and you have the assets to manage your logistics services. And the more your business grows, the more of these things you would need. But there may come a time when your logistics costs are beginning to bite a chunk out of your revenue and you would be desperate to offload it if you could.

Now, imagine what it would be like if you didn’t have to bother about warehouses, workers, or tools anymore. Imagine how much time, space, and money it would free up for you. That’s what 3PLs are there for. They take over your logistics services while your business has more money and time to invest in other progressive pursuits.

●      3PLs have the expertise your business may not have

3PLs have industry experts and networks. It’s their business, after all, and they have to invest in these experts and networks to help them remain competitive. For instance, third-party companies have logistic professionals like marketing agencies and custom packaging providers. As a result, your company may not have the logistics expertise that 3PLs boast of.

The job of your 3PL company is to improve the efficiency of your supply chain, and it has a lot of experts to help with this. All you have to do is to outsource your logistics services to them.

●      3PLs help your business attain a wider reach

There are some places your products can’t get to because of your limited logistics reach. You can only sell to or buy from as far as your logistics services can reach. This can be a limit to the potentials of your business. But when you outsource your logistics services to a third-party logistics company, you are trusting it to use its wide network to help you reach clients and customers you normally wouldn’t have been able to reach. This move alone can take your business to the next level.

●      3PLs give your business enough room to scale

The scalability of third-party logistics companies is one of their major strengths. They allow your business to grow to as big as it can get without burdening it with unnecessary responsibilities like building new warehouses for your goods, training new workers, buying more machines and tools, and so on.

All third-party logistics companies are not all the same. One of the ways to differentiate them is through the ownership of their assets.

3PL Types: Asset and Non-Asset Based Third Party Logistics Company

You would expect that all 3PL logistics companies own all the assets they use in managing and implementing the supply chains of their clients, but it’s not usually so. Those that own all their assets are asset-based third-party logistics. And those logistics providers who don’t necessarily own all the assets at their disposal are the non-asset based logistics companies.

The Asset-Based Third Party Logistics Company

The asset-based third-party logistics company owns most or all of the assets it uses in implementing the supply chain of its clients, including the warehouses, trucks, distribution centers, and many others.

The benefit of asset-based logistics providers is that they may offer you the most secure services since they have autonomous control and oversight of the assets. But on the flip side, asset-based logistics providers may not be able to offer you the most dynamic solutions to your business. The reason is that they must have invested heavily in their assets, and would want all the supply chains they service to go through these assets. But for supply chains that their assets can’t service, they are forced to leave out such supply chains.

Non-Asset Based Third Party Logistics Company

A non-asset based third-party logistics company rarely owns the assets with which it manages the supply chains of its clients. Instead, it negotiates with a network of asset owners to get the best deals.

Since non-asset based logistics providers are not tethered to any physical assets of theirs, they can twist and bend to offer tailored services to their clients. Their area of expertise is in negotiating the best contracts with warehouses, distribution centers, and carriers. This way, they can help you maintain a cost-effective supply chain. A perfect example of a non-asset based third-party logistics company is Total Connection.

25858137 – details of dark semi truck on the road on blurred truck and trailer

8 Factors to Consider when Choosing a 3PL Company

By now, you already know everything you need to know about what a 3PL company is. But how do you go about hiring one for your business? There are many of them out there, and not all of them can serve your business in the best possible way.

That is why we’re providing you with eight factors to consider when choosing a 3PL company for your business. With these factors, you can filter out many third-party logistics companies that are not right for your company and make your hiring easy.

1.    Stability

A 3PL company that has had enough time and experience to build stability is always the best bet for shippers. This is because unstable and rapidly growing 3PL companies may not have what it takes to contain and manage potential unforeseen issues along the road. And when these problems come, the companies are not the only ones who get punished for it. You, the shipper, also get to share some of their misfortune.

But when you cast your lots with a stable 3PL that has had and conquered lots of problems since its existence, you are covered against risks. These companies are better at foreseeing potential issues, and they are robust enough to handle them. They have been around through various market conditions and have been forced to adapt and remain afloat in all of them. Take Total Connection Logistics, for instance. It has been around for almost three decades, and it remains one of the best.

2.    Reputation

It is best to avoid 3PL companies that have a marred reputation. It is also a high-risk business move to hire a 3PL company with no reputation at all (the ones no one knows anything about). Now, it is almost impossible that a business has a flawless relationship with all other businesses. But it is still possible to have an excellent reputation despite one or two flaws.

One of the best ways to confirm the company’s reputation is to get references from other clients of the company. You can reach out to these clients yourself or find them online or in public forums.

But what should you be on the lookout for in these references?

  • The security of the third-party logistics company
  • How reliable the 3PL company is
  • Does the third-party logistics provider offer one-size-fits-all services or tailored services?
  • The character of the 3PL company. How it treats its clients and its employees.
  • How efficiently it gets the job done

3.    Flexibility

Your logistics provider may serve hundreds of other companies apart from yours. If they do, it is easier for them to provide you with a one-size-fits-all kind of logistics service. And in most cases, your business may end up on the losing end.

It is common, for instance, that a logistics provider would not be able to ship your freight because what you intend to ship is smaller than its minimum shipping limit. A perfect example is when you want to ship a liquid cargo that is lower than the capacity of your provider’s smallest trailer. In this case, the logistics provider may not want to go out of its way to help you out, and instead, reject your order.

But think of what it would be like if your logistics company has enough flexibility to bend to the needs of your business and offer you the best logistics solution to your business. That is the kind of 3PL business you should aim to get into business with. And that is exactly the kind of service that Total Connection logistics offers. The company offers you the kind of delivery you want, where, and when you want it.

4.    Customer service

It is important that whichever 3PL company you hire can solve your problems quickly and efficiently before the problems negatively reflect on your business. The company would claim to have excellent customer service., but you can’t just take its word for it. There are two ways to know about the customer service of third-party logistics providers. 

The first is to get into business with them. Then, you would find out how responsive they are, how they treat their customers, how they attend to their customer’s issues, and how they solve their problems. This is usually not the best way to confirm the customer service of a 3PL company or any other company for that matter. Because the bad customer service of your 3PL could cost your company massively.

The other way to ascertain the customer service of your 3PL is to do your homework before even getting into business with them. Ask their customers. You can also take references from other companies that are similar to yours. Doing your research is always the safest way to find out about your 3PL’s customer service.

5.    Safety record

The logistics landscape is filled with regulations that attract inconvenient punishments when they are not kept. As a result, you don’t want to hire a logistics provider who does not keep itself abreast of these regulations. And the best way to know this is to check the company’s safety record.

6.    Capabilities

It is not enough that your logistics provider is the best. No. Your logistics provider has to be the best for your business. Only then will you get the best service out of your supply chain. That your logistic provider offers the best service in one industry does not mean it will automatically be the same for your own industry.

When considering the capabilities of your prospective third-party logistics company, you should concern yourself with its ability to satisfy your present and future business needs. You may not need to ship hundreds of gallons of chemicals at the moment, for instance, because your business isn’t that big. But what happens when you need to ship it a few years from now and your logistics provider isn’t capable? You just can’t hope that the company would be able to provide that service for you in the future. It has to be capable of providing it now, even though you don’t need it now.

Also, you want to know if the logistic provider offers time-sensitive shipments, even in high seasons where it has a lot of shipments to deliver. If the 3PL company is not smart enough to only have as many clients as it can serve effectively, then your own business should not even be in business with it.

7.    Modes of shipment

Some 3PL companies limit their services within a particular geographical region. And as a result, their modes of shipment are limited. For instance, a logistics provider that only runs within the US may be limited to local cargo airlines and roads. It may not be able to handle shipments from another continent. But what happens when your business needs shipment from halfway across the world, where the best mode of shipment is simply by water? Even if you don’t need to make those shipments today, what about a few years down the line?

When you’re unsure about your future mode of shipment, it is best to stick with a non-asset based third-party logistics provider because of its flexibility in implementing supply chains. So when you decide to use another mode of shipment, your non-asset based logistics provider only has to negotiate with the appropriate parties and your cargo is where you want it. An asset-based logistics provider, on the other hand, may not be inclined to offer this if it doesn’t have the appropriate tools and assets to implement the supply chain.

8.    Pricing

Pay close attention to this part too. While hiring a third-party logistics company might already seem like a cost-effective alternative to running your logistics services yourself, you still have to try and get the best deals. Otherwise, you might end up getting exploited while you think you’re getting a good deal.

The best 3PL companies know how to ship your freight most efficiently and cost-effectively. Total Connection, for instance, has a network of partnerships and relationships with both shippers and suppliers. So we always know where and how to get the best deal for your business.

About Total Connection

Total Connection is the largest family-run third-party logistics company in the world. But we take more pride in the quality of service and the expertise with which we’ve consistently delivered to our clients for almost three decades. Total Connection handles the logistics needs of your business seamlessly while having you do next to nothing. No more boring paperwork, unending shipment tracking, keeping up with the always-changing regulations, and incessant rate negotiations. We handle it all for you.

We are a non-asset based logistics company with an extensive network of relationships with warehouses and carriers from all over the world. What this means for your business is that you only have to mention what your shipment is, where you want it from, and where you want it to be delivered. We’ll worry about everything else.

The logistics services we provide at Total Connection include:

  • Ocean and air freight forwarding
  • Liquid bulk chemical transportation
  • Over the road trucking/LTL
  • International shipping/Project cargo
  • Container drayage
  • Warehousing and consolidation

Many businesses of various scales have trusted us with their cargo and have nothing but excellent reports about our services. You too can add your company to the ever-growing list of our satisfied customers when you fill out the quote form below.

Plasticizers: Classifications, Examples, Benefits, Uses, and Regulations

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PET Preform in PET bottles blowing. The plastic bottle blowing machine.Heating process for plastic bottle process.

If before now, you were unfamiliar with plasticizers, you’ll soon see that you know more about them than you thought. They are everywhere. Plasticizers are some of the most versatile chemicals used across many industries for their unique properties.

In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about plasticizers, including:

Plasticizers: What They Are and What They Are Used For

Plasticizers are organic chemicals that can improve the flexibility, viscosity, softness, friction level, and plasticity of materials. The materials that require the addition of plasticizers are often polymers, such as rubber and plastic. Using plasticizers in these polymers makes the materials easier to handle when they are being processed into end products. It also equips them for an end-user application.

A popular use case for plasticizers is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a material that is used across various industries to make clothes, hoses, vinyl flooring, electric wire coatings, seats, and more. PVC, in its original state, is hard and brittle, which makes it unsuitable for most of the things we use PVC for. But once you add plasticizers to PVC, what you get is the multi-purpose PVC that we have today.

Another common application of plasticizers is in concrete formulations. Concrete formulations without plasticizers in them are a nuisance to handle. But plasticizers in concrete formulations make the concrete easier to work with.

Common Applications of Plasticizers

The most common application of plasticizers is in PVCs, and this is because of the massive market for plasticized PVC. Some of these applications include:

●      Coated Fabrics

Fabric makers often use plasticized PVC coatings to make their fabrics stronger, more durable, and weather-resilient. Some industries that use PVC-coated fabrics include the food, agriculture, architecture, sports, lifestyle, and defense industries. The fabrics themselves include tents, outdoor furniture, tarpaulins, and many more.

●      Film and Sheeting

The weather-resilient property of flexible PVC makes it a great material for making roofing membranes, swimming pool liners, advertising signs, and many more.

●      Wire and Cable

Flexible PVC has characteristics that make it useful in the electrical industry. It is an excellent electrical insulator, temperature resilient, and easy to handle. These properties then make it a perfect material for sheltering electrical conductors and insulating fiber optic cables.

●      Flooring

The strength of flexible PVC is once again relied upon in making flooring products. Some of these products include durable sheet flooring, luxury vinyl tile, vinyl composition tile, and vinyl-backed carpet tile.

●      Medical Products

Some medical product manufacturers also acknowledge and use flexible PVC to make products like blood bags, biohazard containment structures, IV tubing, and many more.

Classifications of Plasticizers

The most common method of classifying plasticizers is according to their chemical composition. Each chemical composition has properties that are peculiar to it, and we can easily imbibe these unique properties into base polymers to equip them for specific applications. For instance, some phthalate plasticizers are popular for their ability to retain their flexibility and durability for a long time. That is why they are used to make products like car upholstery and shoe coatings that require such characteristics.

According to the chemical composition classification, a lot of chemical families fit into the description of plasticizers. But the most common among them are:

  1. Adipate plasticizers (such as DEHA and DIDA)
  2. Benzoate plasticizers (such as benzoate esters)
  3. Bio-based plasticizers (vegetable oil plasticizers)
  4. Energetic plasticizers (such as BTTN, BDNPA, and DNT)
  5. Citrates plasticizers (such as ATBC, TOC, and ATOC)
  6. Phthalate ester plasticizers (such as DINP, DIDP, and DEHP)
  7. Trimellitate ester plasticizers (such as TIDTM, TINTM, and TEHTM)

And each of these classes possesses, in varying degrees, the ability to make polymers or resins:

  • Withstand cold temperatures
  • Easier to process when making them into end products
  • Softer and more flexible.

Apart from these general characteristics, there are still some classes that have peculiar characteristics that make them suitable for various specific purposes. However, we only dive into the deeper details of the most commonly used of these plasticizer classes: Phthalate Plasticizers

Hand of young male worker of large modern factory holding polymer granules in hand during industrial process

Phthalate Plasticizers

Phthalate plasticizers contain useful properties, including low volatility, weather-resistance, low solubility in water, and remarkable resistance to biodegradation. These properties make it useful for a variety of purposes. However, its compatibility with the PVC polymer is its trump card.

PVC is a widely used material for purposes that cut across various industries, from the sensitive food industry to the structural construction industry. And it is because of this compatibility that phthalate is the most commonly used plasticizer. Few plasticizer classes can achieve this level of compatibility, and it makes it hard for them to replace phthalates as the most common plasticizer.

By the way, phthalate is pronounced as “thalate”, with the “ph” silent.

There are many common examples of phthalate plasticizers, and each of them has advantages and limitations for the purposes we use them for. Some examples are:

1.    DIDP

Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) is an odorless and colorless liquid with high ortho-phthalate molecular weight. Its solubility spans across many organic solvents, but not in water. It has uses in different industries, including the automobile, electrical, and flooring and construction industries. Other things we use DIDP for include texture inks, anti-corrosion paints, and sealing compounds.

Benefits of DIDP

  • DIDP is known for improving and retaining the flexibility of polymers.
  • DIDP has a more lasting effect than other plasticizers, such as DINP.

Applications of DIDP

  • DIDP plasticizers have some properties that set them apart from other plasticizers. An example of such property is its low volatility. Thanks to this property, it can be easily processed and used in PVC. And that is why we use DIDP in products that would be exposed to high-temperature ranges.
  • Manufacturers also rely on the ability of DIDP to retain its properties in various weather and temperature conditions. And so we use it for outdoor products, such as roof waterproof materials, rain boots, and swimming pool liners.
  • Stability to heat and electrical insulation. These two properties of DIDP make the plasticizer suitable for making car interiors, electrical cords, PVC flooring, and many more. Other products that contain DIDP include pharmaceutical pills, cookware, furniture coatings, food wrappers, and many more.

2.    DINP

Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) is an odorless and colorless oily liquid with a high ortho-phthalate molecular weight. It’s soluble in hexanes and alcohols, but not in water. Its most common application is in the plasticizing of PVC. And although the primary application of DINP is in PVC plasticization, it also has other uses in lubricants, sealants, and paints.

Benefits of DINP

  • DINP plays a huge role in determining the properties that PVC products have. Examples of these DINP properties include durability, flexibility, and heat resistance.
  • DINP also possesses features that make DINP-based PVC products suitable for outdoor uses. One of such features is weather-resilience. It takes a long time before weather changes tell on DINP when it is used outdoors. Other properties include excellent thermal insulation, low volatility, resistance to degradation, and durability.
  • DINP also offers manufacturers the opportunity to control the amount of flexibility they want base materials to have. As a result, it makes the chemical additive suitable for various mechanical specifications.

Applications of DINP

  • DINP is used in making flexible PVC, a common material in the construction industry. DINP-based flexible PVCs are used to shelter sports arenas and buildings due to their durability, and water resistance.
  • The combination of DINP and PVC powder is used to make flexible flooring materials.

3.    DIBP

Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) is another phthalate plasticizer worth mentioning. Just like the other two phthalates above it, it is almost odorless and completely colorless. DIBP has low toxicity and poor solubility in water. It also has applications that cut across various industries.

Applications of DIBP

  • The remarkable heat and light stability properties of DIBP make it one of the best plasticizers for use in cellulose nitrate plastics. It is also the least expensive phthalate plasticizer that can be used in such plastics.
  • DIBP, like other phthalate plasticizers, can also be used in the manufacture of rubber and PVC to ease gelation.
  • Adhesives, paints, pulp, paper, lacquers, varnishes, and sealants often have DIBP in them.
  • Other applications of DIBP are in the printing inks, nail polishes, cosmetics, lubricants, clothing treatments, tapestry, floor carpets, and many others.
  • As a result of its similarities to DBP, DIBP can also be used in place of the phthalate plasticizer.

4.    DBP

Apart from being a plasticizer, the colorless and oily chemical is also an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor. Its toxicity levels range from zero to very low.

Applications of DBP

  • The main application of DBP is in the manufacture of flexible plastics.
  • Paint and plastic manufacturers use DBP as a medium for reaction during their chemical reactions.
  • DBP has uses in various types of adhesives, including hardening adhesives, general adhesives, and water-based adhesives.
  • Apart from its use as a plasticizer, DBP is also used in insecticides, antifoam agents, fragrance fixatives, and as a manometer fluid.

Limitations of DBP

  • DBP cannot be used in sensitive childcare products in quantities more than 1000ppm.
  • As a result of its low molecular weight, its applications have consistently been in a decline.
  • Its effects on the environment are detrimental. DBP can easily seep into the soil and contaminate the nearby water bodies.
  • The EU has banned the use of DBP in all cosmetic products while the United States places it on its Priority Pollutant List
  • Be careful when you hold a naked flame close to DBP, as it is combustible. You may need to be deliberate about igniting it before it ignites, though, as it does not ignite easily.

5.    BBzP or BBP

Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP or BBP) has a mild odor. But unlike many other phthalate plasticizers which are insoluble in water, BBP is moderately soluble in water. BBP was mostly used in the manufacture of vinyl products and other applications where its durability and flexibility are needed. However, the use of BBzP is greatly discouraged because of its toxicity.

Applications of BBzP

  • BBzP is most commonly used to make PVC flooring materials tiles because of its compatibility with PVC and its durability.
  • Other applications of BBzP are in the manufacture of conveyor belts used in food industries, automotive materials, and artificial leather.

Limitations of BBzP

  • BBzP is toxic. In fact, its use in various applications has continued to be in decline for over a decade now.
  • BBzB is banned in quantities more than 0.1% in sensitive childcare products, as its toxicity could lead to negative outcomes in the human body.

6.    DPHP

Dipropyl Heptyl phthalate (DPHP) is a viscous and odorless chemical that competes with other popular phthalate plasticizers, such as DINP and DEHP, in use for various applications. DPHP has remarkable plasticizing properties that make it an all-purpose plasticizer, especially in PVC materials.

Benefits of DPHP

  • It is one of the best plasticizers for PVC products where flexibility, high performance, and durability are in the job description.
  • Its weather-resilience makes it a suitable plasticizer in making outdoor products, such as roofing membranes.
  • Products that need to be durable, flexible, and resistant to high temperatures, such as automotive interiors and electrical wires and cables, also make use of DPHP.
  • DPHP does not pose any health or environmental risks.

Applications of DPHP

  • A DPHP-softened plasticizer is widely used in making all sorts of electric wires and cables.
  • Most of the plastics in automobiles have DPHP in them. Automobile manufacturers rely on this plasticizer because it allows them to get whatever shape, specification, and texture they want from their PVC. In fact, DPHP can even be made to feel and look like leather.

7.    DEHP or DOP

Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), or dioctyl phthalate (DOP), is a low toxicity phthalate that is mostly used in medical devices. It is also one of the most commonly used phthalate plasticizers because of its inexpensiveness. DEHP is a water-insoluble plasticizer that you can find in materials used for making many consumer items.

Benefits of DEHP

  • DEHP is one of the most inexpensive plasticizers, making it suitable for applications where it is needed in large supplies. And that is why DEHP is used in most household items, such as shower curtains.

Applications of DEHP

  • The only phthalate plasticizer used in PVCs for medical devices is DEHP. Such devices include dialysis bags and tubing, IV catheters, and blood bags.
  • The inexpensiveness of DEHP makes it a suitable material in making many household products. Examples of products that may contain DEHP include personal care products, scented candles, laundry detergents, cosmetics, and air fresheners.

Limitations of DEHP

  • DEHP is a leachate. That is, it leaches into the environment from products where it is used.
  • Many countries ban DEHP because it is an endocrine disruptor, especially in the male gender.

8.    DIHP

Diisoheptyl phthalate (DIHP) is a water-insoluble plasticizer that has a variety of uses in industries, such as the construction industry. Unfortunately, its manufacture in the US and EU has been stopped because of its health and environmental hazards. However, it may still be used, albeit in small quantities.

Applications of DIHP

  • Screen printing inks have traces of DIHP in them, and some Australian manufacturers still use it as a specialist PVC plasticizer.
  • The durability of the plasticizer makes it a suitable plasticizer for making PVC flooring materials, including carpet backing, tiles, and coating plastisols.
  • Lubricating oils sometimes contain traces of the plasticizer.

Limitations of DIHP

  • DIHP may be responsible for some health complications, especially in unborn children. So, its use is highly discouraged.

9.    DIOP

The water-insoluble, colorless, oily, and slightly odored diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP) is a relatively safe plasticizer. Apart from being used in PVC, some countries even allow the phthalate plasticizer in materials that come in contact with food and other sensitive products.

Applications of DIOP

  • DIOP, like other phthalate plasticizers, is used to soften PVC. But its durability makes it a suitable plasticizer for making PVC jackets for building wire.
  • Apart from PVC, the plasticizer is also used in synthetic rubber and acrylic or cellulose resins.
  • The non-toxicity of DIOP plays a major role in making it one of the few phthalate plasticizers that are actually allowed to come in contact with eatables.

Limitations of DIOP

  • Although accumulated levels of DIOP in the body only have a few temporary discomforts, the plasticizer has the tendency to endanger an unborn child or impair fertility.
  • When DIOP seeps into the ground and gets to nearby water bodies, it is usually bad news for aquatic life in the waters.

10.                   DTDP

Ditridecyl phthalate (DTDP) is a high molecular weight phthalate plasticizer with remarkable performance under heat. It is an oily chemical that is slightly soluble in water. DTDP is also a relatively safe chemical that only has mild and temporary effects on health after exposure.

Benefits of DTDP

  • DTDP is one of the phthalate plasticizers that retain its property the longest during use.
  • The heat-resisting property of DTDP makes it suitable for materials that would be exposed to high-temperature uses.
  • DTDP may be used as an inexpensive alternative in applications where we use trimellitate plasticizers.

Applications of DTDP

  • DTDP is often the preferred phthalate plasticizer when PVC materials where excellent high-temperature stability are needed. These PVCs are then used in making electric conductor insulation in automobiles.
  • DTDP may also be used in lubricants, brake fluids, greases, and more.

11.                   DIUP

DIUP would just be like every other phthalate plasticizer if not for its resistance to fogging in vehicle interiors. This property alone makes it a crucial chemical in the automobile industry.

Benefits of DIUP

  • Compared to common phthalate plasticizers like DIDP and DINP, DIDP has a higher molecular weight. And an advantage of this is that the properties of DIUP last longer in products than the properties of the other two plasticizers
  • DIUP remains flexible and durable even in various weather conditions.
  • The non-toxicity of DIUP is a plus for it, as it is neither carcinogenic nor harmful to reproduction. Also, it is not an endocrine-disrupting chemical, making it safe for various sensitive products.
  • DIUP migrates very slowly. As a result, it hardly ever contaminates.

Applications of DIUP

  • DIUP is mostly used in automobile PVC products because of its low contribution to fogging.

12.                   DUP

Diundecyl Phthalate (DUP) is colorless, odorless, and oily. It is similar to DIUP in use and applications.

Benefits of DUP

  • DUP has high-temperature stability.
  • Like many other phthalates, DUP has a remarkable weathering ability.

Applications of DUP

  • The high-temperature stability of DUP makes it suitable for use in electrical wires, automobile leathers, and films.
  • DUP also has a low contribution to fogging, making it useful in the automobile industry for designing auto interiors.
  • DUP is also used in industrial lubricating oils as a base stock.
  • Other applications of DUP are in wall coverings, pool liners, water stops, floor mats, roofing membranes, and many more.

Disadvantages of Phthalate Plasticizers

Phthalate plasticizers bring a lot of advantages to the table, but they are not without their disadvantages. A lot of concerns have been raised over how safe they are, especially DEHP plasticizers. Some of these concerns include the following:

  • Some phthalates, despite their compatibility with PVC, do not bind chemically with polymers. And as a result, their particles often leach out into the environment.
  • Phthalates also accumulate in the human body from many sources, including PVC toys, car seats, vinyl shower products, and other products humans come in contact with daily. Medical practitioners have also found traces of the chemicals in nursing mothers, which are then passed to their babies through breastfeeding.
  • Studies also have it that DEHP is connected to sperm problems and low testosterone levels in men. Another study found phthalates to be responsible for negative impacts on neurodevelopment, leading to lower IQ, hyperactivity and attention issues, and more. This same DEHP is also carcinogenic, meaning that it encourages cancerous growth, and it is regarded as developmental toxins.

Advantages of Phthalate Plasticizers

The question on your mind may now be, “why do we use phthalate plasticizers if some of them can be this dangerous?” Here are some reasons phthalates plasticizers are still widely used despite the potential dangers some of them pose

●      Phthalates are inexpensive

Phthalates are economical. And since they are being used in large quantities and across various industries, cost-saving is one of their advantages.

●      Phthalates are effective

Phthalates do what they do well, making it hard for their potential replacements to overtake them. Phthalate plasticizers make polymers durable, flexible, weather resilient, and very compatible with the most commonly used polymer, PVC.

●      There is more supply of phthalates than their replacements

The potential replacements of phthalates are not in as much supply as phthalates. It then makes sense to use a material more abundant

Health and Safety with Phthalate Plasticizers

By now, you may also see the dilemma that phthalate-based plasticizers pose. They can be dangerous, but they can’t be done without. It is possible, however, to know how to handle phthalate exposure.

●      Wash Your Hands Regularly

This old trick has been keeping us safe for years, and it continues to do so. Wash your hands regularly to get rid of plasticizer traces on your hands.

●      Always clean dusty areas in your home

Some phthalate plasticizers don’t bond well with PVC. And so, the plasticizer particles can become loose and float around with the dust in the air. That is why you should avoid dusty areas as much as you can. Also always rid your house of dust by consistently vacuum cleaning dusty areas.

●      Don’t let kids play with plastics that are not toys

Toys made from plastic often contain minute traces of phthalate in them, and so are relatively safe for kids to put in their mouths. Any other plastics, however, should be kept away from their reach.

Still, on the safety topic, it is also important that industries where plastic PVCs are used handle the chemicals safely. And the safe handling of these chemicals starts from shipping them.

Energetic Plasticizers

This is another classification of plasticizers that is worth mentioning. Energetic plasticizers are used in fuels and propellants to improve their physical properties and specific yield. Examples of the energetic materials that require the use of energetic plasticizers are smokeless gunpowders and rocket propellants.

Energetic materials help us extract more energy from propellants, and this is why they are preferred to non-energetic plasticizers in this application. However, energetic plasticizers can be expensive and unsafe.

Examples of Energetic Plasticizers

The most common examples of energetic plasticizers are:

  • Bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal (BDNPA)
  • Bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)formal (BDNPF)
  • Butanetriol trinitrate (BTTN)
  • Diethylene glycol dinitrate (DEGDN or DEGN)
  • Dinitrotoluene (DNT)
  • Nitroglycerine (NG). NG may be more familiar to you as “nitro.”
  • Triethylene glycol dinitrate (TEGDN or TEGN)
  • Trimethylolethane trinitrate (TMETN or METN)
  • 2,2,2-Trinitron Ethyl 2-nitroxyethyl ether (TNEN)

How To Ship Plasticizers

Plasticizer shipping is as important as the chemicals themselves. This is because the industries where they use plasticizers rarely buy them in packaged bits. That approach would be costly. Instead, they have the plasticizers shipped to them in bulk through chemical tankers, where they can unload them into their reservoirs and put them to use from there. That is the cost-effective way of shipping bulk fertilizers. This shipping method, however, is not without its challenges.

Regulations Around Shipping Plasticizers

The greatest challenge with shipping plasticizers is the toxic nature of the chemicals. Many of them are rated hazardous materials. And as such, the regulations that pertain to shipping hazardous materials apply to them as well.

But the problem here is that these regulations are many, and everyone involved in the shipping of the chemicals has, at least, a handful of regulations to adhere to. Although this is expected when you consider the hazardous nature of many plasticizers, the regulations can be inconvenient to keep up with. Especially since the regulatory bodies in charge of the regulations constantly update the regulations.

Plasticizer Shipping Conditions

Plasticizers, like many other chemicals, have their ideal conditions as regards pressure, temperature, and others. This could pose a challenge to shippers or companies who don’t have the equipment to keep the chemicals in their ideal conditions during transit. And transporting the chemicals under any other conditions apart from the ideal conditions could be catastrophic.

In addition, plasticizers, such as DBP, need to be desensitized with other chemicals before they can be safely transported.

caucasian scientist in blue lab suit and gloves stand on platform and look in the chromed tank, clean laboratory, tank on front

Shipping Your Bulk Plasticizers with Total Connection

If you had to ship your bulk plasticizer on your own, you would have to adhere to all the related regulations, no matter how many or inconvenient they are. It is not unheard of that some companies even have departments that handle their hazardous plasticizer shipments. The downside to this is that it requires more labor and more expenses for the company. You may also need to procure customized bulk chemical tankers to keep the plasticizers in good condition during transit.

But who said you have to do it all on your own?

Total Connection is a logistics company that prides itself in the shipping of liquid bulk anything. We ship chemicals pertaining to various industries, including the oil and gas, food, agriculture, and construction industries. The nature and quantity of the chemicals don’t even matter. We ship them in their kinds and quantities.

Total Connection has been shipping hazardous plasticizer chemicals for about three decades now, and we have an over-the-top success rate. Despite the excellent success rate, we have insurance backing up any chemical that we ship, as we don’t leave anything to chance. What this means for you is that you would be risking next to nothing, and neither would you be doing much. You wouldn’t even have a lot of HAZMAT regulations to worry about until the chemicals are in your custody.

All you need to do is contact us through the brief quote form below for your plasticizer chemical shipping, and we’ll take it from there.

Oil and Gas Exploration Chemicals Shipping and Logistics

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Offshore Jack Up Drilling Rig Over The Production Platform in The Middle of The Sea

Oil and gas exploration and production involve many complex processes and phases. And at their core, oil exploration and production are expensive and destructive. Spillages could contaminate water bodies near the drilling sites. Mishandling of materials on the oilfield could be disastrous to the operators nearby. Heavy drilling could cause minor earthquakes around the drilling sites. The list of things that could go wrong goes on and on.

But with oil and gas exploration and production chemicals, the processes involved in extracting oil from the ground become more economical and less destructive. This article discusses different oil production chemicals and what they contribute to the production process. It also discusses how to ship these chemicals to the oilfield, the challenges that come with shipping them, and the solution to these challenges.

Different Chemicals Used in the Exploration and Production of Oil and Gas

Engineers set up a rescue tripod at the top of an abandoned oil well on the West Coast before sending workers into a confined space.

Here is a list of chemicals used in oil and gas exploration and production. These chemicals have various functions that make them crucial from the extraction of crude oil from the ground to refining it into different forms for public use.

1.    Acetic Acid

Acetic acid is involved in many oil and gas exploration and production applications. But one of the most widely used cases is in well stimulations. And its well stimulation applications are further divided into two. The first is hydraulic fracturing, and the other is matrix acidizing.

During hydraulic fracturing, drilling site operators inject drilling fluids containing the pungent-smelling acid at high pressure and in tight formations into wellbores. The drilling fluid cracks the oil reservoir at the bottom of the wellbore. But the acetic acid in the fluid makes the oil flow with ease during extraction.

Matrix acidizing, the other common application of acetic acid, involves the use of acetic acid to clear hindrances in the wellbore while keeping the reservoir intact. The acid is most effective when the hindrances are carbonates or limestone.

2.    Borates

Borates have applications across various phases of the exploration and production of oil and gas. The versatility of the chemical makes it one of the most relied upon chemicals in the oilfield. One area of application of borates in the oilfield is its use as a retardant for the cement used in supporting the wellbore after drilling. Another use that drilling site operators put borates to is the regulation of the viscosity in the drilling mud being injected into the wellbore.

Also, sodium perborate oxidizes hydrogen sulfide — a naturally occurring hazardous gas in the oil and gas industry — into less harmful sulfur or sulfate. And not only that, but it also attacks the bacteria that causes the natural formation of harmful hydrogen sulfide. Other uses of borates in oil and gas exploration and production include the regulation of pH and viscosity levels.

3.    Calcium Chloride

Just like the other chemicals on this list, calcium chlorides have functions that cut across different phases of oil and gas exploration and production. But its primary function is in maintaining and establishing the wellbores. It goes along with the drilling fluid mixture into the wellbores to lower the higher underground temperatures while also lubricating the drilling bits.

Calcium chloride also serves as a workover fluid to get rid of unwanted solids from the oil wells.  Other uses of calcium chloride in the oilfield include the acceleration of concrete formation time and helping to maintain pressure levels in the wellbore.

4.    Choline Chloride

When drilling a wellbore through clay soil, there is the need to stabilize the soil to stop it from swelling and destroying the oil well. That is what we use choline chloride for at the drilling site. And not only is it effective, but it is also inexpensive and safe.

There are other clay stabilizer alternatives, but oilfield operators often prefer choline chloride for many reasons. One of them is that the chemical remains useful even in the deeper levels of the oil well. It is also compatible with other chemicals used in the drilling fluid, including calcium chloride, cross-linkers, breakers, etc. Another reason choline chloride is the preferred clay stabilizer in many drilling sites is that it works in all drilling environments.

5.    Ethylene Glycol

Gas hydrates occur naturally during oil and gas production. They form when natural gas and free water meet at high pressure and low temperature. The problem with these hydrates is that they look like ice. And like ice, they can clog flow lines. Depending on the wellbore design, the drilling fluid composition, operating regime, and other factors, hydrate formation could be a massive problem in oil and gas production. But thanks to gas hydrate inhibitors like ethylene glycol, we have a solution to these hydrate formations. Ethylene glycol serves as an antifreeze agent which prevents the hydrates from clogging up the flow lines.

6.    Formic Acid

Formic acid is a common well stimulation treatment chemical. But unlike other well stimulation chemicals, such as hydrochloric acid, formic acid hinders the corrosion of metal pipes in wellbores with temperatures above 392°F. And when it corrodes steel pipes, it does so uniformly so that it reduces pitting.

7.    Guar Gum Powder and Slurry

Guar gum is basically the seed of a guar bean, while guar slurry is made from the guar bean itself. But their uses transcend the fields of agriculture into the oilfield. In oil and gas exploration and production, guar gum is used in various phases, including mud drilling, oil well fracturing, and oil well stimulation.

Oilfield operators add guar gum to drilling fluids to thicken the mixture before injecting it into the wellbore to fracture the oil reservoir. And one of its primary functions is to ease the drilling process while reducing fluid loss. Guar is also used as a suspending and stabilizing agent in drilling fluids. In addition, the viscosity of the drilling mud benefits from the regulating property of the guar.

Some reasons why guar gum powder is a favorite in many drilling sites are that it quickly hydrates in cold water, it is harmless, it is biodegradable, and environmentally friendly.

8.    Hydrochloric Acid

Hydrochloric acid plays a crucial role in oil and gas exploration. After drilling has been done, hydrochloric acid and water are pumped into the wellbore to get rid of cement debris that was left from the previous drilling princess. The acid also contributes to the opening of fractures in underground oil reservoirs.

9.    Phosphoric Acid

Phosphoric acid does not have a lot of direct functions in the oilfield, but we can make phosphate salts which are very useful in oil and gas exploration and production with it. Disodium pyrophosphate, for instance, is used as a dispersant in drilling fluids. Trisodium phosphate (TSP) is effective for degreasing. Sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP) is used as a clay flocculant and also to treat cement contamination. And a lot of phosphates can be used to cause the precipitation of calcium in water-based drilling muds.

10.                   Potassium Hydroxide

Another name for potassium hydroxide is caustic potash. Caustic potash has uses on the oilfield that range from pH and alkalinity regulation in potassium-based water drilling muds to clay stabilization. But like many other oil and gas exploration and production chemicals, it requires adequate training and equipment to be handled. It releases heat when you dissolve it in water, making it hazardous and dangerous when mishandled.

11.                   Sodium Carbonate

Calcium is an element that is naturally present in many water formations. And it is bad news for drilling sites, as it can cause clay flocculation and drilling fluid loss. High filtrate calcium is another form of calcium that could cause calcium-sensitive additives in drilling muds to precipitate. A solution to this is the use of sodium carbonate or soda ash treatment.

Soda ash is effective in treating calcium ion contamination in seawater and freshwater muds, while sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is used to treat cement contamination in wellbores.

12.                   Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium hydroxide (also caustic soda or Lye) regulates the alkalinity and pH in water drilling fluids. Other applications of caustic soda in oil and gas exploration and production are in the reduction of lime solubility and in the increase of how fast dispersed clays are hydrated.

Caustic soda, like caustic potash, releases heat when dissolved in water. As a result, it is hazardous and requires adequate training and equipment to handle.

Shipping Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Chemicals

The shipping of oil and gas chemicals is best left for liquid bulk tankers, which must be commandeered by experienced carriers. There are a lot of complex processes involved in transporting these chemicals. And because of the diverse natures of these chemicals, it would be disastrous to handle their shipping in a one-size-fits-all manner. For instance, some chemicals don’t like agitation, so the tanker that holds them must be the right size for the volume being transported. Some other chemicals are best transported at a controlled temperature, calling for the need for in-transit heat chemical tankers.

The Challenges of Shipping Oil Production Chemicals

Here are some challenges the come with the shipping of oil production and exploration chemicals

●      Some chemicals are hazardous materials (HAZMAT).

The first challenge with shipping oil and gas exploration and production chemicals is that many of these chemicals are hazardous materials. The United States does not joke about the transport of these hazardous materials, and rightly so. An accident involving a caustic chemical near a water body, for instance, could raise the temperature of the water and cook the fishes inside. An accident involving corrosive acids could further lower the chances of survival for the tanker carrier and anyone else closeby. These, and many other scenarios, are disasters that are peculiar to the transport of hazardous materials.

Reacting to the potential dangers that accompany the transport of these hazardous chemicals, the United States Department of Transport has a long list of regulations that must be adhered to. But to be honest, adhering to them can be inconvenient, especially for an inexperienced carrier.  And so, the hazardous nature of the chemicals becomes a headache during the shipping of the chemicals.

●      The remote locations of many oilfields.

The remote locations of many drilling sites is another challenge that the carriers of oil and gas production chemicals face. This is because most of these drilling sites have unforgiving terrains that are hard to maneuver around with thousands of gallons of possibly hazardous chemicals in your trailer. An inexperienced carrier could become even more confused if the drilling sites are not on Google Maps, and they are left to find their way themselves.

●      Unreliability of the logistics company.

The reliability of the logistics company you choose to ship your oil and gas production chemicals is as important as the chemicals themselves. Any logistics company serving the oil and gas industry has to be reliable and flexible enough to handle urgent shipments, miscommunications, and order cancellations. These situations are common on this side of the world. But the absence of reliable logistics partners could affect operations at the drilling site.

How Total Connection Eases the Shipping of Production Chemicals for the Oil and Gas Industry

As many challenges as there are with shipping oil and gas exploration and production chemicals, a chemical shipping company can solve most of them. Now, we aren’t just talking about any kind of chemical logistics company, but one with enough experience and expertise to get the job done. A perfect example is Total Connection oil and gas chemical shipping company.

Total Connection is one of the best in the business of shipping oil and gas chemicals. The company relies on almost three decades of experience and expertise to mitigate all unnecessary risks and expenses that accompany oilfield chemicals shipping. It is robust enough to handle all your oilfield chemical needs, yet flexible enough to handle unforeseen circumstances without hitches. And with crucial partnerships with major oilfield chemical manufacturers, Total Connection can cut the excesses out of the supply chain and offers you chemical transportation at the lowest reasonable rates.

You too can find out why you should join many other oil companies in trusting us with your chemical shipping when you fill out the quote form below. Our kind experts will get back to you in no time.

Shipping Lubricants and Fuel Additives

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Horizontally located cylindrical tanks with oil products and fuel for equipment. Installed in one row. Silver gray. Warehouse for the storage of fuel and lubricants. At the bottom of the tanks taps for fuel recruitment.

Friction. One of the major villains where machinery is concerned — which is just about anywhere you could think of. Able to shorten the lifespan of engines and machines by years. And in industries like oil and gas and the automobile where the machines used are usually heavy-duty, expensive, and hard to install, machine replacements are a plague to avoid. But we’re not defenseless against friction. We have lubricants and their additives.

Lubricants and their additives are some of the most widely used chemicals across all industries in the world. As long as we rely on machines to get things done, we’ll always need lubricants to preserve the lives of these machines.

This piece is about everything you need to know concerning lubricants and their additives, starting from:

What are Lubricants

Lubricants are substances that reduce friction between the surfaces in contact and in relative motion to each other. Without lubricants, friction could cause the wear and tear of the surfaces in contact. But with lubricants in place, the surfaces simply slide over each other so that wear and tear are controlled or reduced. Apart from reducing friction, lubricants also have other functions that are crucial to preserving the lifespan of machines. These functions include suspending and cleaning, and keeping metal surfaces from corroding.

All liquids can serve as a lubricant, thanks to their nature. But each has varying levels of success when it comes to friction reduction. The ones that offer the best performances are called lubricants. And for each lubricant, there are ways to extract more lubricating effectiveness from it. This brings us to our next chemicals.

What are Lubricating Fuel Additives

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Lubricants often consist of two key components. The first is the base fluid, which is the fluid that does the lubricating. The other is the lubricant additive.

Lubricant additives do one of two things when you add them to lubricating oils. They either enhance a property of the base fluid or add a new property to the base fluid. Some properties that base fluids already have in them include oxidation resistance, pour point, viscosity, and viscosity index. And the right additives can enhance all these properties. But some properties that the additives bring to the base fluid are corrosion control, anti-wear performance, and suspending and cleaning ability.

Today in industries like the automobile and the oil and gas, lubricating additives are right at the top of their list of most important chemicals. This is because of the remarkable uses of lubricating additives, especially in preserving the lives of engines. There are various additives that solve problems plaguing engines. Some of these problems include corrosion, the coagulation of soot and other particles, and acidic combustion of some products.

The Different Kinds of Lubricating Fuel Additives

These are some additives that are most commonly in use. We’ll classify them by their functions. Although some of these additives are multifunctional, we’ll categorize them according to their primary functions.

1.    Friction Modifiers

Friction additive modifiers are closest in function to the base lubricating fluid in that they contribute to friction reduction. When you apply a lubricant that contains a friction modifier additive, the additive forms a long-lasting low-resistance lubricant film. This is then absorbed into the surface of the machine.

Other functions of friction modifiers include wear reduction at low temperatures that render other anti-wear agents inactive, and fuel efficiency enhancement. Some popular materials used as friction modifier additives include the derivatives of long-chain fatty acids (and the fatty acids themselves) and molybdenum compounds.

2.    Anti-Wear Agents and Extreme Pressure Additives

Before these additives were used, all engine manufacturers could do to reduce wear in their engines was to limit the load on the machines. The more load there was, the more likely it was that the engines experienced wear. Then anti-wear agents and extreme pressure additives came around. These chemicals would decompose on heating into surface-active compounds that form thin films on surfaces that reduce wear. Zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) is one of the most common anti-wear agents we use in engine oil today.

3.    Antioxidant Additives

It is important that lubricants are resistant to oxidation, especially when they’re used in engines. Lubricants are basically hydrocarbons, and when you expose them to heat and oxygen, they oxidize quickly.

To make matters more complicated, engines are nothing but oxidation zones. They contain metal parts, such as iron and copper, which are exceptional oxidation catalysts. So, there is the need for lubricants, especially engine oil, to be oxidation resistant to a good extent. And that is where antioxidant additives come in.

Examples of lubricating oil antioxidant additives include alkylated diphenylamines, hindered phenols, organomolybdenum compounds, dithiocarbamates, and ZDDP.

4.    Antifoam Agents

Foaming is an effect of lubricants that is completely frowned upon. Foaming of lubricant makes the lubricant more susceptible to oxidation when it mixes with the air. It can also lead to cavitation damage and insufficient oil circulation. And when all these happen, the lubricant loses its effect. Depending on the various applications of the lubricants, foaming can be tolerated at different levels. What antifoam agents or defoamant additives do is that they make the small air bubbles coalesce into bigger air bubbles, which float more easily to the surface. Here, they are let off as air.

5.    Rust and Corrosion Inhibitors

For rust to occur, moisture must be present. Intuitively, one of the ways to prevent rust is to prevent moisture. And that is exactly what rust and corrosion inhibitors do. Rust and corrosion inhibitors are compounds that attach themselves to the surfaces of metals. They then form strong film layers that inhibit the passage of water to the surface of the metals. Common examples of these additives include alkaline earth sulfonates and amine succinates. The only complication that is involved in using rust inhibitors arises when the additives form emulsions with water. That is why rust inhibitor-lubricant mixtures must be carefully selected.

6.    Detergent and Dispersant Additives

One of the properties of lubricants, especially automobile lubricants, is how they can suspend unwanted particles when they degrade through oxidation or thermal means. This category of additives helps the lubricants to control the formation of deposits by enhancing the suspension of unwanted products.

The Challenges of Shipping Lubricants and Lubricating Fuel Additives

In massive areas of application, such as in the oilfield, these chemicals are needed in bulk. And stainless steel tankers are delegated to transporting them. But there are some challenges that come with shipping these additives.

●      Some Additives are Hazardous Materials

Additives that have been categorized as hazardous materials are usually difficult to ship. Every party involved in shipping them — right from the manufactures to your company, the end-user — must adhere to an unending list of rules and regulations. Although these regulations are important because of the hazardous nature of the chemicals, they can still be inconvenient to follow. Keeping track of the regulations can also be an inconvenience, as the regulatory bodies keep updating them often. Without an experienced hazmat team to handle the shipping of these hazardous materials, the inconvenience would be the least of your problems. Things could easily spiral out of control, landing you in unnecessary expenses and trouble with regulatory bodies.

●      Remote Oilfield Locations

Many oilfields are far away from civilization. And while it is commendable to take activities such as oil drilling far away from communities, getting products and materials to the drilling sites could be a hard nut to crack. The roads leading to many of these oilfields cut across harsh terrains. And when an inexperienced carrier fails to make their way around the terrains with thousands of gallons of hazardous materials in their trailers, there isn’t a more catastrophic recipe for disaster.

●      Lubricating Additive Shortage

Having relied on many of these additives for centuries, we are now running low on the supply of these chemicals as the demand for them increases. As a result, acquiring the additives becomes difficult, becoming a treasure that only the big guns can possess.

How to Ease the Shipping of Lubricants and Lubricant Additives with Total Connection

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The experience we at Total Connection have is enough to completely solve most of those challenges. Total Connection is a logistics company that has mastered the shipping of oilfield chemicals. We have had about three decades of experience orchestrating the transport of all kinds of oilfield chemicals with enviable success.

Our carriers are experts at transporting your hazardous chemicals, as we choose them after rigorous selection processes before investing massively in training them. As a result, you’d be risking nothing at all when you ship your chemicals with us. Your company wouldn’t even need to worry too much about adhering to hazmat regulations because we’ll handle them for you (except for when they are in your possession).

In addition, we have built a network of partnerships with major suppliers and manufacturers of all oilfield chemicals. No matter how scarce or in short supply the chemical you need is, all you have to do is to fill the quote form below. Our experts will reach out to you, and soon enough, your chemicals will be on their way to your drilling site.